--- title: "Excessive Sweating" --- Hyperhidrosis is excessive, uncontrollable sweating that goes beyond the body's need to regulate temperature. Primary axillary hyperhidrosis affects the underarms and happens regardless of heat, activity, or stress. Botulinum toxin injections block the nerve signal that switches on the sweat glands, and are FDA-approved for severe underarm sweating in adults when topical antiperspirants do not work well enough. ## What it is Everyone sweats to cool down. Hyperhidrosis is when the body sweats far past that need, in a way that soaks clothing and interferes with everyday life. The most common form is **primary axillary hyperhidrosis**, focused in the underarms, with no underlying illness behind it. It tends to run in families, often starts young, and happens regardless of the weather. It is common, affecting a meaningful share of the population, and it is a recognized medical condition, not a matter of hygiene or willpower. The reason it responds so well to treatment is mechanical: the sweat glands themselves are normal, they are simply receiving too many "on" signals from the nerves. Quiet the signal and the sweating drops. ## What causes it In primary hyperhidrosis, the sweat glands are overactive because the nerves that control them fire too readily, not because anything is wrong with the glands or with the person's health. It often begins in childhood or the teens and continues, and it is usually focused in specific areas, most often the underarms, but also the palms, soles, or face. Sweating that is new, one-sided, or happens mostly at night can be a different, secondary kind tied to another condition or a medication, which is worth sorting out first. That is part of why a physician confirms the pattern before treating. ## Is it the kind that responds This is what the first visit confirms, because treatment fits some patterns and not others. What you noticeUsually meansThe route that fitsHeavy underarm sweat regardless of temperaturePrimary axillary hyperhidrosisBotulinum toxin injections, after antiperspirantsSweating that started young and runs in the familyTypical primary patternA strong candidate for injection treatmentAntiperspirants tried without enough reliefThe point injections are made forThe FDA-approved underarm routeNew, one-sided, or mostly night sweatingPossibly a secondary causeEvaluation first, before any cosmetic treatment The value is not the list. It is that a physician confirms this is primary axillary hyperhidrosis, and that antiperspirants have been given a fair try, before treating, so the plan fits the condition rather than the request. ## Why Santa Barbara Face & Body Sweating is treated well when the physician takes it seriously as a medical condition, confirms the pattern, and places the injections precisely across the underarm. Dr. Pontius does exactly that, using an option that is FDA-approved for severe underarm sweating, and flags anything that looks like a secondary cause for evaluation first. Because severe axillary hyperhidrosis is a recognized condition, some insurance plans help cover treatment, which is worth checking. ## When it is worth a consultation **Worth coming in if you** - Sweat through clothing regardless of temperature or activity - Have tried clinical-strength antiperspirants without enough relief - Plan your day, clothing, or seating around sweating - Want a nonsurgical option that lasts months at a time **Better to talk it through first if you** - Are pregnant or breastfeeding - Have a neuromuscular condition - Have sweating that is new, one-sided, or mostly at night, which should be evaluated for another cause first ## What to expect from a visit Dr. Pontius confirms the sweating is primary and focused, checks that antiperspirants have had a fair try, and rules out signs of a secondary cause. Treatment is a series of small injections across each underarm, mapped to where you sweat most. You leave understanding whether you are a candidate, how long relief tends to last, and how to check whether your insurance helps with a recognized medical condition. ## What we offer for this People come in tired of soaking through shirts and leave with a plan matched to the pattern of their sweating. The underarm route is the one with the most evidence behind it. > Botox for Hyperhidrosis, International Hyperhidrosis Society (United States). In 2004 the FDA approved onabotulinumtoxinA for severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis in patients for whom antiperspirants do not provide relief; hyperhidrosis is a recognized medical condition and some insurers cover treatment. — [Botox for Hyperhidrosis, International Hyperhidrosis Society](https://www.sweathelp.org/hyperhidrosis-treatments/botox.html) > BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) for Severe Underarm Sweating, prescribing information summary, AbbVie (United States). Indicated for severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis in people 18 and older when topical medicines do not work well enough; it blocks the chemical signal that activates sweat glands; average duration of response about 6.7 months. — [BOTOX](https://www.botoxseveresweating.com/) ## Treating Excessive Sweating in Santa Barbara, CA Excessive sweating can be genuinely disruptive — but it's also very treatable, often with a quick, comfortable approach. In our Santa Barbara practice, Dr. Pontius offers solutions that can keep you dry and confident for months at a time. If sweating has been affecting your day-to-day, we'd love to help. Fill out the form below or call us at [(805) 764-9074](tel:+18057649074). ```ld+json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalCondition", "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/excessive-sweating/#concern", "name": "Excessive Sweating", "url": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/excessive-sweating/", "description": "Sweating far more than the body needs, regardless of heat or activity, is a medical condition called hyperhidrosis, not a hygiene problem. 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At Santa Barbara Face & Body in Santa Barbara, California, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon treats severe underarm sweating with botulinum toxin injections, which are FDA-approved for this use when antiperspirants are not enough." }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/excessive-sweating/#webpage" }, "url": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/excessive-sweating/" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is excessive sweating actually a medical condition?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Hyperhidrosis is recognized as a medical condition, defined as sweating beyond what the body needs to regulate temperature, to the point that it interferes with daily life. It is not a hygiene problem or a matter of willpower, and it is common." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How does the injection stop sweating?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Botulinum toxin blocks the nerve signal that tells the sweat glands to switch on. The glands themselves are normal, so quieting the signal reduces sweating in the treated area without affecting the body's overall ability to cool itself elsewhere." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does it last?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For underarm treatment, relief commonly lasts several months and is repeated as it wears off. In the treatment's clinical studies, the duration of response averaged around six to seven months, though individual results vary." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I have to try antiperspirants first?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually, yes. The FDA-approved use is for severe underarm sweating when clinical-strength antiperspirants have not worked well enough, so a fair try with those comes first. It also helps confirm the pattern before moving to injections." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can it treat palms, feet, or the face?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Those areas can be affected too, but the underarm is where the treatment is FDA-approved and best studied. 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