Penny Cumberland, MD

I had the procedure done by Heather at the Cumberland laser clinic. I was initially worried it wouldn't be effective or would be uncomfortable and leave me sore afterwards. My worries seem to have been for nothing. I got near perfect results (I still have a bit of sweat in an approx. 1 cm spot under my right arm but absolutely none anywhere else) and stopped feeling noticeably sore/uncomfortable in less than 2 days. I kept a log for the first two weeks of side-effects/discomfort range that I've included below if you want more details. Reading other people's experiences with the procedure on here was a big part of what made me feel comfortable with my decision to have it done, so I wanted to share my own experience to add another voice to the conversation around miraDry and hopefully take some of the fear/stress out of things for anyone considering it in the future. During procedure: injections very bearable (1-5, depending on location; left less uncomfy than right; very fleeting pain when there was any and it was mostly bc I was keyed up, not actually bc of the injections), the numbing started rly quickly so the last few were barely detectable; could feel pressure/suction from the machine but aside from a few warm seconds in the odd place that was it; shaky hands & chattery teeth (probably from adrenaline, maybe from a shock reaction?), but otherwise felt good [total ouch factor: 3] Notes from the clinic: ice regularly, use arnica to reduce significant bruising (I never ended up needing to), come back for a follow-up after three months (or sooner if needed). They also said ahead of time, that you can take Tylenol before hand but to avoid making any bruising darker, you should steer clear of Advil before the procedure. *Note from me: eat something before the procedure - you may feel a little woozy during the injections on an empty stomach. Immediately afterwards (9.30): numb in armpits, slight puffiness (from the numbing injections, not likely swelling yet), no bruising/discolouration; left clinic w ice packs under arms [total ouch factor: 2] The first hour after (10-10.30): numbness spread down backs of arms (worse in right side bc extra injections), little to no swelling, worst of the injection puffiness seeming to pass, icing every hour for ten minutes, took pre-emptive painkiller (Tylenol) [total ouch factor: 3] 6 hours after (4PM): numbness in arms gone, still mostly numb in armpits, starting to get a little bit achey (2/10), took a second dose of Tylenol, swelling very obvious, tightness & discomfort moving, icing every hour for ten minutes [total ouch factor: 4 (numbness made skin hypersensitive on my arms)] 9 hours after (7.30): numbness in armpits pretty much gone, quite sore (4), took more Tylenol (2 dose), swelling pretty obviously, range of motion improved to only minor discomfort when gently ‘stretching’, still icing regularly [total ouch factor: 4] 12 hours after (10PM): swelling significantly, still no bruising or discolouration, consistently sore (6) and very sensitive to contact (pretty big ouch - 8), no discernible numbness, icing regularly [total ouch factor: 6; fluctuating to 7-8] 1 day after: worst of the soreness decreased (3), numbness gone but little/no surface sensation in skin, some shoulder stiffness moving (I think it’s more from laying w my arms over my head for so long than from the actual process), icing every few hours [total ouch factor: 3-4] Most importantly: no sweat! (A small area on my right side sweats, but everything else is bone dry!) 2 days after: still swollen, no soreness, sensitive to pressure (3), stiffness gone but some tightness in the actual armpit when lifting arms overhead, still limited skin sensation, icing occasionally and trying to stay mobile to avoid stiffness/tightness, still no sweat!! [no remaining ouch factor] 1 week after: still no real skin sensation, no more stiffness or pain, little to no hair regrowth after shaving for the procedure, armpits still convex (it feels more like muscle tension or something rather than actual swelling?), never got any bruising/discolouration, occasional twinges of sharp-ish discomfort (3) that feel a little like muscle spasms (last between 10-30 seconds at a time), have returned to (slightly modified) exercise (weight lifting & circus training). Still! No! Sweat! (except that tiny patch on the right side) 2 weeks after: skin still no sensation, almost no hair growth, still getting those little twinges and armpits are still a little tight & convex. Still no sweat, even when exercising enough to sweat everywhere else. I’ll come back & update after a follow-up appointment to discuss the small spot that still sweats.