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Palmar Hyperhidrosis - Sweating of the Hands

Temporary Cure for Sweaty Hands - Palmar hyperhidrosis

Iontophoresis - iontophoresis is a good temporary treatment for sweating of the hands (palmar hyperhidrosis). Iontophoresis works in about 80% of patients and can be made to work in more, if glycopyrolate is added to the water.

However due to the need to keep using it, many people in the UK do not use iontophoresis in the long term.

Although Botulinum Toxin works in the hand skin, the same way that it works in the under-arm skin, there are other reasons why Botulinum Toxin is not a very good method of treating sweating of the hands (palmar hyperhidrosis).

Firstly, the skin on the hand is very sensitive and the large number of injections needed to cover it make it very uncomfortable. Although it can be done under anaesthetic, as the treatment would need repeating every four months or so, it is quite a committment if regular anaesthetics are needed.

Secondly, although the palm can be treated well, the finger and webs between the fingers are harder to treat. So in patients who have moderate to severe palmar hyperhidrosis, there can still be some annoying sweating even after a "successful" treatment.
Finally, in the hand, the muscles are close to the skin and there is a risk that they may become affected by the toxin, leading to weakness in the hand.


Permanent Cure for Sweaty Hands - Palmar Hyperhidrosis

ETS (endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy) is 99% effective at curing palmar hyperhidrosis. The effect is permanent.

However, ETS is a fairly major operation and, like all operations, has a risk of side-effects and complications. See the page on ETS to read about these.

A recent study from the University of California has shown that 5% of the population suffer from excessive sweating of the hands. The same study also pointed to this being an inherited condition.  

Click here to read this story.