Are you sick and tired of wasting your money on deodorants that can’t fight your perspiration? If you’ve tried prescription-strength deodorant and oral anti-sweat medications to no avail, consider MiraDry at Athena Plastic Surgery in Stuart, FL. This safe, effective sweat reduction technique may be the solution you’ve spent so much time searching for.
How Long Does MiraDry Last?
MiraDry is a highly advanced sweat reduction technique that can safely and effectively reduce the amount of underarm sweat. To date, over 140,000 treatments have been performed successfully. This treatment entails the destruction of some of your underarm sweat glands using fairly intense thermal energy.
This fairly intense thermal energy won’t but your skin, but it will destroy some of the sweat glands in the area. Once they are destroyed, they will not grow back. Therefore, your sweating is reduced permanently. Also, the odors produced by your sweat glands are reduced permanently.
Why Do I Sweat So Much?
Excessive sweating is a common medical condition known as hyperhidrosis. Typically, people sweat to keep themselves cool when it is hot outside or they are working out intensely. Also, sweat glands may be activated during intensely stressful situations, particularly the sweat glands in the underarms and hands.
People who suffer from hyperhidrosis have sweat glands that produce excess sweat and odor when they are not hot or under extreme stress. For instance, you may find yourself sweating profusely while you’re reading your kids their bedtime stories. There are two types of hyperhidrosis, and each type can result from a number of other medical conditions.
Localized Sweating Problems
In some cases, excessive sweating is highly localized. Also known as primary focal hyperhidrosis, if you suffer from this condition, you experience excessive sweating in one region of your body. For instance, your underarms, feet, or hands may sweat excessively at inappropriate times.
Research is still ongoing regarding the exact cause of this condition, but it may be caused by problems with the nervous system. Also, there is evidence that suggests genetics are a significant risk factor for developing primary focal hyperhidrosis.
Generalized Sweating Problems
Secondary general hyperhidrosis is the second type of hyperhidrosis. This hyperhidrosis variation results in your whole body producing copious amounts of sweat at inappropriate times. For instance, you may find your entire body sweating in the middle of the night when it is only 69 degrees in your room.
Both medical conditions and life events can result in the development of this condition. For instance, women who are pregnant or going through menopause are likely to develop this condition due to an extreme imbalance in estrogen levels. Also, thyroid problems, uncontrolled diabetes, and arthritis can cause this kind of hyperhidrosis.
How Can I Diagnose My Sweating Problem?
There are several ways to diagnose hyperhidrosis.
Urine and Blood Tests
A urine or blood test may be used to diagnose a thyroid condition, diabetes, or estrogen imbalance that may be causing secondary general hyperhidrosis.
Thermoregulatory Sweat Test
A thermoregulatory sweat test can also diagnose hyperhidrosis. This diagnostic test involves applying a special powder to your skin. Then, you will be confined in a hot, humid space. The special powder will change color, allowing us to assess the severity and identify the cause of your sweating problem.
Who Is a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
Your life has probably been affected negatively in numerous ways if you suffer from hyperhidrosis. You may turn down social events, like birthday parties and baby showers, because you’re worried about your hyperhidrosis making an appearance.
Also, you may have trouble packing for vacations or work trips due to the number of extra shirts you need to pack. If you feel that your life is being affected negatively by excessive sweating, there is an excellent chance you will be considered a good candidate for MiraDry. Nevertheless, we need to discuss your overall health and assess your underarms before we determine whether you qualify.
How Does This Treatment Work?
As stated above, thermal energy is used to destroy some of the sweat and odor glands in the underarms. Specifically, electromagnetic energy is used to emit a significant amount of heat. This heat is delivered with a handpiece that is designed to comfortably and effectively treat the underarm region.
How Should I Prepare for This Treatment?
Four to six days before your MiraDry session, you should shave your underarm hairs. You should not shave your underarm hairs fewer than four days before your session. If you let your underarm hairs grow out for a few days, the device will more effectively target the sweat and odor glands in the area. This is because the underarm hairs will serve as a guide since they are located in the same region as the sweat and odor glands.
What Should I Expect During My Treatment Session?
When you come in for your sweat reduction treatment, we will first prepare your underarms for treatment. Then, we will treat your underarms. Typically, the entire process can be completed in just an hour.
Preparing Your Underarms
Your underarms will remain comfortable throughout the entire treatment because we apply a local anesthetic to numb your underarms. It doesn’t take long to apply this anesthesia, but it does take a little while to take full effect.
Treating Your Sweat Glands
Once your underarms are numb, the specialized MiraDry handpiece will be placed on your underarm skin. Once the handpiece is activated, suction energy draws your tissues closer to the device. Then, it will emit electromagnetic energy into the odor and sweat glands, heating them up significantly.
At the same time as your glands are heated, the rest of the treatment area is cooled by the innovative handpiece. This cooling technology further ensures your skin will remain comfortable during your treatment session.
How Quickly Will I See the Results?
This sweat reduction method provides incredibly rapid results. Sometimes, people notice an instant sweat and odor reduction. However, it can take a couple of days to notice a reduction in your hyperhidrosis.
How Many Sessions Will I Need To Achieve My Desired Results?
Individual responses to this treatment will vary. However, people often experience an odor reduction of nearly 90% after a single treatment session. Similarly, people often experience a sweat reduction of nearly 80% after a single treatment session. If, a couple of days after your first session, you are not satisfied by your sweat and odor reduction, let us know. We are happy to schedule a follow-up appointment for you.
What Occurs After This Treatment Session?
After this sweat reduction technique, the vast majority of your sweat and odor glands will be destroyed, but your skin tissues will not be harmed or uncomfortable. Typically, there is very little downtime following this treatment. For example, you should refrain from intense exercise, like lifting heavy weights, running, and long-distance swimming for seven days after your treatment.
Will I Be Able To Regulate My Body Temperature When It’s Hot Outside?
As noted above, sweating is a natural tool used by your body to keep you cool when it is overheating. Luckily, you will have no trouble regulating your body temperature after this treatment despite how hot it is outside or how intensely you are exercising. There are millions of sweat glands throughout your body. This treatment only targets the sweat glands in your underarms, a tiny percentage of all of the sweat glands in your body.
Once your underarms are treated, your other sweat glands will pick up the slack for your underarms when it gets hot. For example, your face, neck, and chest may sweat a little more when you’re running or it’s particularly hot outside. However, your underarms will no longer sweat randomly in a cold office or bedroom.
Are There Alternative Treatments?
Adjust Your Clothing
If you find oral and topical antiperspirants to be ineffective, you can change your wardrobe choices before you come in for your treatment. For instance, your symptoms may be reduced if you opt for shirts that are made out of natural fabrics. Synthetic fabrics tend to result in rashes, chafing, and other painful skin problems due to trapping sweat against your skin. However, this isn’t an ideal long-term solution.
Control Your Excessive Sweating Once and for All
You no longer have to worry about excessive underarm sweat staining your favorite shirts and resulting in unpleasant odors. You may be frustrated by other solutions that just aren’t effective, but MiraDry is incredibly effective. To discover if you qualify for this treatment, contact us now at Athena Plastic Surgery in Stuart, FL.