Let me start this article by stating the obvious: I’ve always run hot. And by hot, I mean I can often be seriously sweaty on a frosty winter’s day, or dripping with sweat while working in our air-conditioned office. My friends will attest that I regularly greet them with a cuddle and a, “so sorry I am so sweaty” after a short ten-minute walk from the tube, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I presented in anything other than a dark-coloured dress.
For years, I wondered if the excessive sweating was down to my anxious disposition (sweating is well-documented as a symptom of anxiety). I spent years visiting my GP, too, asking for extra-strength deodorant or other solutions to my issue.
But nothing seemed to work – the specialist deodorants left me with itchy, raw rashes on my sensitive underarms, and the specialist diets they recommend (no spicy foods, alcohol, and so on) left life feeling a little joyless.
It was only last year when a doctor told me about hyperhidrosis, aka excessive sweating, as a side effect of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, that I finally began to understand the root cause. I was diagnosed with PCOS at fourteen, a female health condition that an estimated one in ten women in the UK have. In short, it means I have an imbalance of reproductive hormones, which can in turn affect the body’s thermoregulation, aka ability to regulate temperature.
Never heard of hyperhidrosis? The condition is described on the NHS website as “sweating when your body doesn’t need to cool down” and “sweating that happens for no obvious reason.” Which pretty much perfectly sums me up.
You see, I get sweaty at completely random times, then am perfectly fine in situations that might make one sweat (think crowded tubes, concerts, or hot summer days).
Which is why, at the start of this year and after a decade of deliberation and research, I finally decided to give underarm Botox a go. My armpits have always been my personal problem area, and while I’d seen actress Chrissy Teigen and former Love Island star Montana Brown talk of having the procedure done a few years back, I was most encouraged knowing that it was once prescribed on the NHS for hyperhidrosis sufferers. It remains a highly searched “cure” for excessive sweating, and the best bit? It can last for up to eight months.
It’s no exaggeration to say my condition has impacted my confidence and quality of life for years. So could a quick fifteen-minute procedure really make that much of a difference? Keep scrolling to find out, and don’t miss our features on Botox, how to know whether your Botox is safe, and the importance of aesthetic treatment consultations, while you’re here.
I tried underarm Botox after years of deliberation – and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s changed my life
Choosing where to have my underarm Botox
First things first – a bit of background on where I decided to go for my underarm Botox. As someone who’d never had the treatment done before, and during a time when unregulated, black market procedures are causing a whole host of health issues, I knew which practitioner I chose was important.
Asking fellow wellness editors, one expert was suggested time and time again – and that was Dr. Ash Soni, a US and UK trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He’s also the founder and owner of The Soni Clinic, which has two locations – one at The Langham in London, one in Ascot.
As well as being a firm favourite among celebrities, he’s performed thousands of face surgeries, body surgeries, and injectable treatments in his time. And his goal is simple: to be the voice of expert knowledge and experience in this quite unregulated industry, and to prove that there are specialists performing these procedures who are very clued up on anatomy.
What is underarm Botox?
According to Dr. Soni, underarm Botox can be performed for excess sweating – aka, the condition known as hyperhidrosis – and involves injecting Botox directly into the sweat glands of the underarm.
Wondering how it then works to stop sweat from leaving your body? “Eccrine sweat glands exist in areas of the body, such as the feet, underarms and palms of the hand,” he explains. “When your body feels hot, your nerves activate more sweat to be produced to cool down your body. Botox, when injected, will inhibit sweat secretion by reducing the responsiveness of the sweat gland to a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which sends a message to your sweat glands to produce sweat.”
TLDR: Once the Botox has kicked in, your sweat glands will be less responsive, and you’ll notice significantly decreased sweating in the targeted areas.
How much does the treatment reduce sweating by?
Wondering how long, on average, the treatment reduces sweating for? And how much the treatment reduces sweating by? Both great questions that I asked Dr. Soni during my first appointment, too.
“The treatment lasts for a minimum of three months, but can often last longer,” he explains. “The average time my patients see results for is around six months, but sometimes longer – it all depends on how quickly the individual patient metabolises Botox.”
With regard to how much it’ll reduce your sweating, studies show the impact is significant. “Studies show that Botox reduce excess sweating by 82 to 87%,” Dr. Soni shares. “Subjectively, in my practice, I’ve noticed patients stating to me that the difference is truly significant.”
How popular is the procedure?
While underarm Botox was once prescribed by the NHS for cases of hyperhidrosis, Dr. Soni shares that it was likely stopped due to the cost. That said, the treatment still remains popular in private clinics, he confirms.
“The procedure has become increasingly popular over the last few years as patients are more aware that this is even an option. The most common time of the year is around Spring, just before the warmer summer months kick in,” he details.
My experience of trying underam Botox – the procedure
As I touched on above, I’ve long altered the clothes I wear and avoided colours that may show sweat patches, curating a capsule wardrobe of breathable materials and dark colourways.
But not this year. Heading into Dr. Soni’s Marylebone-based clinic at The Langham, London – just opposite the BBC headquarters – I was equal parts nervous and excited. It’s hard to put into words how much this condition has impacted my confidence over the years, affecting everything from my body language, to my self-confidence, to my personal style.
The waiting room at The Langham is chic – think soothing neutral tones, plush furniture and lemon water on tap. But before I know it, I’m being whisked into Dr. Soni’s room by his assistant, Amanda.
Meeting the surgeon for the first time, I immediately forgot my nerves. With a soothing presence and clear wealth of knowledge in the area, he starts by explaining the procedure to me in detail, answering all of my questions, and getting to know my reasons for wanting the injections before getting started.
As he chats me through the main pros of getting underarm Botox, I know I’ve made the right decision. “Less sweating is, of course, the main benefit, but you’ll also notice improved confidence and self-esteem. The condition of excess sweating can really be debilitating, especially in those patients who stain their clothes in sports or work events,” he reassures me. “That can, in turn, lead to social anxiety, another thing this treatment can significantly help with.”
When we’ve finished the pre-treatment consultation, he gets me to lift both underarms while he ices them and applies a numbing gel. This is just one of the many things that reaffirms Dr. Soni’s level of expertise to me – I’d read many horror stories online of the treatment being excruciating due to lack of numbing or pain relief, but every aspect of the treatment is thought through in his clinic.
When both armpits are suitably numbed, he gets to work, injecting Botox in both of my underarms in a grid formation. He tells me that the amount he injects is personalised to each specific patient – men tend to need more than women, for example. Normally, you’re working to around fifteen to twenty micro-injections in each armpit.
While I’m a nine-time marathoner with a fairly high pain threshold (case in point: I broke my foot in December and didn’t realise for two weeks as I rated my pain at a two out of ten), the procedure was fairly painful. That said, it was over before I knew it, and I knew Dr. Soni had done everything possible to make sure I was at ease.
While you can largely go about your day as usual post-treatment, Dr. Soni did advise me to avoid strenuous exercise and excessive heat (think hot baths or showers) for 24 hours. He also warned of mild side effects, such as the occasional pinpoint bruise or irritation caused by the needle points, but I was lucky enough not to experience these. My armpits were on the tender side for a few hours, but other than that, I didn’t really notice any side effects.
(Image credit: Ally Head)
The results
For the first few days after my treatment, I honestly felt like a kid at Christmas, excitedly checking my underarms to see if I was sweating less than usual. Botox injections in your underarms typically take two to four days to fully kick in, with the full impact of the treatment becoming noticeable within two weeks.
I first fully noticed the effects of the treatment around day four, when I found myself on a packed Northern Line tube to work. Feeling a hot flush coming on, I immediately started fanning my shirt to remove the material from around my underarms, only to notice that I wasn’t sweating – at all.
I can only describe the sensation as feeling like you are sweating, but without any sweat actually coming out. I was flabbergasted and got quite quietly emotional on the tube. And no, before you ask – because yes, I’ve been asked many, many times – you don’t end up sweating more in other areas.
Dr. Soni’s team also offered exceptionally high-quality aftercare and follow-ups, offering an in-clinic post-treatment consultation to make sure I was happy with the results and didn’t have any questions.
While it’s hard to quantify just how much of an impact this has had on my life – as humans, we feel wired to remember uncomfortable or stressful situations, rather than take stock of the gloriously ordinary ones – I do know that I feel the most confident I’ve felt in years. I’ve had far fewer awkward or embarrassing encounters where I’m pinning my arms to my sides to avoid colleagues seeing sweat patches, and I’m able to wear clothes (tight white t-shirts!) that I’ve never worn before in my life.
It also meant I could enjoy my wedding day in June without lying awake at night for months before obsessing over whether I’d get sweat patches in my satin Vivienne Westwood dress.
I don’t think I’d ever really fully processed how much stress and anxiety excessive sweating caused me day to day, but I’ll forever be grateful for the enormous weight that feels like it’s been lifted off my shoulders.
The only downside has been the chafing during exercise, which, if you think about it, makes total sense. Naturally, if your armpits don’t have sweat to lubricate them, you’ll create some friction, but I’ve countered this by applying BodyGlide or another form of soothing, anti-chafe cream before my long runs or races.
If you’re on the fence about getting underarm Botox or feel like excessive sweating is impacting your life, know this: it doesn’t have to, and this might be your sign. “Underarm Botox can be administered to anyone who experiences a lot of sweating, unless you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a reason that Botox cannot be administered,” shares Dr. Soni.
In my opinion, it’s an investment into your wellbeing – a ticket to self-confidence, a way to ease sweat-related stress, and, for me, a procedure that allowed me a summer of normality.
As Dr. Soni shares, this treatment isn’t exclusive to the underarm area, either – it can also be done on the forehead, palms and soles of the feet, or basically any area that has a higher concentration of sweat glands.
Dr. Ash Soni has clinics in London and Ascot. Prices for underarm Botox start from £850 for both armpits. For more information, head to The Soni Clinic website.