HYPERHIDROSIS – or, in plain English – excessive sweating, is thought to affect one person in every 200.

It usually starts during the teens and twenties and can affect the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or the armpits.

While deodorants and regular showering can help to control excessive underarm perspiration, for some, this condition can still cause extreme embarrassment and loss of confidence socially and at work.

It is not known why some people are affected and others are not. Many people with hyperhidrosis have a relative with the same problem, suggesting thatthe causes are probably genetic.

Injection treatment has been used for many years to treat blepharospasm (involuntary twitching of the eyelids) and squints, but has also been found to be of great value in the treatment of facial fine lines.

A further use for injection treatment is the control of underarm sweating. A tiny, purified dose of a weakened form of a protein called Botulinum Toxin type A is injected using a very fine needle into the skin.

This protein blocks the actions of the nerves that supply the relevant glands, which in turn prevents them from producing sweat.

Effects are not permanent and will wear off over a period of several months, leaving no lasting change in the treated area.

Injections are made about 1cm apart and spread evenly in each armpit.

Injections need to be repeated at regular intervals to maintain control of underarm sweating – approximately every seven months.

Response to treatment can vary from one person to another. In a clinical trial, the average reduction in sweat production one week after treatment was 87% and sweating was reduced by at least half in 95% of patients.

You can be assured that the consultant surgeon at the West of England Laser Centre at the Nuffield Health Taunton Hospital is a highly experienced physician and surgeon.

For an information pack and/or a confidential consultation, please call 01823-331773.