Botox antiperspirant treatment and pregnancy

What is excessive sweating?

Perspiration is a completely natural phenomenon that allows the human body to control its temperature. It produces sweat when its temperature rises in hot weather, during a fever, or during sport, in order to cool the body. Sweat also plays a protective role against external aggressors such as bacteria and pollen, and it helps the body retain its natural moisture. Other factors, such as intense emotion (stress, fear), can also encourage sweating.

Everyone perspires to a greater or lesser degree, depending on a number of criteria. In most cases sweat is composed mainly of water, so it produces very little odour. It can, however, become odorous when it comes into contact with the bacteria on the skin.

Excessive sweating is also known as hyperhidrosis. It corresponds to sweating in abnormally high quantities in a specific area of the body (the armpits, hands, feet or nape of the neck, for example) or all over, although generalized hyperhidrosis is rarer. It is linked to abnormal activity of the sweat glands, which are over-stimulated and produce excess sweat.

Hyperhidrosis can be aggravated by a number of factors, including the use of certain medications, stress or anxiety, hormonal imbalance, hereditary background, underlying disease or pregnancy.

From a medical point of view it has no serious consequences, but it can encourage the onset of skin disorders such as fungal infections or warts. Hyperhidrosis does, however, have a strong psychological impact on sufferers, as it is very disabling day to day.

How do I know if I have hyperhidrosis?

It can sometimes be difficult to know when sweating is normal and when it is excessive. There are, however, signs that may point to this condition:

• your hands are so clammy that you cannot perform everyday tasks;
• parts of your clothing, in contact with areas of excessive sweat, turn yellow or wear out quickly;
• you feel the need to shower or change clothes several times a day.

How does botulinum toxin work to treat hyperhidrosis in aesthetic medicine?

Botox injections are well suited to treating localized hyperhidrosis. The doctor injects botulinum toxin into the target area, such as the armpits or the hands, to prevent the sweat glands from producing sweat.

The session takes place in the doctor’s office and lasts around twenty minutes. An anaesthetic cream can be applied to increase patient comfort. Several sessions may be needed to cover the whole area and achieve an optimal result.

The botox is then gradually reabsorbed by the body. New injections are required to maintain the effect of the treatment.

Is treatment of hyperhidrosis recommended during pregnancy?

Although botox is recognized as a safe treatment, it is contraindicated in pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is above all a precautionary measure, as no scientific study has yet shown that botox crosses the placenta during pregnancy. The same applies to breastfed infants.

As with any aesthetic medical procedure, it is therefore preferable to wait until the pregnancy has come to term, and the breastfeeding period is over, before carrying out botulinum toxin injections.