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Updated: 8:06 PM Dec 9, 2011
Excessive sweating becoming a problem for more people now has a solution
Don't sweat it. We all have about two million sweat glands in our body. A little sweating here and there is normal, and even healthy, but for some people, excessive sweating can be embarrassing. And now a new procedure is stopping the sweat.
Posted: 4:05 PM Dec 8, 2011Reporter: Maureen McFadden Email Address: maureen.mcfadden@wndu.com |
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Don't sweat it. We all have about two million sweat glands in our body. A little sweating here and there is normal, and even healthy, but for some people, excessive sweating can be embarrassing. And now a new procedure is stopping the sweat.
Salesman Stephen Hickman is on the road. Every day of the week
Stephen Hickman, Hyperhidrosis Patient, describes the causes for sweating, "Wearing a suit every day. A couple of weeks ago, with the heat index, it was 110 degrees. As soon as the car gets cooled down, I have to get out of the car."
So you can imagine how excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, affected his work, he went through a pack of under shirts every week.
William Patrick Coleman, MD, Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Metairie, LA, explains how many people have it but do not discuss it, "People don't talk about it but it's a frustrating thing."
Until recently, people had two long lasting options, Botox injections every six months to paralyze the sweat glands. With liposuction-doctors could surgically remove the sweat glands. Now, another option-microwaving them, with a minimally invasive procedure called Miradry. It uses heat energy to kill the sweat glands from the inside
Dr. Coleman describes how the procedure works, "Think about how you microwave something in your oven. You can definitely treat the inside without burning the outside. It doesn't irritate the skin on top while treating the sweat glands."
Doctor William Patrick Coleman’s clinic is one of four places in the US currently doing the procedure.
Dr. Coleman explains what the test results help with, "This is a template we use to guide."
A temporary tattoo is used to pinpoint the glands. Local anesthesia is injected. A computer guides the doctor on where to pinpoint the energy.
Dr. Coleman explains what happens next, "It suctions the skin up, and treats it with short wave microwave.”
This is Greta Roos second and final treatment. She's suffered with excessive sweating since she was a teen
Greta Roos, Patient, explains how much it has helped, "I would say 80% of it is gone."
Swelling, sensitivity and irritation for a week are what most patients say happen. But after that?
Roos explains the pain after a couple of weeks, "It was immediate like, no sweating whatsoever."
Hickman explains how much it helped him, "It's changed my life."
We sweat to cool ourselves off. And since we have two million sweat glands in our body, losing the glands in their armpits does not put patients at risk
Their body will still sweat, just not over sweat. Most patients need two treatments, about three months apart. The cost is $3,000 and takes about an hour each visit. The results should last for life.
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