Hyperhidrosis Center

Staying dry is no sweat: what to do about excessive perspiration
Shape, August, 2004 by Jody Buffalo

It's natural--even necessary--to sweat (it's the body's cooling mechanism). But some women perspire excessively (a condition known as hyperhidrosis) even without overheating. We got the inside scoop from Hackensack, N.J.-based dermatologist David Goldberg, M.D., about why some women sweat more than others, and what can help.

THE BASIC FACTS

There are 2-4 million sweat glands throughout the body; they're found in large numbers on the soles of the feet, on the palms and in the armpits. Sweat glands are activated by nerve endings in the dermal layer of the skin that respond to chemical messages from the brain. Changes in temperature, emotion, levels of hormones or of activity cause the glands to secrete a clear fluid (sweat) that helps the body control its internal temperature by cooling the surface of the skin.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The most obvious trigger of sweating is heat--generated by physical activity and/or the outside temperature, but there are also other reasons why we perspire:

* Stress Anxiety triggers the brain to produce the hormones that make you sweat.
* Medical conditions, including diabetes and thyroid disorders, can cause excessive sweating.
* A malfunction in the nervous system causes sweat glands to overreact.
* Heredity Hyperhidrosis seems to run in families.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

You can minimize sweating. Beauty Rx:

1. Use an antiperspirant with aluminum chloride, which blocks pores to inhibit the release of sweat. Try the new Soft & Dri DermaStripe ($3.29; at drugstores).
2. Relax to control perspiration-triggering stress.
3. See a dermatologist for Botox injections to temporarily freeze the nerve that would normally stimulate the sweat gland: you'll need treatment every six to nine months, at about $1,000 per visit.
4. Talk to your doctor about surgery that can interrupt sweat production permanently. "It's a radical measure that should be taken only if nothing else works," Goldberg cautions.

RELATED ARTICLE: PERSPIRATION

1. sweat gland
2. nerve ending
3. fluid (sweat)
4. skin surface

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT WORKS

"The hottest thing right now is treating excessive sweating with Botox injections," says David Goldberg, M.D., director of The Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York & New Jersey (in New York City, Westwood, N.Y., and Hackensack, N.J.) and a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "Botox isn't cheap, but it's very effective to temporarily stop the excess sweat that ruins patients' clothes and causes them psychological anguish." It's normal for everyone to sweat during stressful situations like making a speech and during physical exertion--in fact, you need to perspire. "However," says Goldberg, "if you're sweating all the time and it's impairing your quality of life, you should seek professional advice."

COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

Hyperhidrosis or Excessive Sweating

What is hyperhidrosis?
Where does hyperhidrosis occur?
What are the symptoms of hyperhidrosis?
What are the alternative treatments for hyperhidrosis?
Is there a surgical treatment for hyperhidrosis?