Excess sweating and odor from sweating is a common problem that affects about 4 million people in the US. Although many treatments have been proposed, they have the disadvantage of invasive surgery, complicated and risky surgery such as sympathectomy and scarring. Botox has been used with some success, but it is very expensive, requires a lot of botulinum toxin, and must be repeated when it wears off.
We can offer patients who have the problem of excess axillary (armpit) sweating, whether or not accompanied by bad odor, Smartlipo MPX laser treatment.
The procedure is done under local tumescent anesthesia. Tiny incisions hidden in skin folds in the armpit are made and the area under the hair-bearing skin is infiltrated with anesthetic solution. The multiple wavelength SmartlipoMPX laser fiber is then used to destroy the sweat glands in the layer just under the skin. The laser fiber is passed back and forth from two directions until sufficient energy is delivered, and tissue resistance to passage of the fiber is achieved.
A study conducted by Alberto Goldman, MD, from Porto Alegre Brazil, found that 60% of patients had 75% or better reduction in sweating area, and 23.5 % had 51-75% reduction. This means that 82% had good or excellent results. The recovery was quick and post-operative pain was minimal. Swelling lasted about a week, there was temporary decrease of sensation for about 3-5 weeks, which gradually returned back to normal. Temporary hair reduction was noted in 47% of patients.
With our long experience in liposuction, both vaser and traditional, and the addition of SmartlipoMPX to our practice in early 2009, we are pleased to offer patients with the problem of excess sweating, whether or not accompanied by excess underarm odor, the benefits of this technology. We do not expect that insurance will cover this procedure.
