Bellevue Acne Clinic | Treatment of excessive underarm sweating

Treatment of excessive underarm sweating

Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating is a common disorder affecting many people. Affected areas of the body include palms, feet, underarms and face. Current thinking is that hyperhidrosis is the result of an overactivate sympathetic nervous system.

Normal sweating occurs with exercise and is needed for regulation of body temperature.

The excess sweating of hyperhidrosis generally exceeds the body's need for thermal regulation, and is an exaggerated physical response.

Sweating is often uncontrollable, embarrassing and unanticipated.

In this article we focus on excess underarm perspiration. The anatomical name for the underarm is the axilla. People unaffected by axillary hyperhidrosis do not think twice about having occasionally sweaty underarms. But, for those affected, axillary hyperhidrosis can be embarrassing. Individuals affected by axillary hyperhidrosis may sweat through several layers of clothing. They may be very self-aware and self-conscious about raising their arms in their home, work and school life.

There are several treatments for hyperhidrosis. Improved physical fitness can reduce excess sweating during non-exercise times of the day. Surgical treatments are available, but are painful. Botox is also helpful in treating hyperhidrosis, but is expensive and must be repeated every few months. There is an up-and-coming procedure that destroys underarm sweat glands, solving the problem forever. This device is called the Mira-Dry.

The cheapest method for treating underarm hyperhidrosis is through a special anti-perspirant called Certain-Dri. It is a non-prescription antiperspirant available in the deodorant aisle at drugstores and some supermarkets. The liquid roll-on works better than the solid stick. It costs around $8.

Certain-Dri must be used exactly as described below. It is a very strong, somewhat caustic chemical that can cause nasty chemical burns if used improperly. It can cause red, cracked, bleeding, painful skin. There have been many people who "failed" on Certain-Dri and ended up getting more invasive procedures to treat the problem. Had those people followed these instructions, they may have been able to avoid stronger interventions.

Certain-Dri must be applied at night. It only works on dry skin. When water or sweat mixes with Certain-Dri, it causes a chemical reaction that is painful. Individuals sweat less at night than during the day, which means your skin will be drier.

Certain-Dri does not work like traditional antiperspirants, which block your sweat glands from producing sweat for a short period. Instead, it sends a signal through the nervous system to discourage sweat production. There are products on the market that are similar to Certain-Dri but are somewhat weaker. They are often labeled as "clinical strength" antiperspirants. These may work for milder cases of axillary hyperhidrosis, and are less likely to cause pain and redness of the underm skin.

You will need a hair dryer, preferably one with a 'cool'setting.

Getting your skin accustomed to Certain-Dri is a process that must be done a few minutes every night for a week or so. You must not rush the period of acclimation. You will not be sweat-free for the first few days and your underarm skin may be sore. This combination may be a problem for you, because your skin may be too sore to wear traditional anti-perspirant during the day.

A risk of ramping up use too quickly is a mild chemical burn. If this happens, your underarm skin will be very sore, it will be too painful to wear ANY anti-perspirant, you will need to wait several days before trying again and you may need to see your health care provider.

Do this procedure within a few hours of bedtime. If you go to bed at 11, you could do it anytime after 8 pm, including up to 10:59 pm.

1. Get your hair dryer ready. The cool setting is preferred; low heat works also.

2. Open the cap of the Certain-Dri

3. Raise one arm. Do not lower this arm until step 6.

4. Blow dry the underarm for 30 seconds or until bone dry.

5. Most Important Step: Touch the Certain-Dri roller to the middle of the underarm gently for a half-second. You must resist the urge to roll it around to get maximum coverage. Just do a brief touch.

6. Blow dry the area for 30 seconds or until dry. Lower the arm.

7. Repeat on other side.

If you overdo it, your underarms will be sore. If they are slightly sore, try to work through it. If they are very sore, wipe with a baby wipe or rinse with soap and water. Try again the next night. You must "listen to your skin." If you apply Certain-Dri to painful skin, the problem will only get worse. In that case you must stop using the product for a few days to give your skin a chance to heal.

Each night, try to increase the amount of area you cover with Certain-Dri. You will get almost maximum results by covering on a small area (about the size of a soup can lid). You never need to cover your entire underarm with Certain-Dri (like you would with traditional anti-perspirants).

In the morning, wash off the Certain-Dri in the shower. Your underarms may be too sore to wear regular antiperspirant or deodorant. Many users of Certain-Dri find sufficient odor protection with stick deodorant each morning (instead of traditional anti-perspirant)

If you do have soreness from Certain-Dri, it may persist even after you achieve maximum results. The solution to this may be using Certain-Dri every other night (since its effects last 48 hours). Remember that the target symptom is the excess sweating. You may not be able to achieve no-sweat no-smell underarms using Certain-Dri. Most users find that slightly odorous underarms are much more acceptable than excess sweating that significantly affects their loves.

If you follow the above directions, you and your armpits will be very happy with the results.