Botox for Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis)

Anna Kremerov
Checked By Anna Kremerov

Is your sweating out of control? If you're reapplying deodorant every couple of hours to your underarms with no avail, then you may be suffering from excessive sweating, also known by the medical term hyperhidrosis.

If you're looking for an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis, then botulinum toxin injections, commonly known by the brand name Botox, could be your answer.

What Causes Excessive Sweating?

Sweating is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating your body's fight-or-flight response. When your sympathetic nervous system senses an imminent threat, it activates sweat glands in order to cool down your body and help you prepare for action. Excessive forehead sweating and facial sweating can be triggered by things like fear or anxiety, but also by exercise and hot temperatures – even if you're not aware of it happening!

Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive underarm sweating and can be classified as primary and secondary. Primary hyperhidrosis can happen for no obvious reason. It normally affects both sides of your body and is more pronounced during the daytime. It usually has an effect on the scalp, face, underarms, palms and feet. Secondary hyperhidrosis occurs as a result of an underlying medical condition, which will require investigation and treatment of the underlying cause first.

How Do Botox Injections Stop Underarm Sweating?

How Do Botox Injections Stop Underarm Sweating?

Botox injections work by blocking nerve impulses from triggering sweat glands. As a result of these small injections with a fine needle (which should only be administered by experienced doctors, nurses and other medical injectors), you'll begin to sweat less.

The treatment will only stop sweating in the area it has been injected.

What Does Botox for Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis) Treatment Involve?

A Minor’s starch iodine test may be performed prior to your treatment to determine the potential treatment area. This involves applying iodine to the area you experience excessive sweating allowing it to sweat and once it dries a small amount of starch is placed on the affected area highlighting the affected areas in dark blue colour. Experienced medical professionals who treat hyperhidrosis will inject a small amount of botulinum toxin into each affected area to control sweating.

The entire process takes about 30 minutes per area treated, though you might need more than one session if your sweating is severe or widespread over several body parts such as the forehead, back and feet.

The injected area can be numbed beforehand so you don't feel too much pain, but you may see some redness and swelling in your armpits following injectable treatments.

This will settle after a few hours and you can go back to your normal routine straight away. Results usually take two weeks to take effect and you will not need to apply deodorant when the botulinum toxin starts working.

Botox injections are not a permanent treatment for your excessive sweating problem, but it usually lasts between three to six months. If you sweat excessively, you may need to book follow-up treatment for additional injections during this time period, so be sure you are committed to using Botox to treat underarm sweating before going ahead with treatment.

How Much Does It Cost to Treat Excessive Sweating With Botox?

The price will usually depend on what areas you're having treatment; for example, it's likely to cost more to get a sweaty back treated vs. your underarms due to the surface area needing injections.

For two underarms, botox injections are priced are around £400 on average. This can also be influenced by practitioner experience and the clinic's location – London is generally more expensive than the rest of the UK!

How Much Does It Cost to Treat Excessive Sweating With Botox?

Are There Side Effects to Treating Excessive Sweating?

Possible side effects to Botox injections and other brands of botulinum toxin are rare, but can include:

  • Headaches

  • Skin irritation

  • Pain or bruising at the injection site

  • Swelling

  • Allergic reaction

  • Droopy eyelids (for facial injections)

  • Dry eyes or mouth

The most dangerous complications with Botox injections are double vision and difficulty breathing, but these are thankfully extremely rare.

If you experience any side effects or complications around your sweat glands, contact your practitioner immediately.

Who Should You Trust to Perform Your Botox for Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis)?

Botulinum toxin for excessive sweating is offered 'off-label' for all areas apart from under the underarms, which means that there isn't lots of research and testing confirming its effectiveness and safety. You should therefore only see experienced medical professionals who have lots of experience in performing injectable treatments and are familiar with medical conditions associated with excessive sweating.

We highly recommend that you only undergo hyperhidrosis Botox treatment with a medically-qualified professional, who will have undergone training in anatomy and physiology, as well as be accountable to a regulatory body such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or General Dental Council (GDC).

They should also be able to advise you of the risks of injectable treatment and be confident in handling complications if they arise.

Check out our handy guide for finding a practitioner you can trust to perform Botox injections.

Book a Botox Consultation Today.

To find out if using Botox injections to treat your excessive sweating, you'll need a detailed consultation with a medical professional. Your nearest accredited and verified Botox clinics are listed below.

As always, if you have any questions you can use our Botox Q&A where you can ask for more advice direct from a trusted, experienced medical practitioner.

Not sure Botox treatment is right for you? We have lots of Botox FAQs, Botox videos, Botox reviews, and Botox before and after images for you to do more research if you are not ready to speak to a medically trained Botox injector yet.
 
If you want to look for your nearest accredited and verified Botox clinic, your local Botox clinics are listed below. 

Clinica Fiore

5 out of 5

From 7 Review(s)

Fiore Aesthetics located in London, is ideally situated to serve the towns of Bloomsbury, Covent Garden & Charing Cross. Fiore Aesthetics offers a variety of treatments such as anti-wrinkle injections...[READ MORE]


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22 Bloomsbury Street, Covent Garden, London, WC1B 3QJ

Aesthetically Kind

Our wish at Aesthetically Kind is to offer treatments, advanced skincare and advice that will refresh and naturally enhance you, not change you. We want you to feel amazing in your skin. [READ MORE]


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16 Chilgrove Business Centre, Chilgrove Park Road, Chichester, PO18 9HU

Stradbrook Skin

5 out of 5

From 5 Review(s)

Stradbrook Skin is an expansion of the long-established and highly regarded Stradbrook Dental Centre renowned for its dental implant expertise and voted best Dental Practice 2010 in the South East...[READ MORE]


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17 To 19 Lyons Crescent, Tonbridge, TN9 1EX

London Beauty Clinic London

5 out of 5

From 10 Review(s)

Transform, revitalise and evolve. The newest technologies brought to you by industry experts at London Beauty Clinic. Innovative and consultation based approach to enhance your health and wellbein...[READ MORE]


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1 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EJ

DK Cosmetic Clinic

5 out of 5

From 20 Review(s)

DK cosmetic clinic, located in Draycott Derbyshire is a facial aesthetic clinic run by myself, Dee kaur a registered Dental professional with more than 12 years of experience working in dentistry....[READ MORE]


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Collis House, Town End Road, Draycott, DE72 3PT

Fill Your Face Aesthetics Faversham

5 out of 5

From 11 Review(s)

Why Choose Fill Your Face Aesthetics? We have been independently assessed against a robust set of standards in order to be certified as Save Face Accredited. Save Face is a Professional Standards...[READ MORE]


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The Inner Goddess, 5 Standard Quay, Faversham, ME13 7BS

The Retreatery

5 out of 5

From 7 Review(s)

Our wide range of cosmetic treatments includes advanced facials, peels, Genuine Dermaroller™ and many advanced cosmetic treatments. We also stock many organic natural products as we believe in t...[READ MORE]


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2a High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3AW

Pure Aesthetics Ltd

5 out of 5

From 10 Review(s)

Pure Aesthetics is an aesthetic clinic based in the heart of Nottingham City Centre, set in a convenient yet discreet courtyard. The contemporary, modern design creates a professional, caring and safe...[READ MORE]


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7 Eldon Chambers, Off Wheeler Gate, Nottingham, NG1 2NS

Dr Mark Holmes

Mark is an award winning aesthetic and anti-ageing doctor. He assesses and treats all patients personally at the renowned private cosmetic hospital The Mcindoe Centre.His patients' favourite treat...[READ MORE]


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The Mcindoe Centre, Holyte Rd., East Grinstead, RH19 3EB