Botox for hyperhidrosis is accessible on the NHS. It is appropriate for people aged 16 and up who have excessive perspiration and no other medical or drug-induced cause. You will need one or more treatments, but because the effects are slow, it may take several months before you notice a difference. However, if you suffer from hyperhidrosis, this may be a welcome improvement. Speak with your primary care physician about scheduling a free consultation with our specialist facial plastic surgeon to discuss treatment options.
Botox injections are given to you by your doctor or nurse and can be done in the clinic or your own home. The procedure takes about 10 minutes and there’s no recovery time needed afterwards.
If you want Botox for hyperhidrosis on the NHS, you’ll require numerous injection treatments spread out over three months.
Hyperhidrosis is a disorder in which you sweat excessively, commonly on your legs, underarms, or hands. It can also affect areas of the body that aren’t normally linked with sweating, such as the scalp and face.
Read more about this article on Is Botox For Hyperhidrosis Available On NHS, Cost of Botox for Hyperhidrosis AND Does Botox For Hyperhidrosis Hurt
Is Botox For Hyperhidrosis Available On NHS
If you suffer from severe hyperhidrosis, you may be able to get Botox treatment on the NHS, though its availability is quite limited. If you are hoping to get the procedure done on the NHS, your first port of call should be your local GP. They will assess you, making sure that it isn’t an underlying condition which is causing the excessive sweating (such as a thyroid condition or diabetes) If you are deemed to have primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis (where there is no perceptible cause of the sweating) and your condition is severe enough, you will be referred to a dermatologist. If the hyperhidrosis is fairly mild, your GP might prescribe you strong antiperspirants before recommending Botox treatment.
The operation will be performed by a dermatologist when you have been recommended to one. They will perform an iodine test on the affected area to determine exactly where you sweat the most. They will then administer Botox injections, with the entire procedure taking about 45 minutes.
You should bear in mind that because the treatment is very limited on the NHS, you may be on the dermatologist referral waiting list for quite some time, so if you’re wanting to have the treatment done on the NHS you should prepare to be patient.
Is Botox for Hyperhidrosis Available on the NHS?
Occasionally, hyperhidrosis treatment is available on the NHS. If you tell your doctor about your condition ahead of time, he or she would most likely send you to a dermatologist for treatment. The dermatologist will give you a full examination, and if you are deemed to have primary hyperhidrosis you will probably qualify for Botox on the NHS. Primary hyperhidrosis is where there is no apparent cause for the excessive sweating. Bear in mind that this is a very expensive procedure, so if you do qualify to have Botox on the NHS then you might have to wait a considerable amount of time before you can have the treatment.
Cost of Botox for Hyperhidrosis
The cost of Botox treatment depends on the area of the body you wish to have treated. The typical price for both armpits to be injected is around £400. This tends to be the most expensive part of the body to be treated. The cheapest price you can expect to pay is around £150, for treatment of the forehead. Below is a range of prices, depending on clinics and body parts that are to be treated:
- Under Both Arms: £260 – £450
- Palms of Both Hands: £350 – £600
- Soles of Both Feet: £350 – £700
- Forehead: £150
- Cheeks: £160
- Scalp: £300
To get an accurate price it’s best to get in touch with the clinic you’re choosing for the procedure and they can advise you on costs. Alternatively, you can contact your GP for information.
Whilst these are the most common areas for people to be treated with regards to hyperhidrosis, Botox can treat up to 20 areas of the body, and all these body parts could be treated at the same time if you so wish (though you might be in for a fair amount of discomfort!) Obviously if you were to have several areas treated at the same time it will work out to be quite costly.
Does Botox For Hyperhidrosis Hurt
Obviously everyone’s individual pain threshold is different, and it is difficult to measure. Injections do tend to hurt, or at the very least cause some discomfort. The amount of pain you experience can depend on the severity of the sweating, and thus how many units of Botox need to be injected, and also the area in which you are having the treatment.
How Painful Is Botox For Underarm (Axillary) Hyperhidrosis?
- For many, the discomfort or pain when having underarm hyperhidrosis treated with Botox is mild. Even without pain relief, the procedure is very bearable, as the procedure is quite quick and the injections are relatively superficial.
- Some even say that the procedure causes less pain than having a blood test.
- Others may have a lower pain threshold and thus find it quite painful. In these instances an anaesthetic cream might be used, or ice packs.
- Overall, Botox injections in the underarms are very well tolerated.
How Painful Is Botox For Hyperhidrosis In The Hands (Palmar)?
- Botox injections here tend to be a lot more painful than when they are used to treat underarm hyperhidrosis.
- It’s rare that they would be tolerable without some form of anaesthesia.
- There are some very effective forms of pain relief that are used with this procedure. Nerve blocks can be injected to numb the hand. Simply applying ice and pressure can work well too.
How Painful Is Botox For Hyperhidrosis In The Feet (Plantar)?
- During this procedure, the pain experienced is similar to that experienced during Botox for Palmar hyperhidrosis. Without any form of pain relief, it can be extremely painful.
- Nerve blocks are very effective here as well, with patients reports that they felt no pain during the procedure, only movement at their feet.