Over the years, I have removed a few procedures from my practice. This week I am adding removing another one – axillary sweat gland excision.
MiraDry has a 90% approval rating by patients.
I started offering axillary sweat gland excision for excessive underarm sweating about 7 or 8 years ago and have many, many satisfied patients. But now there is something better than surgery for underarm sweating – MiraDry. MiraDry is a device that wipes out sweat glands with microwave energy and was approved by the FDA for underarm sweating a few years ago. It is done as an office procedure with local anesthetic. While I do not have a Miradry device, I have several patients who have raved about this treatment. Also, Miradry gets a 90% approval rating on RealSelf by patients who have had the procedure.
So these days, instead of taking patients off to the operating room for a 1.5 hour procedure that requires about a week off of work, I refer them to a clinic that offers MiraDry. It’s less expensive than surgery, has almost no down time and works in the vast majority of patients. To find a doctor who offers MiraDry, go to their web site. And, no, I don’t get any kickback for this recommendation.
Seattle Plastic Surgeon and her male patients go through a lot of Botox this time of year.
This time of year Seattle men put away the flannel and fleece and Gortex and some of them make appointments for Botox injections to their armpits. Excess underarm sweating is fairly easy to conceal in heavy winter clothing but not so easy to conceal once the temperature gets above 65 or so.
Botox injection for excess underarm sweating is one of the most common procedures I do on men. At first, all of my underarm Botox patients were women but now the word is out to men. And it’s not just the metrosexuals and hipsters who come in. It’s guys from every walk of life.
Botox is a miracle treatment for excess sweating but it does have its downsides. It’s really expensive for me to purchase and I have to pass that expense along to my patients. Underarm Botox injection is done with 100 units of Botox and costs, gasp, $1500. And it is an injection which means needles (although they are teeny, tiny needles). The injection is moderately uncomfortable. And the real bummer is that Botox does not last forever. It usually lasts at least 6 months and I have some patients who get relief for a whole year.
For permanent relief, I offer axillary sweat gland excision which involves an outpatient operation in which the sweat glands are scraped away from under the axillary skin using a couple of small incisions and a special curette. See this page on my website for more information.
Soooo, if you are tired of being Sweaty Eddie, come on in for a consultation and we can discuss your options.
Thanks for reading and Keep Cool and Carry On. Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder
@lisalynnsowder
