Underarm hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating

Underarm hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating is the excessive production of sweat by the sweat glands.

Most localised hyperhidrosis is found in the underarms, but excess sweating can also occur on the hands and feet without any identifiable cause.

Symptoms

These conditions often affect several members of the same family and usually start at puberty.

This complaint is more common in men.

The factors that can aggravate symptoms are primarily stress and feeling anxious about sweating.

The sufferer often enters into a vicious circle because their sweating becomes embarrassing and a source of stress, which then exacerbates it.

Consequences

The repercussions of this complaint are huge and can become crippling if left untreated.

The underarms of sufferers’ clothes become worn out more quickly and become discoloured.

On the feet, excessive sweating causes the feet to steep in moisture, which promotes the spread of athlete’s foot and other bacterial infections.

On the hands, this complaint quickly leads to social discomfort because the sufferer is afraid (and therefore feels stressed) about shaking hands with people or touching anything.

Treatment

The treatment offered by aesthetic medicine involves carrying out multiple injections into the area concerned.

The underarms are the easiest area to treat because they are a lot less sensitive than the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.

It is a quick, straightforward and safe procedure (though relatively costly because it requires high quantities of product and the injections need repeating every year, on average).

First of all, we determine the area that sweats the most using an iodine test (application of an iodine solution to the armpit, then starch, then note the blue colour in the areas that sweat).

Then, the practitioner marks out small squares into which they inject small quantities of product (on average 10 to 20ml per armpit).

This technique is not very painful because it is carried out using extremely fine needles which are inserted very superficially under the skin.

To make it more comfortable, an anaesthetic cream (Emla) may be applied an hour before treatment.

The maximum effect is usually achieved after a month and lasts 6 months on average.

Because this treatment only temporarily stops the sweating, it must be repeated fairly regularly.

For information purposes, the fee charged for this type of treatment starts at 650 euros.

See all prices

Book this treatment on Doctolib

or call the front desk: +33 1 56 62 10 77

FAQ — Your questions about hyperhidrosis

What is hyperhidrosis and what causes it?
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating caused by overactive sweat glands, most often in the armpits, hands or feet. In most cases it is called « primary », with no known cause. It usually starts at puberty, often runs in families, and is more common in men. Stress and the fear of sweating can worsen the symptoms, creating a vicious circle.

What are the consequences of hyperhidrosis?
In the armpits, it causes faster wear of clothing and yellowish stains. On the feet, it promotes maceration and fungal or bacterial infections. On the hands, it is often a source of social embarrassment.

How does a session go?
An iodine-starch test identifies the sweatiest areas, which turn blue. The practitioner marks out small areas in a grid and performs very superficial injections with very fine needles, causing little pain, on average 10 to 20 ml per armpit. An anaesthetic cream (Emla) can be prescribed about 1 hour beforehand for greater comfort.

How long does the effect last and how much does it cost?
The maximum effect is generally reached after about a month and lasts 6 months on average. As the effect is only temporary, sessions must be repeated, on average once a year. Prices start at 900 euros, a relatively high cost due to the quantities of product needed and the repeated sessions.