Sweat Reduction

miraDry® is designed to help reduce:

Excessive underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis)

Sweat stains on clothing

Underarm odor

The need for prescription antiperspirants

Underarm hair

Stop managing underarm sweat. Treat the source. Sweaty underarms are incredibly common. For some people, sweating is severe enough to be diagnosed as axillary hyperhidrosis. For many others, it isn’t a medical disorder at all. They’re simply tired of it: tired of sweat stains, of choosing clothes based on whether the fabric will show sweat, of reapplying antiperspirant, of worrying about underarm odor, or of hesitating before raising an arm.

At Allure Medical, we sometimes call these patients “sweat bothered.” You don’t have to have severe hyperhidrosis to want less underarm sweat, and you don’t necessarily have to spend the rest of your life managing it. miraDry offers a completely different approach: permanently eliminate many of the sweat glands responsible for underarm sweating.

Allure Medical was an early adopter of miraDry technology, and we have been performing miraDry treatments for more than a decade. We’ve continued offering it for one simple reason: it works remarkably well for appropriately selected patients.

There are aesthetic treatments that come and go. miraDry has remained an important part of our practice because it addresses an everyday problem with a fundamentally different solution. Instead of temporarily blocking perspiration, miraDry uses precisely controlled microwave energy to heat and eliminate sweat glands in the underarm. Once those glands have been destroyed, they are not expected to regenerate. That makes miraDry very different from antiperspirants, medications and temporary injectable treatments.

miraDry is an FDA-cleared, non-surgical treatment for unwanted underarm sweat. The technology delivers controlled microwave energy to the area where underarm sweat glands are concentrated, producing controlled heating that causes thermolysis of the targeted sweat glands, while an integrated cooling system protects the superficial layers of the skin. Once the targeted glands have been eliminated, they do not regenerate.

Clinical research has demonstrated substantial reductions in underarm sweating, with published studies reporting average sweat reductions of approximately 80%, although individual results vary. A randomized clinical study also demonstrated significant improvement in patients with primary axillary hyperhidrosis, and follow-up studies have shown that improvements can persist over time. The objective isn’t necessarily to eliminate every drop of perspiration. It’s to take underarm sweating from something you constantly think about to something that may barely enter your mind.

No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about miraDry. It originally became known as a treatment for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, the medical term for excessive underarm sweating. But there is an enormous group of people between “I barely sweat” and “I have severe hyperhidrosis.” We call them sweat bothered. Maybe you simply:

• Sweat through shirts more than you’d like

• Avoid certain colors because they show perspiration

• Keep antiperspirant at work or in your car

• Worry about sweating during meetings or presentations

• Feel self-conscious raising your arms

You don’t need a diagnosis to be bothered by underarm sweat. Wanting to sweat less is reason enough to learn about your options.

Sweat reduction isn’t the only potential benefit. miraDry may also reduce underarm odor. The underarm contains both eccrine and apocrine sweat glands, and apocrine secretions contribute to the environment in which characteristic underarm odor develops. Because miraDry targets glands in this region, reducing the gland population can also reduce odor. The FDA-cleared indication specifically recognizes that miraDry may reduce underarm odor.

Many patients also find that substantially reducing underarm sweat changes their relationship with deodorant and antiperspirant. After treatment, some patients may find they use less antiperspirant or feel less dependent on it. Individual results vary, and we don’t promise that every patient will never use deodorant again. But imagine going through your day without constantly thinking about whether your antiperspirant is working. That’s the kind of freedom many miraDry patients are looking for.

Botox can be very effective for excessive underarm sweating. It works by temporarily blocking the nerve signals that activate sweat glands, but the effect is temporary, so injections need to be repeated periodically. miraDry is fundamentally different. Botox temporarily turns down the signal to the sweat glands. miraDry eliminates many of the sweat glands themselves. Because destroyed sweat glands do not regenerate, miraDry is intended to produce lasting sweat reduction. For someone who doesn’t want repeated injections indefinitely, that distinction can be very important.

Surgical treatments for severe hyperhidrosis also exist, but surgery introduces an entirely different level of invasiveness and potential risk. miraDry provides a non-surgical approach specifically targeting the underarm sweat glands without incisions.

People sometimes assume that if you eliminate underarm sweat glands, the body must redirect that sweat somewhere else. That’s not how localized miraDry treatment works. Your body contains millions of sweat glands, and the underarms account for only a small portion of the total. You will continue sweating normally elsewhere; the purpose is to dramatically reduce unwanted sweating where it bothers you most.

There’s another interesting effect: the same microwave energy that targets sweat glands can also affect hair follicles. miraDry is FDA-cleared for permanent reduction of unwanted underarm hair, and in an FDA-reviewed clinical study, average underarm hair counts were reduced by approximately 75% at 12 months. That’s not why most patients come to us, but it can be a very welcome additional benefit.

At Allure Medical, we generally approach miraDry as a one- to two-treatment process, depending on your starting level of sweating and desired result. Many patients achieve substantial improvement after their first treatment; for a greater reduction, a second session can be performed after the area has healed.

miraDry is performed in the office. The underarms are numbed with local anesthetic, and the handpiece uses suction to position the tissue, delivers precisely controlled microwave energy, and simultaneously cools the surface of the skin. A typical appointment takes approximately an hour. Afterward, swelling, tenderness and temporary changes in sensation are expected, and common temporary effects can include bruising, numbness or tingling, and firmness or small lumps beneath the skin. These generally improve as the area heals.

Sweat glands that have been destroyed do not regenerate. For that reason, the reduction produced by miraDry is considered long-lasting and potentially permanent. That doesn’t mean every sweat gland in the underarm is eliminated, and we don’t promise that a patient will never perspire again. The goal is a lasting, meaningful reduction in underarm sweating.

miraDry has been FDA-cleared for underarm sweat reduction since 2011 and has been evaluated in multiple clinical studies. Most treatment effects are temporary, such as swelling, tenderness and altered sensation. Rare complications can occur, which is why miraDry should be performed by an appropriately trained medical practice with proper patient selection and follow-up. Experience and proper technique matter.

Some of the best medical treatments aren’t the ones that dramatically change how you look. They’re the ones that allow you to stop thinking about a problem. Put on the shirt you want. Raise your arms. Sit through the meeting. Give the presentation. Go on the date. Travel. Exercise. And don’t spend the entire time wondering whether everyone can see that you’re sweating.

Whether you have diagnosed underarm hyperhidrosis or you’re simply tired of being sweat bothered, miraDry may offer a lasting solution. We’ve been performing miraDry for more than a decade and have extensive experience helping patients determine whether it’s right for them. Less sweat. Less odor. Less worry. Schedule a miraDry consultation and find out whether it’s time to stop managing your underarm sweat and start treating its source.