We’ve all had our moments – you’re standing in front of a group of people and you can feel the sweat pooling under your arms. Or maybe you’re meeting someone for the first time and your palms feel clammy. Everyone has experienced a moment where they started sweating from nerves or embarrassment. But what if that was an issue every day?
For those who have problems with excessive sweating, the FDA has approved a treatment called Mira Dry.
How Does it Work?
Dr. Jeff Popp said the procedure uses a focused ultrasound to destroy the sweat glands. It’s highly effective at curing or significantly diminishing sweating. He said the most common areas people have issues are underarms, feet and hands. “It requires local anesthetic to numb the affected area or it can be pretty painful. The treatment seems successful. Original trials put it at 70-80% of patients who were cured or had noticeably less sweating,” Dr. Popp said.
Alternatives
Due to the expense of the equipment required, he does not perform this procedure.
Rather he uses Botox injections to assist individuals with sweating problems, mainly in hands, palms and feet. Dr. Popp explained that most sweating issues are managed these days by dermatologists.
But for those who come to his office, he provides the injections and says the procedure is covered by many insurance companies. He said there are also some topical and systemic medications that can be used but he cannot attest to the efficacy of these products.
He said though he’s sure this is a big issue for a lot of people, sometimes the cost is prohibitive when it comes to addressing the problem. “Usually, the sweating has to be so profound that it’s socially a problem for that person whether they are at work or out and about,” he said.
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