Excessive underarm sweat can be a very embarrassing problem. Since sweat isn't something that you can willingly control, it can cause major social anxiety from wondering whether your armpits will soak your shirt again. This excessive underarm sweat is a medical condition called hyperhidrosis, and those who suffer from it can produce four to five times the normal amount of sweat. Luckily, if you have hyperhidrosis, several treatment options can reduce the amount of sweat you produce.
Step 1
Buy antiperspirant. There are two types of products used to treat underarm sweat and odors: antiperspirants and deodorants. A deodorant only covers up smells, while the antiperspirant reduces the amount of sweat. A combination antiperspirant-deodorant works as well, but a plain deodorant isn't going to help reduce sweat. Try to find an antiperspirant with a high concentration of aluminum chloride for best results. These products are usually labeled as Clinical Strength.
Step 2
Get a prescription-strength antiperspirant. Topical prescription antiperspirants contain 20 percent aluminum chloride in anhydrous ethyl alcohol or tannic acid in ethanol and formalin solutions. The chemicals in these antiperspirants are much stronger and more successful at reducing the amount of sweat produced by the armpits.
Step 3
Discuss oral medications with your doctor. Anticholinergic medications such as Propentheline Bromide, Glycopyrolate and Oxybutynin are all medications sometimes used to treat hyperhidriosis. Stress-induced hyperhidriosis may respond to the beta-blocker Propranolol as well.
Step 4
Consider botulism toxin injection. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved botulism type A injections for the treatment of hyperhidrosis of the underarms in 2004. A doctor injects the medication into the sweat glands of your armpits in his office. The treatment requires no sedation and no activity restrictions afterward. Botulism toxin injections are a temporary treatment for hyperhidrosis, so you have to return for more injections every six months to keep your condition controlled.
Step 5
Look at surgical options. If nothing works for your excessive underarm sweating, it may be time to discuss surgical options with your doctor. Local surgical procedures such as cutterage, excision and liposuction are all surgical options to treat hyperhidrosis. A more extensive surgery, called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), involves manipulating the nerves from the spinal cord in order to stop the body triggering your armpits to sweat.
Things You'll Need
- Antiperspirant
- Prescription antiperspirant
- Prescription medication
