Excessive Sweating

Botox® can be injected superficially into the skin of the hands, armpits, and feet, to reduce excessive sweating in these areas. Firstly, a starch-iodine test highlights the sweaty areas. The area is wiped with iodine and then starch is spread on top of the iodine. The areas of maximum sweat show up darker.

Botox® is then injected into the darker areas, after numbing with anaesthetic cream. The Botox® acts on the nerves running to the sweat glands and reduces the nerve transmissions to these glands, so reducing the sweating.

Treatments of the hands and feet for sweating can be painful. An uncommon side effect from treating the hands for excessive sweating is mild weakness in the muscles of the hand.