What is botox?
Botox is actually the brand name of botulinum toxin type A made by the company Allergan. There are now other companies manufacturing it with names including Dysport, Azzalure, Bocouture and Xeomin.
Botulinum toxin is a protein produced by a bacteria that blocks the chemical at the end of nerves so it cannot work on muscles or glands.
Which parts of my body can be treated with botox to stop sweating?
Botulinum toxin is only licensed for the treatment of excessive sweating of the underarm areas. Some doctors do use it for treating other areas including the hands and feet but this often requires the use of more extensive local anaesthetic to enable the botox injections to be given comfortably.
Is botox available on the NHS?
In some parts of the country botox is offered on the NHS for the treatment of underarm sweating if other treatments have been unsuccessful but on the whole it is not offered on the NHS. There are many private practitioners who offer this treatment and can be found via the IHHS website clinician finder.
Are there any side effects from botox treatment?
There will often be some minor bruising and discomfort where the injections have been given which should settle within a few days. There maybe muscle weakness near to where the injections were given which would usually disappear after a few weeks. Some patients experience pins and needles or itching, sweating elsewhere or small nodules under the skin.