Treatment for Excessive Sweating
Botulinum toxin for excessive underarm and palm sweating — a medical treatment, and a long-lasting one.
What is Excessive Sweating?
Botulinum toxin type A is injected intradermally across the affected area to block the signal that activates the sweat glands.
Hyperhidrosis is sweating beyond what the body needs for temperature regulation, and it is a medical complaint rather than a cosmetic one. Botulinum toxin blocks the chemical signal that activates the sweat glands in the treated area, which reduces sweating locally without affecting the body's ability to regulate its temperature elsewhere. Underarm treatment is straightforward. Palms are more uncomfortable to treat and a nerve block may be used. The effect here is markedly more durable than cosmetic treatment: six to twelve months is typical, against three to four for facial lines, so most patients are treated once or twice a year.
How does neurotoxin stop excessive sweating?
Sweat glands are switched on by a nerve signal, and neurotoxin interrupts that signal at the point where the nerve meets the gland. The gland is not damaged or removed; it simply stops being told to produce sweat in the treated area. Treatment is intradermal — placed shallowly across the skin rather than into muscle, which is what distinguishes it from the same product used on facial lines. A grid of small injections covers the affected area so that no active patch is missed. Because only the treated area is affected, the body continues to regulate temperature normally everywhere else, which is the question most people ask first. Effect develops over the days following treatment rather than immediately, and wears off gradually, at which point the treatment can be repeated.
Is excessive sweating a medical condition?
Primary hyperhidrosis is a recognised medical condition, not a cosmetic complaint. It means sweating beyond what the body needs for temperature regulation, typically in the underarms, palms or soles, often symmetrical, and frequently present since adolescence. It is distinct from sweating caused by another condition or by medication, which is why the consultation asks about onset, pattern and general health rather than treating the sweating in isolation. People commonly arrive having tried clinical-strength antiperspirants without adequate result, which is the usual point at which injectable treatment is considered. If the pattern suggests an underlying cause rather than primary hyperhidrosis, that warrants investigation first — treating the symptom while leaving a cause unexamined is not the right order.
What is treatment like, and what is recovery?
The treated area is mapped before injection so coverage is even, and topical numbing or cooling is generally offered — the underarm tolerates treatment easily, while palms are more sensitive and more likely to warrant it. The appointment is short. Afterwards you can return to normal activity immediately; there is no dressing and no downtime. Avoid heavy exercise and heat for the rest of the day, mostly because sweating and heat at a fresh injection site are uncomfortable rather than harmful. Small bumps at each injection point settle within an hour or two, and bruising is possible as with any injection. Effect is not immediate: expect it to build over the following days. Your clinician will tell you when to expect the result and when repeat treatment is likely to be due.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sherwin Hariri, MD, Medical Director & Chief Longevity Physician. Last reviewed August 2026.
This page is for information only and is not medical advice. Suitability for any treatment is determined at consultation.
2 treatments in this category
Underarm Hyperhidrosis
Treats excessive underarm sweating. Results typically last six to twelve months. Typically 100 units of Botox.
Brands
Botox · Dysport · Xeomin
Palm Hyperhidrosis
Treats excessive sweating of the palms. A nerve block may be used for comfort. Typically 100 units of Botox.
Brands
Botox · Dysport · Xeomin
Common questions
How long does treatment for sweating last?
Typically six to twelve months, which is considerably longer than cosmetic treatment of facial lines. Most patients are treated once or twice a year.
Will I sweat more somewhere else instead?
Treatment blocks the signal to the sweat glands in the treated area only. It does not impair your body's ability to regulate temperature elsewhere.
Is treating the palms painful?
The palms are more sensitive than the underarms and a nerve block may be used for comfort. This is discussed and agreed before treatment begins.
Not sure where to begin?
