It can be painful, but it’s really not bad. With botox, you usually get a little lumps on the skin as the muscle relaxes. It’s like when you’re sleeping; if there is any pressure on your muscles they contract and squeeze against that area of pressure that might cause some discomfort. The doctor will thoroughly discuss this with you before doing this procedure.
Botox has been used in medicine since the late 1980s to treat muscle spasms, but it wasn’t until 2002 that it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetic use. Since then, Botox has become one of the most popular non-surgical procedures performed in the U.S., with over 6 million injections given every year.
Botox can be used to treat hyperhidrosis (excessive perspiration) when other treatments fail or aren’t appropriate. It works by blocking signals from the nerves that stimulate sweat glands; this stops the flow of fluid from being released onto your skin’s surface and reduces sweating over time as your body gets used to having less moisture on its surface during exercise or heat exposure.
Read on to learn more about Is Botox For Hyperhidrosis Painful, How Botox for Sweating Works, Are There Side Effects From Botox Injections?
Is Botox For Hyperhidrosis Painful
Botox is a neurotoxin made from the microbes that cause botulism (a kind of food poisoning). But don’t worry, it’s safe if used appropriately by a medical professional. Botox is most well known as a cosmetic treatment to smooth facial wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing muscles. Doctors also use Botox to treat neuromuscular conditions like migraine, muscle spasms, and hyperhidrosis, a condition characterized by abnormal and excessive sweating.
You may be a candidate for Botox if your sweating fails to improve with prescription antiperspirants. Botox has been FDA-approved for people who sweat excessively from their armpits. It may also be used “off-label” to reduce sweating in other areas, such as the hands, feet, and face.
What is hyperhidrosis?
Hyperhidrosis disorder is a condition that results in excessive sweating. This sweating can occur in unusual situations, such as in cooler weather, or without any trigger at all. It can also be caused by other medical conditions, such as menopause or hyperthyroidism.
Hyperhidrosis can be uncomfortable. However, several treatment options can provide some relief.
About 4.8 percentTrusted Source of Americans have hyperhidrosis, but this figure may be underreported. Many don’t seek treatment because they don’t realize they have a treatable medical condition.
Does it hurt to have Botox injected into your armpits?
The short answer is, not really. Botox injections in general are one using a tiny micro-needle, which helps minimize any pain associated with the treatment. What’s more, Dr. Langdon mixes the Botox with a local anesthetic solution, which results in a nearly painless treatment.
Fortunately, patients who may be afraid of needles often feel more confident about using Botox, in the underarm area, as it’s not being injected directly into the face. Many patients have compared the needle injections to the feeling of experiencing a mosquito bite. Therefore, if you’ve spent summers outside without bug spray, you can definitely handle Botox injections in your armpits!
How Botox for Sweating Works
Botox works by temporarily blocking the chemicals that signal it’s time for your glands to produce sweat. It doesn’t affect touch or sensation in the underarm area.
You only need one office visit to complete Botox treatment for underarm sweating. The procedure typically involves 25 injections in each armpit. Each time, your healthcare provider injects a small amount of Botox just under the skin’s surface with an extremely small needle.
“Some people don’t even feel the injections,” says Dr. Yu. “But if they do, they say it’s more uncomfortable than truly painful. It’s similar to a rubber band snap.”
You should see an improvement in sweating in about three to four days. The full, moisture-busting effects happen at around two weeks.
Are There Side Effects From Botox Injections?
Sweat is necessary to cool your body. So if you get Botox injections to stop underarm sweat, does it prevent your body from cooling down? No — because each area of your body that sweats has only a fraction of your total sweat glands. Your underarms contain 2% of them. Reducing sweating in a few small areas won’t affect your body’s ability to cool down.
Another concern people have is that sweating less in one part of your body will increase sweat in other parts. But that doesn’t happen, either. Botox injections in the armpits have almost no side effects besides the immediate discomfort of the injections, reports Dr. Yu. The most common side effect is muscle weakness, but that’s more of a concern for areas like the palms.
Botox injections are generally safe. Serious side effects are rare, but possible. They include:
- severe muscle weakness or asymmetry
- anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction
- toxicity
A person who has any of the following side effects after Botox should seek immediate medical attention:
- difficulty breathing, swallowing, or speaking
- skin rash or hives
- muscle weakness
- vision problems
- dizziness
- loss of bladder control
Less severe side effects may include:
- dry mouth
- headache
- fatigue
- pain in the underarms after the injections