It’s normal to sweat, in fact, your body is sweating almost all the time without you realizing it. But if you’re one of the 37 million people in the United States who suffers from excessive sweating, it may cause you unnecessary embarrassment or social discomfort. The experienced and caring staff at Mariposa Aesthetics & Laser Center in Oklahoma City can help you find a solution with MiraDry.
What Causes Excessive Sweating?
A little sweating is normal and even needed. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling you down. Your skin becomes wet from sweat and the surrounding air lowers your body’s temperature as the moisture evaporates. You’re always sweating, but when your production of sweat exceeds its evaporation, you can see sweat beading on your skin. When you’re working out, this makes sense. When you’re just walking in the door to work, it doesn’t.
Hyperhidrosis
People who have excessive sweating beyond what is necessary to regulate their body temperature may have a condition known as hyperhidrosis. This can be localized or generalized—meaning it’s over your entire body. When hyperhidrosis is generalized, it often is caused by an underlying health issue. These health concerns can be:
- Metabolic disorders
- Diabetes
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Side effects of medication
- Changes in hormones
- Anxiety disorders
Anyone experiencing this kind of profuse sweating should consult with their doctor to understand the underlying issue.
Localized Hyperhidrosis
Unlike generalized, localized hyperhidrosis rarely indicates an underlying issue. We also call this primary focal hyperhidrosis, and it typically affects the hands, armpits and feet. It’s thought to stem from minor glitches in the nervous system and may even have a genetic component.
Armpit Sweat
You know the feeling of a little perspiration under your arms when you’re nervous, but for some people it’s a constant bother and embarrassment. If you’ve used every type of deodorant or antiperspirant and nothing works, you may have this localized condition. There are misconceptions about excessive armpit sweat:
- Hygiene—excessive armpit sweat does not mean someone practices poor hygiene
- Antiperspirant—no amount of store-bought products will prevent this condition
- Nervousness—people may be judged as nervous because of persistent underarm sweat
When you suffer from excessive armpit sweat, it’s difficult to concentrate on much else. Simple things like shaking hands, hugging and waving become nerve-wracking and uncomfortable. Clothing choices are limited because you’re worried about what will show the least amount of sweat. Sufferers are constantly worried about the perception of other people in social and business settings.
We’re born with over two million sweat glands, and about 2% of them are in our armpits. When those glands produce excessive sweat, some people experience debilitating embarrassment and have to make lifestyle changes that reduce their quality of life.
MiraDry
MiraDry is a revolutionary permanent solution for this kind of excess sweating, cleared by the FDA. This system uses thermal energy to eliminate the sweat and odor glands in the armpit. Sweat glands do not regenerate, so once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
What to Expect
Once you’ve decided MiraDry is the treatment for you, expect the treatment time to be about an hour. When you’re in the treatment office, your practitioner will apply a local anesthetic to your underarm ensuring your maximum comfort. Once your underarm is numb, the device that delivers precisely controlled microwave energy is placed directly on your skin.
You’ll feel a slight suction as it brings the sweat and odor glands closer to the surface. It then delivers the thermal energy to heat and destroy the sweat and odor glands. The device also sends a cooling sensation to the surface of your skin to ensure your comfort.
Superiority to Other Treatments
This treatment is non-invasive and requires little to no downtime. When the treatment is done, most clients can go back to work or their regular routine immediately. Other treatments can require surgery, which carries inherent risks that MiraDry does not. There are also superficial treatments available which only disable the glands, making results temporary.
Results
Clients love that results are immediate and long-lasting to permanent. 90% of clients say they have complete satisfaction with their results and can’t stop raving about how their lives have changed. To people who don’t suffer from hyperhidrosis, these results may not be significant but to people who have endured a lifetime of insecurity because of constant sweat, it’s life-altering. Because clients no longer have a constant worry about sweat stains and odor, it changes their lives in ways they could never have imagined before.
Clothing
Dressing for work or a social outing becomes enjoyable. Most people would have to choose something black or baggy in hopes of that minimizing the appearance of sweat stains. Wearing light and bright colors becomes an option again. Clients say they’re able to wear their favorite clothing without worrying about permanently staining it or having immediate sweat breakthrough.
Sleeveless clothing becomes an option without worry about embarrassing odor and sweat drips. People love that their choices are no longer dictated by their condition or worry.
Social Confidence
Imagine being able to high-five, hug or wave hello without immediately putting your arms down when you notice you’ve already sweat through your clothes. The debilitating aspect of hyperhidrosis is gone.
Clients note their self-confidence skyrocketing. They are more apt to go out with their friends to events with no worry about embarrassing sweat stains or odor. At work, people who have had this treatment are more likely to call attention to themselves and their ideas, leading to more positive results and higher performance ratings.
Common Questions
Before undergoing treatment, it’s important to talk to your provider about your questions and concerns. People are often concerned that they’re eliminating necessary sweat glands, and while it’s true that your body needs these glands, removing the ones under your arms does no harm. You still have millions of sweat glands that will regulate your body’s temperature, so there is no negative effect to eliminating these particular glands.
Miradry’s safety record is impeccable, and it’s the only treatment approved by the FDA to dramatically reduce underarm sweat in as little as one treatment. Talk to your provider about your symptoms to determine if one treatment it the right protocol for you and the results you are looking for.
There is little to no downtime and the treatment is painless. Normal work and home activities can be resumed immediately with a small restriction on exercise for just a few days. Your provider will go over what you can expect and what treatment plan is right for you.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Anyone who is bothered by their underarm sweat or has been diagnosed with localized hyperhidrosis is perfect for MiraDry. There are certain questions your provider may ask to determine your candidacy:
- Do you feel self-conscious about your underarm sweat and/ odor?
- Do you avoid certain situations because you’re worried about sweating in front of other people?
- Do you wish you didn’t have to worry about underarm sweat?
- Have you worn sweatshirts or dark clothing to minimize the look of sweat?
- Have you tried multiple antiperspirants with no success?
- Have you changed your clothes multiple times a day because of excessive sweating?
- Are you embarrassed by the accompanying odor with your sweat?
Answering yes to one or more questions means you and your provider may decide MiraDry is the solution for you. Eliminating excess sweating is achievable.
“Normal Sweat”
After one to two treatments, you will still have normal sweat. If you’re working out, you’ll sweat the way everyone else does. If you have a fear of speaking in public, you may feel a little dampness before going on stage, but nothing excessive.
Antiperspirants and deodorants will work for you the way they do for other people. The anxiety associated with excessive sweating will be gone and situations where sweating isn’t normal won’t be an issue for you. Talk to your provider about what this means and what to expect from typical situations where you are likely to still sweat normally.
Underarm Aesthetics
Now that you’ll be showing off your arms without the worry and anxiety of excessive sweat, talk to your provider about ways to improve the appearance of your upper arms. There are medical-grade skincare products that will help with crepey skin that age, weight loss, and genetics can create.
Sagging skin in the underarm area is caused by a loss of elasticity. Collage is the protein in our bodies that creates firm skin that clings to the structure of your body, giving it a defined appearance. As we age, collagen production slows beginning as early as our mid-20s. Certain medical-grade products can improve elasticity, visual firmness and reduce visible sagging skin.
High-end clinics will offer certain lines of skincare products to improve the look, feel and overall health of your skin. During your consultation ask your clinician about any other skincare related questions or areas of concern you have. They’ll be able to address those concerns and recommend the right course of treatment and products to help you get the results you want.
Choosing the Right Clinic
There are many clinics available, most claiming to address your concerns and get results—so how do you choose the one right for you? The first thing to look for is a clinic that is properly trained, licensed and certified to provide treatments and use the latest technology safely and effectively.
Clinics offering medical programs should always be under the supervision of a licensed physician who oversees that platform. When you have a consultation with a professional provider, you should feel heard, and the plan presented to you should be unique to your needs and desired results. Your provider should manage your expectations by explaining each treatment and the real outcomes you can expect.
Comprehensive clinics will offer a wide range of solutions. Once you’ve connected with a clinician, it’s nice to know someone you trust can address multiple areas of concern so you don’t have to find and establish multiple relationships just to address different aesthetic needs. A great clinic will stay on top of safe, innovative and successful treatments so they can offer their expertise to you.
Schedule a Consultation
When you’re ready to talk to somebody about eliminating your excess sweat and regaining the confidence from knowing sweat and odor won’t embarrass you, call Mariposa Aesthetics & Laser Center for a free consultation. You’ll see they’ve been consistently rated with five stars from clients who rave about their results and the care they received from Mariposa.
You don’t have to live with the stress and anxiety that comes with producing excess sweat. Live the life you’ve always dreamed of and schedule your free consultation today.
