‘No Sweat Pit’ stop! Say goodbye to sweaty armpits this summer

Mumbai: The days of sweltering heat are here and with it comes the horror of patchy and sweaty armpits. The uncontrollable sweating can lead to significant discomfort, both physical and emotional. No matter how much talc or deodorant one uses, nothing seems to work. The problem of excessive sweating is called hyperhidrosis. Sweating may be all over the body, or it may be in one area. In fact, people with hyperhidrosis may sweat even when the temperature is cool or when they are resting.

While sweating cannot be stopped without medical intervention, some steps can be taken to minimise the odour that comes from it. Botulinum toxin type A, popularly known as Botox, can be used to tackle the problem of excessive sweating. When administered under the arms, it can help affected people keep sweating at bay. It works on the nerves of overactive sweat glands and relaxes them, significantly cutting down on sweat.

Botox is FDA approved for treatment of severe underarm sweating. In this method, small doses of purified botulinum toxin is injected into the underarm to temporarily block the nerves that stimulate sweating. This is one of the best solutions as relief lasts for four to six months and helps control body odour.

Excessive sweating may also be controlled with strong anti-perspirants, which plug the sweat ducts. Products containing 10 per cent to 20 per cent aluminum chloride hexahydrate are the first line of treatment for underarm sweating. However, anti-perspirants can cause skin irritation, and large doses of aluminum chloride can damage clothing.

In severe cases, a minimally-invasive surgical procedure called sympathectomy may be recommended when other treatments fail. The procedure turns off the signal that tells the body to sweat excessively. It is usually done on patients whose palms sweat much more heavily than normal. It may also be used to treat extreme sweating of the face. It does not work as well for those with excessive armpit sweating.