This week marks Men’s Health Week, which aims to raise awareness of the health concerns that impact men and the mental health issues they face. Excessive sweating, known medically as hyperhidrosis, is estimated to affect two in every 100 men in the UK.
While it is not yet proven that men are more likely to suffer from hyperhidrosis than women, men tend to produce more sweat on average with more active sweat glands. Sweating is also linked to body temperature, and men typically have more muscle mass and generate more heat by burning calories to fuel those extra muscles.
Heavy sweating can cause embarrassing sweat patches, ruin your clothes, make it difficult to enjoy going to the gym, and make you extremely self-conscious in work, social, and intimate settings.
In one recent study into men living with hyperhidrosis, it found that it has a profoundly negative effect on mental health, self-esteem, and social activity, with men ‘feeling filthy while they struggle to control or hide the excessive sweating’.
What is hyperhidrosis?
Sweating is a normal bodily function and the mechanism by which the body regulates its internal temperature, particularly when one is overheated or in stressful situations. Hyperhidrosis is a recognised condition when one sweats excessively and continually.
It can be a symptom of other medical conditions, such as testosterone imbalance, or as a side-effect of medications such as antidepressants or steroids, but it is often due to overactive sweat glands, known as primary hyperhidrosis. This type of sweating usually presents in the underarm area but can also affect the hands and feet.
How can I treat excessive sweating?
The first line of treatment that a GP will typically advise is a prescription antiperspirant, which contains higher concentrations of aluminium chloride or aluminium hexahydrate than is available in over-the-counter products.
Muscle relaxing injections might be advised if this fails to combat the problem. Long favoured for smoothing dynamic wrinkles, it works by blocking the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands and can be an effective, although costly, option. The good news is that excessive sweating injections are a very quick and safe treatment, but they only last approximately four months so you’ll need top-ups at least twice a year to maintain your results.
How does miraDry solve excessive sweating in men?
For a more long-lasting solution to excessive sweating, miraDry is a non-surgical treatment that delivers electromagnetic energy to the underarm area to permanently eliminate the sweat glands, zapping away the problem in one or two treatments.
There is little to no downtime after a miraDry treatment, and most men can return to normal activities immediately. There may be some slight underarm swelling, redness, and tenderness that lasts several days, but then you can start working out in the gym as normal.
You should notice a significant decrease in sweating within just a few days after your treatment. Many men also note a reduction in body odour; when there is less sweat, the odour associated with sweating is also minimised.
Most men are good candidates for miraDry as it can be used on any skin type. To find out if you’re suitable for miraDry, call xxx to arrange a consultation.
