Excessive Sweating

What is Excessive Sweating?

Everyone sweats to keep cool. Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis refers to sweating beyond what the body needs to control its temperature. It tends to affect patients in specific areas: under the arms, the palms and soles, and sometimes across the face. Damp hands, underarm stains and make-up that will not stay put are common complaints that we encounter.

Sweating can sometimes have no underlying cause, or be related to a medical condition or a medication. That is why new or sudden sweating should be assessed medically through a thorough history taking first. Once underlying medical conditions are excluded, treatment can help bring sweating down to a more acceptable level.

What Causes Excessive Sweating

Primary sweating usually affects specific areas and often begins in the teenage years. Secondary sweating is linked to something else going on in the body, tends to cover larger areas and can happen during sleep. Excessive Sweating can come from a range of factors, including:

Overactive nerve signals: In primary sweating, the nerves that tell the sweat glands to work are thought to be overactive, so the glands respond more than the body needs. The exact reason is not fully understood.
Family history: Primary sweating can run in families, which may raise the likelihood of it.
Medical conditions: Conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders and infections can bring on secondary sweating.
Medications and withdrawal: Some medicines can trigger sweating, and so can stopping certain ones.
Hormonal change: Menopause is often accompanied by hot flashes which cause excessive sweating.

Heat, exercise and stress make anyone sweat, so they are not causes on their own. It is when sweat is out of proportion to the trigger, appears with no trigger, or starts suddenly or across the whole body that a doctor's assessment matters.

Treatments for Excessive Sweating at ARTÉ

The right treatment depends on which areas sweat, whether the cause looks primary or secondary, and how much it disrupts your day. Dr. Michelle sees you first for a consultation before deciding on an appropriate course of action.

Botulinum Toxin

After determining the affected area, Botulinum Toxin can be injected into the skin, whether that is the underarms, palms, soles or face, reducing the activity of sweat glands in the treated regions. It works directly on the sweat gland itself, reducing activity significantly. It takes a full week for results to set in and can last 4-6 months. Repeated treatments may, over the years, extend the effective period for each treatment.

Will treatment stop me sweating altogether?

No, and that is not the goal. Sweating is how the body cools itself, so treatment aims to reduce excessive sweating specifically in the areas treated. The rest of the body carries on as usual, and how much difference you notice varies from person to person.

How long do results last?

Usually 4-6 months, after which sweating gradually returns and treatment can be repeated. Some people find the gap between visits lengthens over time, though this varies. Dr. Michelle will suggest a rhythm once she has seen how you respond.

Is the treatment painful?

Injections are preceded by numbing cream. The sensation is often described as small pricks and most patients are able to tolerate the treatment well.

Do I need a medical check first?

Often it is sensible, especially if sweating is new, sudden, widespread or happens at night, since these can point to a condition or a medicine behind it. Dr. Michelle will ask about your history before developing a plan on how best to manage your condition.

Who should not have botulinum toxin for sweating?

It may not suit anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, has a neuromuscular disorder such as myasthenia gravis, has a skin infection at the treatment site, or takes medicines that could interact with it. Tell Dr. Michelle about your health and medicines at consultation.

Is there downtime?

Little. Daily routine can usually carry on, and redness, mild swelling or tiny puncture marks usually settle quickly. Aftercare notes come with your visit and may include keeping away from heat and vigorous exercise for a short while, plus a review afterwards so she can follow how you respond.

Why Choose ARTÉ by Dr. M for Excessive Sweating?

Doctor-Led Care

Sweating can have a medical side, so who assesses you matters. Every step is Dr. Michelle Ng's own, from the first conversation to each treatment. She has practised aesthetic medicine for over a decade, and she will say plainly when your sweating deserves a wider medical look.

A Plan for Where and Why You Sweat

Underarms, palms, soles and face each respond differently, and how much sweat interrupts your day shapes the plan. Dr. Michelle maps the areas affected, asks how long it has lasted and whether it began suddenly, and may suggest ruling out a medical cause before treatment starts.

Natural-Looking Results

Comfortable dryness is the target here, never none at all. Your body still needs to sweat to cool down, so treatment is planned to calm the excess and leave normal cooling in place.

Safety-First Approach

Before any injection, your health history and medicines are reviewed, and clear aftercare notes follow.

Book Your Excessive Sweating Consultation at ARTÉ by Dr. M

Tell Dr. Michelle where you sweat, how long it has been going on and how much it gets in the way. She will help you decide whether a medical check should come first and which option could fit you.

Book a Consultation

This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Dr. Michelle will assess your concern at a consultation and advise on the treatment that suits you.