Do Your Sweat Glands Work Overtime? Solutions for Hyperhidrosis

There are times when excessive sweating is a good thing, confirming that you’ve worked hard and your body is registering your effort. Or, your body is simply doing all it can to keep cool during those long, hot summer days. But if you’re plagued by overactive sweat glands that seem to fire up outside of heat or exercise, you may have hyperhidrosis, which can be a frustrating and embarrassing condition to deal with.

At MDCS: Medical Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, we specialize in conditions like hyperhidrosis, providing our New York patients with the most cutting-edge treatments available. If your excessive sweating mocks your every effort, it may be time to seek professional help, and we have just the tools you need.

So, if you’re wondering whether sweat glands can work overtime and what you can do to stop them, read on.

Do sweat glands work overtime?

We’re going to answer this question right off the bat with an emphatic yes. But there’s a difference between sweat glands that are working overtime to beat the summer heat or in response to a particularly heavy workout and those that seem to be in a constant state of flow.

The medical term for this condition is hyperhidrosis and it can affect not only the usual spots, like under your arms, but cause excessive sweating in your palms, on the soles of your feet, and on your face. These sweaty episodes seem to come on without provocation, and they may be a source of great anxiety, especially if you’re in a social or professional setting.

Medical researchers believe that the problem lies in the nerves that control your sweat glands, which become overactive. And, unfortunately, these nerves respond to stress and anxiety, creating a vicious cycle of excessive sweating. 

Solutions for hyperhidrosis

If over-the-counter antiperspirants, powders, and breathable clothes fall short of addressing your excessive sweating, we have several solutions that can keep you high and dry.

To start, we can prescribe strong antiperspirants or topical ointments that contain aluminum chloride. This ingredient curbs the sweating, allowing you to feel more confidence shaking hands and raising your arms.

If these measures don’t meet your goals, we can turn to BOTOX®, which was approved by the FDA in 2004 for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, or severe underarm sweating. BOTOX works by temporarily blocking the chemical signals from the overactive nerves that are stimulating your sweat glands.

The BOTOX treatment provides relief for up to 201 days, or 6.7 months, and one study reports that BOTOX reduced sweating by more than 50% in 81% of patients. The BOTOX treatment takes just minutes for us to administer as we inject 10-15 areas under your arm for complete coverage. Your results should come online within four weeks of your treatment.

And when the effect of the BOTOX begins to wear off, you can simply return for a follow-up treatment.

If you’d like to gain the upper hand on hyperhidrosis, please contact one of our offices in Manhattan (on the Upper East Side and in Midtown), or one of our offices outside the city in Hampton Bays, Commack, Smithtown, or Plainview.