Botulax is an effective non-surgical treatment for excessive sweating, particularly in areas like the axilla, palms, and soles. It provides significant sweat reduction, with effects lasting 4 to 9 months. Most patients experience a 70% to 90% decrease in sweating, offering a popular option for hyperhidrosis management.
Hyperhidrosis Treatment
70% of patients present with axillary hyperhidrosis while the incidence of palmar hyperhidrosis is 25%. The most common initial treatment is traditional antiperspirants. Aluminum salt-based antiperspirants hold 80% of the market share. These usually last for 8-12 hours. Somewhat effective, about 60% of the patients believe that antiperspirants are effective for mild disease states. 50% of the patients have a greater than 30% reduction in sweating after the use of these products, so the long-term usage rate is less than 30%.
Each iontophoresis treatment takes 20 to 40 minutes and is repeated 2 to 3 times a week. It has proved very effective for 70% of patients in reducing sweating by more than 50%, though the response is short-lived and may last only 1-2 weeks.
Laser treatment: 80% of patients have a 70% or greater reduction in sweating after laser treatment. The effect of this treatment lasts between 6 and 12 months. Results from laser treatment are dramatic, but treatments are expensive; each session is valued between $3000 and $5000.
Sympathectomy is indicated for severe cases of hyperhidrosis and has a success rate as high as 95%, though 40% of the patients may develop compensatory sweating. In the sweat gland removal surgery, 90% of the patients show a reduction of more than 80% in sweating.
50% of patients show a 20% to 30% decrease in sweating after 10 consecutive acupuncture sessions. Cryotherapy diminishes axillary sweating by more than 50% in 1 to 2 weeks, but the response usually lasts for only 2 to 3 months.
Botulax injection is one of the most popular non-surgical treatments presently; 90% of patients have an important improvement within 2 weeks from the injection. The effect on the axilla lasts 6-9 months, while in the palms and soles it usually lasts 4-6 months. Can Botulax be used for face lift?
Injection Areas
Axillary hyperhidrosis accounts for about 45% of all cases. Physicians usually perform injections of 10 to 15 points in each armpit, with a dose of 5 to 10 units per point, for a total dose of 50 to 100 units. More than 90% of axillary patients reported significant reduction in sweating within 2 weeks of injection.
About 30% of patients with hyperhidrosis have excessive palmar sweating. Treatment of the palms requires 20 to 25 injections. The dose is 2 to 5 units at each point for a total of 50 to 150 units. Patients report an 85% reduction in the sweating of their palm.
Foot hyperhidrosis: About 15% of the patients with hyperhidrosis have foot hyperhidrosis. Each foot usually requires 15 to 20 injection points, 5 to 7 units per point, totaling 100 to 200 units. Symptoms are significantly improved within 6 to 8 weeks of injection in 75% of patients.
Forehead and facial hyperhidrosis comprise 5% to 10% of all cases. Physicians usually inject 5 to 10 points in the forehead area, at a dose of 1 to 3 units per point, not to exceed 50 units. 92% of patients are satisfied with the results in this area.
Back hyperhidrosis affects approximately 3% to 5% of patients. The dose of each treatment ranges from 200 to 300 units per session, distributed over 20 to 30 points. The response rate for back hyperhidrosis is roughly 80%, while the full effects are fully expressed after about 3 to 4 weeks.
Combination injections for several sites are performed with a higher total dose, usually in the range of 300 to 600 units. More than 85% of patients reported overall improvement in their sweating problems after combined treatment. Learn more about the effectiveness of fat loss.
Axillary hyperhidrosis patients usually require injection every 6 to 9 months, while palm and sole treatments may have a shorter interval, usually 4 to 6 months.
Axillary hyperhidrosis treatment usually costs in the range of $300 to $500 per session, while palms and soles increase to $500 to $800 per session. Facial treatment is generally $200 to $400, while back treatment may reach over $1000. The highest treatment satisfaction rate is 95% for axillary patients, 88% for palms, and slightly under 80% for soles.
Effectiveness Timeline
The effects of Botulax generally begin to appear about 3 to 5 days following injection. By about day 7, 85% of patients notice a significant reduction in sweating, although the full effect may take 10 to 14 days to peak.
The action of Botulax lasts for 6 to 9 months. Within the first 3 months after treatment, 90% of patients experience an 80% reduction in sweating. Some patients may notice that from months 4 and 6 the effect starts to wane, but over 70% still report good results.
For palmar hyperhidrosis, the action of the neurotoxin lasts 4 to 6 months. About 60% of patients require supplementary injections in the 5th month post-treatment.
For foot hyperhidrosis, the effect of Botulax on average lasts for 5 to 7 months. In the first 3 months, 75% of the patients mentioned that they experience complete cessation of sweating of the feet. After month 6, nearly half of the patients report a reduction in effectiveness.
For forehead and facial hyperhidrosis, the duration of action is 4 to 6 months. 92% of patients report an almost complete stop of facial sweating within 3 months, although some have to be re-injected at about the 5th month to sustain the effect.
Those who have received continuous injections for over 2 years can extend the duration of treatment from the initial 6 to 9 months to 12 months or even longer.
The regular treatment cycle of Botulax is 6 to 9 months. The average cost per month for Botulax treatments is $100-$150, while the surgical treatment may cost over $5000. Of the patients who exercise on a regular basis, 50% need supplementary injections at month 6, where this figure is 30% for regular patients. Of the patients over 40 years old, 60% reported that the treatment lasted for more than 9 months. Is Innotox safe for sensitive skin?
Sweat Reduction Results
After the Botulax treatment, patients usually present a 70% to 90% reduction in the secretion of sweat. In axillary hyperhidrosis patients, the mean percentage of sweating reduction is around 85% in the first month after the treatment, with the greatest effect within the first 3 months.
It boasts of causing a reduction in sweating by as high as 75% to 85% for palmar hyperhidrosis. Over 80% of patients noticed that their palms became significantly dry within 2 weeks of the injection.
Treatment of foot hyperhidrosis results in a 70-80% reduction in sweating. In the first 2 months, near-complete cessation of foot sweating was reported in about 70% of subjects. A small number of patients report that sweating problems gradually return after month 4.
More than 90% of the patients with facial and forehead hyperhidrosis reported that their facial sweating had almost disappeared within 2 weeks. More than 92% of the patients were satisfied with the results, while the incidence of side effects was only 2%.
The results are also impressive for special back hyperhidrosis treatment. In about 80% of patients, the sweating is reduced to less than 25% of the original amount within 4 weeks of treatment. The effects of the back treatment can last from 6 to 9 months.
Patients with systemic hyperhidrosis receive a total 75% to 85% reduction in overall sweating with combined axilla, palm, and sole injections. In patients treated for more than 2 years, a decline in sweat secretion of approximately 50% is seen without further injections compared with the pretreatment state.
A designer from Japan, who was treated for axillary sweat stain problem, had his problem completely solved and saved around $400 per year in extra clothes. According to studies, severe hyperhidrosis patients spend additional $800 to $1200 annually because of their condition. Botulax is said to reduce this number by about 50%.
Maintenance Needs
Most patients with axillary hyperhidrosis need supplementary treatments in 6 to 9 months. Patients who exercise vigorously more than 4 times a week have an average duration of action of 6 months, which is approximately 30% shorter compared with nonexercising patients.
In the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis, supplementary injections are usually necessary every 4 to 6 months. About 75% of palmar hyperhidrosis patients choose to continue long-term after initial treatment.
Conditions of foot hyperhidrosis usually demand treatments every 6 to 8 months. Over 60% of the patients do not find any significant reduction in effectiveness in the initial 6 months post treatment; although in some, mild signs of sweating may start to begin after the 7th month.
For facial and forehead hyperhidrosis, the effects last 4 to 6 months. Patients indicate that sweating starts to gradually increase by the 5th month. These patients can be given preventive injections in the 4th month before the effects wear off.
Back hyperhidrosis usually requires treatment every 8 to 10 months. More than 80% are able to maintain significant improvement within 9 months from the first treatment.
One patient received combined axillary and palmar treatment; the axillary area needs to be maintained every 6 months, while the effect on the palms starts to wear off after 4 months.
Axillary maintenance treatment costs in the U.S. market between $600 and $1000 annually, while palms and soles require $800 to $1500 annually. 87% of patients are willing to pay over $1000 annually for improvement in hyperhidrosis. More than 50% of patients adopt strict skin cleaning and moisturizing measures post-treatment. Of patients over 45, about 70% require only one maintenance treatment annually to maintain satisfactory results.
User Feedback
More than 92% of the people treated with Botulax reported being satisfied with the results of treatment. Of the subjects questioned, more than 85% reported an improvement in the quality of life after treatment.
76% of patients reported an increase in work efficiency within one month of treatment. One respondent reported that the number of handshakes increased by 40% after treatment.
In the first 3 months post-treatment, 70% of patients with foot hyperhidrosis reported a near-complete cessation of excessive sweating. For one athlete from Australia, treatment decreased the amount of his “weekly shoe cleaning by about 50%.”
Over 90% of patients with facial hyperhidrosis reported the results to be quick and remarkable. A 35-year-old teacher was relieved, after treatment, of having to concern herself anymore that forehead sweat would interfere with her teaching a classroom full of students. For the first 5 months post-treatment, she said she felt more confident and professional teaching.
Of the back hyperhidrosis patients, 80% were satisfied with the treatment; however, about 15% reported mild tightness in the back during the initial period of treatment.
83% of the respondents felt that spending about $1000 per year for the treatment of Botulax was reasonable. A consumer claimed that he was saving about $400 yearly. A patient treated for 3 years said his sweating problems were reduced to 25% of the initial problem.
More than 90% of the patients pointed out that detailed consultation and personalized plans before treatment made them confident in the result. One patient said that his doctor spent about 30 minutes explaining to him the point of injection and the possible side effects before treatment. 60% of the patients said that post-treatment care time had reduced by about 40%.
For more details on combining treatments, you can refer to this guide on how Botox and Juvederm can be used together: Learn more.
Alternative Methods
Regular antiperspirants are useful in everyday sweating problems for about 70% of people suffering from mild hyperhidrosis, while for patients with moderate to severe symptoms, the rate is only 30%. Side effects such as dry mouth, blurring of vision, and increased heart rate occur in more than 50% of patients, and long-term use is hard to maintain for most.
Iontophoresis therapy is 20 to 40 minutes per session. In 70% of cases, patients show a greater than 50% reduction in sweating; however, it requires 2 to 3 maintenance treatments weekly. Axillary hyperhidrosis patients also respond to topical medications: a 30-50% reduction in sweating occurs in 60% of individuals with axillary hyperhidrosis receiving topical treatments.
Sympathectomy is successful in 95% of cases. However, 40% of patients develop side effects that are distressing after the surgery. Surgical removal of sweat glands is indicated in axillary hyperhidrosis. More than 80% reduction in sweating is seen in 90% of patients after surgery, though it takes 4 to 6 weeks to recover.
A decrease in spicy food and caffeine intake reduces the activity of the sweat glands. About 50% of patients experience mild alleviation of sweating with this method.
Laser treatment can reduce sweating by 70% or more in about 80% of patients, and the effect can last for 1 to 2 years. However, one treatment is very expensive, ranging from 3000 to 5000 dollars. Biofeedback therapy can improve symptoms in about 60% of people, but the treatment cycle is very long and usually requires 3 to 6 months. Patients can stimulate specific meridians and acupoints to reduce sweating by 20% to 30%.