{"id":10308,"date":"2024-06-12T16:05:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T23:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=10308"},"modified":"2024-06-13T10:53:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T17:53:17","slug":"best-treatments-for-excessive-sweating-hyperhidrosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/best-treatments-for-excessive-sweating-hyperhidrosis","title":{"rendered":"The 8 Most Effective Treatments for Hyperhidrosis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Featured Experts<\/strong>
Dr. Janelle Vega<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in Coral Gables, FL.
Dr. Dendy Engelman<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY.
Dr. Zain Husain<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in Marlboro Township, NJ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

If you tend to get sweaty enough to ruin makeup and stain clothes, then mothing is more of a relief than the end of summer. Because for some people, sweating isn’t just a minor inconvenience or embarrassment. For those who have hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating<\/a>, it’s a catalyst of such intense shame and anxiety that it can cause you to build extra cooling-off time into your schedule or even avoid plans altogether. The good news? There are now a multitude of treatment options available to you.<\/p>

Your first stop should be your general practitioner for a checkup and bloodwork. This can “rule out any intrinsic systemic causes of sweating, such as hypothyroidism or other hormonal imbalances,” says Coral Gables, Florida, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Janelle Vega<\/a>. Some medications, like antidepressants, migraine medications and asthma inhalers, can also stimulate excessive sweating, so make sure to tell your doctor everything you’re taking. Finally, figure out your sweat triggers. “I like to determine if the patient has situational sweating, which is caused by emotions or stress, or if it’s random and persistent,” says Dr. Vega.<\/p>

Once you’ve received a clean bill of health, talk to your general practitioner or dermatologist about some of these effective hyperhidrosis treatment options (ordered from least invasive to most).<\/p>

Topical treatments<\/strong><\/h2>

Traditional antiperspirants with aluminum chloride work by physically irritating the sweat glands to shut down perspiration, says Dr. Vega. These are available over the counter—New York City dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman<\/a> notes that Mitchum Advanced Control Antiperspirant and Deodorant<\/a> contains a very high 20% aluminum chloride—but prescription versions may have an even higher percentage or a more potent version of the ingredient. Try Dr. Sweat<\/a> or SweatBlock<\/a> wipes if your area of issue is a part of your body other than your underarms. (However, these aren’t intended for use on the face.)<\/p>

Additionally, anticholinergics (or nerve blockers), like glycopyrrolate, are standbys for topical use. “These control the neurotransmitters that induce sweating,” says Dr. Vega, and are available by prescription only. Qbrexza is a popular glycopyrrolate wipe widely recommended by doctors.<\/p>

Brella<\/strong><\/h2>

Cleared by the FDA in 2023 to treat hyperhidrosis, Brella is an in-office treatment that involves applying a patch for up to three minutes on each underarm. To tackle excessive sweating, it harnesses targeted alkali thermolysis, a reaction in which the sodium in the patch generates heat as soon as it comes into contact with the water in sweat. This thermal energy impairs the sweat glands, temporarily taking them out of commission and reducing sweat production for up to three months. Exactly how long it lasts can be hard to predict, though; in one paper<\/a>, only half of people still experienced a reduction in sweat after 14 weeks.<\/p>

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