Liposuction for excessive sweating

Do you sweat a lot? Do you often find yourself in embarrassing situations such as having to go around in sweat-stained clothes even though no one else seems to be perspiring? If you do, then maybe you’re suffering from hyperhidrosis, a condition characterized by abnormally increased perspiration way beyond what body temperature regulation requires.

Many people suffer from it, and they tend to try any sort of relief for the condition, often to no avail. But a popular cosmetic procedure is showing promise in the fight against hyperhidrosis: liposuction. The Boston Channel gives us the details:

A new procedure is offering relief for people who suffer from excessive sweating of the palms, feet and underarms.

"It's a one-time procedure, and since it removes where the sweat's being produced, it's permanent and those patients sweat much, much less afterward," Boston University's Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery's Dr. Neils Krejci-Papa said.

The minimally invasive procedure is done under local anesthesia. It's for anyone who suffers from underarm sweating. If a patient suffers from excessive sweating somewhere else, other treatments are available, including surgically clipping the nerves or Botox, which blocks the nerves that trigger sweat glands.

"The problem with Botox is you have to redo it every six months. So under the arm and the armpit, Botox works, too, but in addition to that you now have a new technique -- a liposuction removal of the sweat glands," Krejci-Papa said.

The procedure will set a patient back about $3,500, since the procedure is not covered by insurance. It might not promise anything earth-shaking, but the procedure does offer relief, and for many patients, that would probably be more than enough to rock their world.