Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating) Treatment

Cost Of The Treatment?

Our price for anti-sweat injections is $880.  As long as you meet the Medicare rebate criteria for this treatment (see below) you will be entitled to a rebate of $420. This is because we are Medicare approved and the treatment is administered as a medical procedure for excessive sweating rather than a cosmetic procedure.

Medicare Rebate Eligibility

To be eligible for the Medicare rebate towards the cost of anti-sweat injections you must meet the following criteria:

• Be over the age of 12 and not pregnant.
• You must have tried using a clinical strength antiperspirant (eg. Driclor – available at most chemists) for 1-2 months and this has proven unsuccessful in reducing excessive sweating or has not been tolerated.

If you are meet the above eligibility criteria you will be entitled to a Medicare rebate towards the cost of anti-sweat injections 3 times per year with a 4 month gap between each treatment.

Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition whereby the body’s mechanism for cooling itself is overactive.  It is not minor sweating, and people with this medical condition will episodically sweat four or five times more than is expected to control body temperature or as a reaction to stress, activity or excitement.

When sweating is extreme, it can be embarrassing, uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing. It can disrupt aspects of a person’s life, including career choices, relationships, emotional well-being, and self-confidence.

Axillary hyperhidrosis describes excessive underarm sweating. It is a relatively common problem affecting around 3% of the population. Sufferers often describe being severely limited in what clothes they can wear, and having to replace clothing very frequently.

Palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis describes excessive sweating of the palms or soles of the feet.

Most people with excessive sweating have a condition called ‘idiopathic hyperhidrosis’. This means that the cause is unknown. It’s possible that the nerves that usually make you sweat may become overactive and trigger the sweat glands even without heat or physical activity.

This type of hyperhidrosis often runs in families. It can be worse if you are nervous or stressed. It most commonly affects your armpits, then your palms and feet and least commonly your face.

For a small number of people, excessive sweating is caused by other underlying medical conditions (eg. diabetes, thyroid problems, etc); and one should visit their doctor to review the situation. Some medicines can also cause excessive sweating.

Our anti-sweat injections treat hyperhidrosis by utlising a nerve blocking agent to stop   the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate sweat glands in the affected area.

The medication used is the same as that utilised in anti-wrinkle treatment.

Treatment is performed via a series of small injections under the arms directly into the sweating region. It usually takes a few days to notice results; and patients typically need repeat treatments about every six months.

Most people only experience very slight discomfort during the procedure.

Anti-sweat injection treatment is considered both safe and highly effective for treating hyperhidrosis. Studies have shown that it has been effective in reducting underarm sweating by 82-87%.

Dryness typically last 4-6 months with the full effects of sweat reduction noted in 1-2 weeks. Some people have results that last up to 12 months. After this time the treatment may need to be repeated to maintain the results.

Studies have shown that anti-sweat injections are both safe and have minimal side effects.

There may be mild discomfort or bruising at the injection site which is temporary and will settle without intervention.

We recommend the following aftercare procedure:

• Refrain from touching the treated area for at least 24 hours.
• No strenuous exercise for the rest of the day following treatment.
• Stay away from heat sources such as hot baths, saunas, and prolonged sun exposure for the first day after treatment to reduce the risk of swelling and bruising.
• Remain upright for at least 4 hours post-treatment.

While sweating is an essential body function for temperature control, localized body areas house only a small percentage of the body’s sweat glands (the underarms, for instance, are home to less than 2% of the body’s sweat glands.) The temporary cessation of these sweat glands’ functioning, therefore, has little to do with body thermoregulation. Compensatory sweating (sweating on other body parts) has not been found to be a concern.

There are a range of treatment options that can be discussed with your GP prior to electing our nerve-signal blocking treatment.

These include:

• Antiperspirant Deodorants. These deodorants contain antiperspirant with aluminum chloride (Drysol, Xerac AC). It is generally applied to dry skin before going to bed, and washed off in the morning.
• Nerve-blocking medications. Some oral medications can block the nerves that trigger sweat glands. This can reduce sweating in some people – but side effects such as blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth and excessive drowsiness commonly limit treatment.

• Iontophoresis. With this home treatment, you soak your hands or feet in a pan of water while a device passes mild electric current through the water. The current blocks the nerves that trigger sweating.
• Nerve surgery (sympathectomy). Nerve surgery has a risk of side effects and complications. The main risk is a significant chance of compensatory hyperhidrosis (new excessive sweating elsewhere on the body). For this reason, it is usually only considered for people who have tried many other treatments without good results.