Can Miradry Be Used to Treat Hyperhidrosis on Body Parts Other Than the Auxiliary Area?

Although miraDry is getting
a lot of attention recently, it has actually been around for a while. It has
been extensively studied and there is no cancer association. The FDA has
cleared it for safe use as well. The microwave energy only penetrates 4-5mm in
depth and heats up and destroys the sweat and odor glands. The energy does not
reach lymph nodes or deeper structures and it in non-ionizing radiation (the
safe kind, like radiowaves). I have had the procedure done myself and it has
truly been a gift. One and done for 80% of people! In the long term, much more
cost-effective than Botox which has to be repeated every 3-6 months. Let us
know if we can help in any way.

Botox can be a good
alternative while miradry is being approved for use in those areas. Botox
prevents the nerves from telling the sweat glands to produce sweat and odor.
Hope that helps!

I have co-authored a book on Miradry and am aware of studies using similar technology to address non-armpit regions of hyperhidrosis. At this time, Miradry is only FDA approved for the armpits. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian Los Angeles 

miraDry is only FDA approved for armpit sweating, and we only use it for underarms.  Its safety has not been proven for other parts of the body.  

Areas such as under the breasts or backs of thighs may be approved in the future, but they are not approved yet.  

Hands and feet are more tricky because nerves and arteries run quite close to the surface of the skin.   

Unfortunately there are no good solutions for sweating of the hands and feet.  MiraDry uses microwave energy to damage the sweat glands by directing the energy beneath the skin.  The hand and feet have too many vital structures in the undersurface of the skin.  The only remedy is botox in the hands/feet, or a surgical sympathectomy.  

To date, miraDry is FDA-approved for treating excessive sweating in the armpit area only.  The miraDry handpiece is specifically designed to fit against and apply slight suction to the shape of an armpit.  Even if you were to attempt it on the feet, you may not be able to get enough suction to ensure an adequate treatment.  There are also important structures such as tendons, nerves and blood vessels that are closer to the surface of the skin on the palms and soles than in the armpit and could possibly get damaged by performing miraDry there.  Other treatment options available for excessive sweating on the hands and feet include topical medications, oral medications, iontophoresis and Botox injections.

I perform every procedure for excessive sweating and understand what compensatory sweating is and how frustrating it is to treat this condition. There are anecdotal reports and also off label use of miraDry for parts of the body like the inner thighs, lower back and I have been informed of several other areas by doctors outside of the U.S. that have used it for that purpose. However, in the U.S. it is only FDA approved for the underarms. I don't see why it would be harmful when used in the thighs if the physician understands the anatomy of the vasculature in the lower extremities ... I think it can be very helpful and safe to use in the back (off label use at the discretion of the physician). Be patient, the technology will catch up and in the next several years there are going to be newer types of energy sources for use ... Ultrasound energy as in Ultherapy ... among others.

currently the only areas that we treat with miradry is the armpits.  Hands and feet will not be experimented on anytime soon due to the complexity of the many nerves and arteries in these intricate body parts.  However, I do believe that in the near further treatment in other body areas like the thigh and the back may be possible.

Miradry can only treat the axillary (underarm) areas.  In the future, it may be possible to treat other body parts, but currently, that is the only location.  Our office is located in the Houston Galleria area, and we currently price Miradry at $3000 for 2 treatment sessions of the axillary region.