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I’ve struggled with excessive sweating since I w...
I’ve struggled with excessive sweating since I was about 13, and I’m 34 now, so hearing about miraDry was like hearing about a potential miracle. I did quite a bit of research before I made the consultation appointment, and read dozens of other reviews on this website. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, contrary to people who had had the procedure a year or two ago, it now requires only 6 shots of lidocaine in each armpit, along with six more shots once the skin is numb to numb the entire area. The only shots that hurt were the lidocaine. It was a burning sensation, more painful than I expected but easy to handle - it’s no more painful than any immunization shot. The burning sensation fades after a few seconds. The second series of shots, which numbed the entire armpit, I couldn’t feel, just a sensation of pressure.
The total procedure lasted just under two hours. The doctor applied a template “tattoo” to help her guide the wand they use to apply the laser/heat, but it wore off as the procedure went on, so I couldn’t even see the guide afterwards. I had a smaller surface area for them to work with, so it required only 25 spots on each armpit. If you’re a male or a larger female, expect them to have more locations to work on. On the machine, it’s divided into 12 rows, two locations on each row, and one location on a 13th row. I recommend wearing a sleeveless shirt; I forgot to do that and simply slipped my t-shirt off. As the doctor and her nurse were both female, there was no privacy issue, although they did offer me one of those papery covers doctor offices always have.
The procedure itself was more boring than anything else. You will feel a sucking sensation as the machine actually does pinch a bit of skin between the sides of the wand, but it’s not painful. It may feel uncomfortable when the wand gets close to the areas of skin not numbed, but it isn’t painful. I didn’t have time to fall asleep, but I might have had it lasted longer.
I did not learn this until the procedure was over, but I am apparently sensitive to lidocaine; I had no ill effects but was extremely shaky after the procedure ended, to the point the doctor gave me some crackers. I felt perfectly fine, my arms and legs just trembled quite a bit. That’s apparently a normal side effect of lidocaine, so be prepared if you’re sensitive to medications. It wore off in about ten minutes, and I was fine to drive home.
The pain medication will wear off after about two hours. I took ibuprofen, but waited until the evening to take an Excedrin. There was a burning sensation, very akin to getting a sunburn, but entirely manageable. I have pretty good pain tolerance, but I think even someone pretty sensitive would handle it just fine. The swelling surprised me, though: each armpit swelled to about the diameter of a baseball by that evening. Definitely follow the doctor’s instructions, and ice it often. My aunt, a retired nurse, was visiting when I had this procedure and pointed out, “Ice will never hurt it.” Do be careful, though; I got frostnip at one point, because your armpits will remain partially numb for about two days. I iced it based on a clock, not based on feel, because I couldn’t tell how cold it was. I gave it about 15 minutes per arm, per hour, and managed to avoid frostbite. Check periodically with your hands to make sure your skin doesn’t get too cold. It really is possible to over-ice and hurt yourself.
I took 800 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours for the first four days after, and by noon on the second day the swelling had reduced dramatically. Now, 6 days after the procedure, the swelling is maybe 1/10 of what it was initially, but my armpits are very tender. I put a bit of aluminum-free deodorant on this morning, and my right armpit is sore. You can definitely leave off the deodorant for several days. I won’t put it on again tonight.
That’s the thing that I like the most. It’s summer in western Tennessee right now, and I haven’t sweated at all! The emotional relief is hard to describe. Even out in this heat and humidity, I don’t sweat. Yes, I sweat elsewhere (around the bra line and my face and arms, which is normal) but so far almost nothing from my armpits. Today I did a little bit, but not even enough to get my tshirt wet. For someone who sweated in large part due to anxiety, I find my anxiety has lowered because I’m not longer worried about the sweating. Again, the emotional relief alone was worth the cost of the procedure - never mind the excitement of being able to purchase shirts in colors I would never have dared to wear in the past!
If you’re on the fence about getting this done, I would encourage you to do it. I will post an addendum in a month or two, particularly if the sweating returns, but I do believe this procedure works, and my quality of life will only continue to improve as a result.
The total procedure lasted just under two hours. The doctor applied a template “tattoo” to help her guide the wand they use to apply the laser/heat, but it wore off as the procedure went on, so I couldn’t even see the guide afterwards. I had a smaller surface area for them to work with, so it required only 25 spots on each armpit. If you’re a male or a larger female, expect them to have more locations to work on. On the machine, it’s divided into 12 rows, two locations on each row, and one location on a 13th row. I recommend wearing a sleeveless shirt; I forgot to do that and simply slipped my t-shirt off. As the doctor and her nurse were both female, there was no privacy issue, although they did offer me one of those papery covers doctor offices always have.
The procedure itself was more boring than anything else. You will feel a sucking sensation as the machine actually does pinch a bit of skin between the sides of the wand, but it’s not painful. It may feel uncomfortable when the wand gets close to the areas of skin not numbed, but it isn’t painful. I didn’t have time to fall asleep, but I might have had it lasted longer.
I did not learn this until the procedure was over, but I am apparently sensitive to lidocaine; I had no ill effects but was extremely shaky after the procedure ended, to the point the doctor gave me some crackers. I felt perfectly fine, my arms and legs just trembled quite a bit. That’s apparently a normal side effect of lidocaine, so be prepared if you’re sensitive to medications. It wore off in about ten minutes, and I was fine to drive home.
The pain medication will wear off after about two hours. I took ibuprofen, but waited until the evening to take an Excedrin. There was a burning sensation, very akin to getting a sunburn, but entirely manageable. I have pretty good pain tolerance, but I think even someone pretty sensitive would handle it just fine. The swelling surprised me, though: each armpit swelled to about the diameter of a baseball by that evening. Definitely follow the doctor’s instructions, and ice it often. My aunt, a retired nurse, was visiting when I had this procedure and pointed out, “Ice will never hurt it.” Do be careful, though; I got frostnip at one point, because your armpits will remain partially numb for about two days. I iced it based on a clock, not based on feel, because I couldn’t tell how cold it was. I gave it about 15 minutes per arm, per hour, and managed to avoid frostbite. Check periodically with your hands to make sure your skin doesn’t get too cold. It really is possible to over-ice and hurt yourself.
I took 800 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours for the first four days after, and by noon on the second day the swelling had reduced dramatically. Now, 6 days after the procedure, the swelling is maybe 1/10 of what it was initially, but my armpits are very tender. I put a bit of aluminum-free deodorant on this morning, and my right armpit is sore. You can definitely leave off the deodorant for several days. I won’t put it on again tonight.
That’s the thing that I like the most. It’s summer in western Tennessee right now, and I haven’t sweated at all! The emotional relief is hard to describe. Even out in this heat and humidity, I don’t sweat. Yes, I sweat elsewhere (around the bra line and my face and arms, which is normal) but so far almost nothing from my armpits. Today I did a little bit, but not even enough to get my tshirt wet. For someone who sweated in large part due to anxiety, I find my anxiety has lowered because I’m not longer worried about the sweating. Again, the emotional relief alone was worth the cost of the procedure - never mind the excitement of being able to purchase shirts in colors I would never have dared to wear in the past!
If you’re on the fence about getting this done, I would encourage you to do it. I will post an addendum in a month or two, particularly if the sweating returns, but I do believe this procedure works, and my quality of life will only continue to improve as a result.
Provider Review
Nikki Wood
I had my procedure done at the Franklin Dermatology Group in Franklin, which is just outside Nashville. I had an initial consult in June and the procedure in August. The only reason I had such a gap between the two was because I was going to a military school for a month and a half. Nikki was incredibly nice, kind, and professional - I cannot say enough good things about her. Her nurse (her name escapes me) is a military wife so was really able to explain how the procedure might affect me in relation to PT and unit activities. If you're military and stationed at Campbell, this is the place to go - the staff really have a good grasp of the military life (more than one nurse is married to a service member or spent time in the military themselves) so they can really explain how your treatment might affect PT or field time. I will go back for Kybella in about six months. There's no one else I'd want to go to in TN.