For many men, the summer brings with it the potential for embarrassment. The soaring temperatures can be the source of great discomfort for commuters and office workers alike, in the form of excessive perspiration. Unsightly stains around the armpits, across the chest, sweaty socks and sweaty palms are leading many men to seek help. And finally, it’s arrived, albeit from an unlikely source.
Botox is well known as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Botox treatment is the most common form of anti-ageing surgery used in the world today. A Botox injection effectively works by freezing muscles. To make a muscle contract, the brain sends an impulse to a neuromuscular junction at a point where the muscle meets a nerve. The impulse causes the production of acetylcholine, which triggers a chemical reaction that causes the muscle to contract. Botox inhibits this process, preventing the contraction. Used as an anti-wrinkle treatment, Botox is injected into muscles that can cause wrinkles. As the muscle is no longer able to contract, the wrinkle cannot form. However, Botox cannot get rid of existing wrinkles, although it may help to soften them. Many men use Botox to maintain a youthful appearance but have now been found that it can offer relief to those who suffer at the hands of the heat and those with a particular medical condition.
Sweatox – the new answer
Sweatox, a form of Botox, uses similar principles to produce different results. It works by blocking nerve signals to the sweat glands in areas into which it is injected. Not only does this prevent sweat from forming in those areas, but has the additional benefit of preventing body odour. Depending on the patient’s metabolic rate, a Botox treatment administered in this way can last from six to nine months. As the treatment wears off, the sweating returns to normal. Contrary to popular belief, this form of treatment does not cause a patient to then sweat excessively elsewhere.
According to a report by the Telegraph, there has been a marked increase in the number of men seeking Sweatox treatments and it is not just for those looking to combat the negative effects of the summer. Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition that causes the body to produce far more sweat than is necessary. It typically strikes the palms, feet and armpits and, while not dangerous, it can give rise to skin conditions in affected areas. Also, sufferers of this condition may have to change their clothes frequently to minimize the effects of the odour caused by the bacteria that are encouraged by the presence of sweat. Sweatox offers these people the chance to live their lives free of embarrassment and the general inconvenience of having overactive sweat glands.
In the treatment of excessive perspiration, the areas where it takes places are identified by the application of starch and an iodine solution. The affected area is then divided up with dots, equally spaced. Injections are made just under the skin, requiring no anaesthetic or painkillers. Unlike anti-ageing treatments, the needle used only has to penetrate a minute layer of the skin; Botox used for anti-wrinkle treatments has to be injected deep into the muscles. The benefits should be noticed within 12 hours.