When you sweat excessively on a daily basis, this is usually caused by a condition called hyperhidrosis. This means that regardless of your body temperature or level of exercise, you’ll experience heavy sweating around different areas of your body — usually in the armpits, or on your hands, feet, back, face, or forehead. It can happen anywhere.

Naturally, extreme sweating can be an embarrassing experience — and it can affect your confidence and quality of life. But there are real treatments for hyperhidrosis that can be highly effective. One of the most widely-known treatments is injecting botox into the affected areas.

However, using botox for sweating isn’t always plain sailing. We know this from personal experience, and from many Duradry customers who have tried botox and been disappointed with the results.

In this post, we will answer:

• How is botox meant to stop excessive armpit sweating?
• Does botox work for sweating on other areas of the body?
• What are the side effects of using botox for sweating?
• How much does it cost to use botox as a hyperhidrosis treatment?
• What are the credible alternatives to using botox for sweating?

By the end of this piece, you’ll have a better understanding of the pros and cons of using botox as a hyperhidrosis treatment, and you’ll be more informed about whether it’s a good option.

Below we also discuss how our product, Duradry can be a much cheaper, less invasive, and less painful solution to excessive sweating. You can jump to that section here or you can try out our 3 step protection system for just $20 here.

How is Botox Meant to Stop Excessive Armpit Sweating?

Botox is a toxin — i.e. Botulinum Toxin — and this means that it disrupts the nerves in the specific area where it gets injected. In the case of hyperhidrosis treatment, injecting botox with a fine needle blocks nerve signals and stops the secretion of a chemical that triggers sweat glands.

So, injecting botox should reduce the overactive production of sweat in these parts of the body.

Does it Actually Work? And How Much Does Botox Cost?

Yes, botox injections can work temporarily in reducing the symptoms of hyperhidrosis. However, there is a trade-off here. Getting 25-50 botox injections in each of your underarms is incredibly painful, and the full effects often only last 4-6 months. This means you’ll need both underarms redone twice or three times per year, adding to the inconvenience, discomfort, and costs.

 

Botox costs between $800-1,000, and there’s no guarantee that your insurance will cover the whole outlay. You’ll also have to cover the costs of seeing a dermatologist, which could add up to an extra $400-500. So, to maintain dryness year-round, you may need to shell out upwards of $3,000 annually. And naturally, some clinics are more expensive than others.

What are the Side Effects of Using Botox for Excessive Sweating?

Aside from the pain of the injections and resulting bruises and swelling, most people can get by without experiencing any serious side effects from botox treatment.

But at the same time, there are follow-up issues to keep an eye out for — which aren’t things you’d need to worry about with other non-invasive topical hyperhidrosis treatments.

The serious side effects include:

• Headaches and flu-like symptoms
• Muscle weakness in the affected area and other parts of the body
• Breathing difficulties
• Trouble with vision

Ultimately, botox is a poisonous substance. In fact, the Botulinum Toxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man. Therefore, it isn’t natural for it to be injected into humans, even in small doses. And while serious side effects from botox treatment are rare, they do happen.

Does Botox Work for Sweating on Other Areas of the Body?

The FDA has approved Botox for use in axillary hyperhidrosis — meaning excessive sweating in the underarms. As many hyperhidrosis sufferers experience extreme sweating on other areas of the body, botox has also been used on hands and feet — and also on the face. However, it’s important to note that the FDA has not yet recommended botox for anywhere but the armpits.

Facial or forehead sweating: Excessive sweating on the face, aka “craniofacial hyperhidrosis” can be really difficult to manage, because it’s impossible to hide. Botox is a potential solution, injected under the surface of the skin (rather than in the muscles, where it stops wrinkles). It can ease facial sweating, but there is a risk of asymmetry if the botox gets into the muscles.

Sweating on the feet: Some people also explore botox as a solution to excessively sweaty feet, aka “plantar hyperhidrosis”. However, as you can imagine, injecting a toxin into the soles of your feet is pretty painful — and it also stops working after just 3-4 months.

Sweaty hand palms: Similarly to the feet, using botox for excessively sweaty hands, aka “palmar hyperhidrosis”, is very painful and doesn’t tend to last more than a few months.

When it comes to hyperhidrosis causing heavy sweating on the hands and feet, one popular type of treatment is iontophoresis. This uses a device to send electric currents through the soles of your feet or the palms of your hands, which can reduce perspiration in those areas. You can also try topical treatments — though they’re often designed mainly for underarm sweating.

What Are the Credible Alternatives to Botox for Hyperhidrosis?

If you’ve already tried conventional antiperspirants, clinical-strength antiperspirants, and prescription antiperspirants, it’s understandable that you’re looking at underarm botox as an option. And there are even more extreme procedures on offer, like surgery to cut or clamp the sympathetic nerves that control your sweat glands — Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS).

While all of these treatment options are legitimate and are sometimes effective for easing hyperhidrosis symptoms, they don’t work for everyone. And with some of the heavy-duty methods — botox and surgery included — the downsides far outweigh the benefits.  

That’s why we developed Duradry’s 3-step system — to be better than other conventional, clinical-strength, and prescription-only antiperspirants on the market. And better than botox. More than 97% of users achieve full dryness within a week. How have we done this?

• Th Synergy between products: Duradry PM gel, Duradry AM stick, and Duradry Wash work together to stop excessive sweating. Apply our PM solution before bed to work while you sleep, use our wash in the shower to cleanse the skin of body odor bacteria, and use our clinical-strength daily antiperspirant, Duradry AM at the start of each day.
  
  
• Pure active ingredients: Our active ingredients (15% Aluminum Chloride Hexahydrate in Duradry PM, and 20% enhanced efficacy Aluminum Zirconium Trichlorohydrex Glycine Superfine Powder in Duradry AM) are sourced from the most reputable European suppliers, and they have optimal purity — meaning they work more effectively to stop sweating, and they’re 100% safe for daily use.
  
  
• A smarter recipe: We’ve added Salicylic Acid to our Duradry PM product because it is scientifically proven to boost the performance of antiperspirants while reducing the risk of skin irritation around the application area. We’re continuously improving our recipe.
  
  
• Kinder on the skin: No bruising injections like botox, and less risk of skin irritation when compared to prescription antiperspirants. Studies show that 15% Aluminum Chloride Hexahydrate is just as effective as 20%+, so we don’t include more than necessary — meaning Duradry is more comfortable to use, while still blocking your excessive sweat.

Try Duradry’s 3-step solution that actually works as an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis. Use Duradry PM at bedtime, Duradry AM in the morning, and Duradry Wash to deep clean and prepare your skin for total protection against excessive sweating. Get started for just $20.

Summary: Should You Use Botox to Stop Excessive Sweating?

 

Botox injections are a credible FDA-approved option to consider if you’ve already exhausted all other treatments for your excessive underarm sweating. But botox is expensive, temporary, and painful — and by injecting a powerful toxin into your body, you may be risking side effects.

Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition that needs more than conventional antiperspirant or deodorant, and many people are disappointed by over-the-counter clinical-strength antiperspirants and prescription treatments — either because they’re unkind to the skin, or they’re simply not effective.

With Duradry’s 3-step solution, you get complete protection day and night — without the inconvenience, discomfort, and costs associated with other treatments.

If you’re not satisfied with your results, it’s on us. Get started for just $20.