Excess Sweating Consultation
A medical treatment for heavy sweating, most often under the arms or on the hands.
- Treatment time
- About 20 to 30 minutes
- Results
- Less sweating within days; the full effect at around 2 weeks
- Longevity
- Several months — usually 4–6
- Downtime
- None
About Excess Sweating
This page is about a consultation for excessive sweating. We go over your symptoms, what you've tried so far and your medical history, and explain the options open to you. A prescription treatment is only ever prescribed once our nurse prescriber has assessed you face to face, and it may not be the right choice for you; your GP can advise too.
Hyperhidrosis means sweating far more than your body needs to stay cool — usually under the arms, but sometimes on the palms, feet or forehead. It can really hold you back: picking clothes to hide it, avoiding shaking hands, or feeling awkward in meetings.
A prescription muscle relaxant injected into the area temporarily stops the message that switches the sweat glands on. The NHS recognises this as an option when antiperspirants haven't worked. The treated area sweats much less for several months, while the rest of your body sweats as normal.
Key Benefits
- 01Much less sweating in the area treated
- 02Lasts far longer than creams or antiperspirants
- 03Brings back confidence with clothes, meetings and socialising
- 04A short appointment with little downtime
- 05Underarms, palms, feet or forehead — each assessed on its own
- 06Can be repeated once sweating comes back
Is this treatment right for me?
This is for people who sweat more than the situation calls for, find it gets in the way of everyday life, and haven't had success with clinical-strength antiperspirants. Hyperhidrosis can sometimes have an underlying cause, so we take a health history at consultation, and John may recommend seeing your GP first if that's sensible.
You may be suitable if…
- You sweat a lot in one area whatever the temperature or activity
- Antiperspirants and changes to your routine haven't worked
- It knocks your confidence or affects what you wear or your work
- You aren't pregnant or breastfeeding
Your consultation will consider…
- Where you sweat, how much, and how long it's been an issue
- What you've already tried
- Any health conditions or medicines that might play a part
- How many injection points and what dose the area will need
What to expect
Before treatment
First you'll see John for a consultation about the area, your history and what you've tried before. Please shave your underarms a day or two ahead and don't use antiperspirant on the day, as the skin has to be clean for the treatment.
During treatment
We clean the area and, for bigger areas, mark it out in a grid. Small, shallow injections — usually 15–20 for each underarm — are then placed across the grid with a very fine needle. Each one stings briefly; palms and feet are more sensitive, so John can talk you through numbing for those. Expect the appointment to take about 20–30 minutes.
After treatment
You can carry straight on with your day. For an hour or so the skin may look a little red or bumpy. Sweating tails off over the first one to two weeks rather than stopping straight away.
Watch
See this treatment in the clinic, in short videos on John’s aesthetics site, Trusted Touch Aesthetics.
Watch 8 videos →Results & longevity
Sweating usually starts to drop within a few days, with the complete effect at about two weeks. According to the NHS, results can last several months; most people find the treated area stays far drier for roughly four to six months, occasionally longer, before sweating slowly comes back and the treatment can be repeated. Your body keeps controlling its temperature normally everywhere else.
Recovery, side effects & aftercare
Hyperhidrosis treatment involves hardly any downtime, and most people go back to work straight afterwards. As the injections are shallow and spread over a larger area, you might see more little bumps or pinpricks than after a facial treatment, but they go down quickly.
Side effects
The usual short-lived effects are tenderness, redness and little bumps where the needle went in. Some people find they sweat a bit more elsewhere for a while. After treating the palms, your grip may feel slightly weaker for a time before returning to normal. Infection or an allergic reaction is uncommon.
Aftercare
Keep the area clean, and for 24 hours avoid antiperspirant, deodorant, hot baths, saunas and hard exercise. Don't rub or massage the area. From the next day you can go back to your usual routine, antiperspirant included.
Call the clinic if you get redness that spreads, a lot of pain, swelling, or any weakness that worries you.
- Downtime
- None
- Redness
- Slight, for an hour or two
- Swelling
- Little bumps that go down within the hour
- Bruising
- Now and then a pinpoint bruise
- Normal activities
- Straight away; leave out hard exercise for 24 hours
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I guaranteed to be prescribed a treatment?
No. The aim of the consultation is to find what will really help you. After assessing you in person, our nurse prescriber decides whether a prescription treatment is appropriate — and if it isn't, or something else would work better for you, we'll say so.
How much less will I sweat?
Most people find the treated area becomes far drier — often so much that they no longer need antiperspirant — with the complete effect at about two weeks. Everyone responds a little differently, and John will review the result with you.
How long will it last?
Several months. Most clients come back every four to six months, though for some the effect lasts longer. Once you know how you respond, we can plan the gap between treatments.
Is it painful?
Each underarm injection is a short sting that most people cope with easily. Palms and soles are more sensitive, so we can talk about numbing for those areas.
Is it safe to stop sweating in that area?
Only the small area that's injected is affected; the rest of your body controls its temperature as usual. The NHS recognises this as an established treatment for hyperhidrosis when other approaches haven't worked.
Should I shave before my appointment?
For the underarms, yes — shave a day or two before so the skin is clear, and don't use antiperspirant on the day.
Can I go back to work afterwards?
Yes. Other than a few little bumps that go down within an hour, there's nothing to see and nothing to stop you getting on as usual.
What does the consultation involve?
John checks the area and how severe the sweating is, goes over your history and what you've tried, and explains the dose and price. As this is a prescription-only treatment, it can only be prescribed once our nurse prescriber has assessed you in person.
Your Practitioner
John Dixon
Founder & Aesthetician
John founded Banana Beauty Lab and runs his aesthetics practice, Trusted Touch Aesthetics, here. He specialises in facial balancing and harmonisation, alongside wrinkle reduction and skin rejuvenation. His training is CPD-certified, he is fully insured, and is known for taking the time to assess your face properly, explaining every option honestly and never over-treating — the aim is always a natural result that still looks like you. Clients regularly mention his calm manner, attention to detail and the aftercare follow-up that checks in on how you're healing.