Skin Problems & Treatments Health Center

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If you are sweating so heavily that it is affecting your daily life, talk to your doctor. You may feel embarrassed to talk about it, but you'll find out that there are treatments that can help. They include:

• Prescription antiperspirants. If over-the-counter brands aren't helping you, your doctor may prescribe something stronger. These products are usually applied at bedtime.
• Electricity. A procedure called iontophoresis (say "eye-AWN-tuh-fuh-REE-sus") sends a weak electric current through your skin. You place your hands or feet into shallow trays of water while the current is sent through the water. The current causes a tingling feeling in your skin. You do this repeatedly for several days until your sweating is back to a comfortable level.
• Botox injections. With this treatment, you get shots in the areas that are causing problems, such as the armpits or the hands. The Botox temporarily blocks the nerves that make you sweat.
• Medicines. Certain medicines may help by preventing the stimulation of sweat glands or by lowering the effects of stress.

For very severe cases when other treatments have failed, surgery may be done to remove sweat glands or destroy the nerves leading to sweat glands.