Do You Have a Genetic Predisposition to Excessive Sweating? Ask Your Dermatologist About Iontophoresis Treatments

Do You Have a Genetic Predisposition to Excessive Sweating? Ask Your Dermatologist About Iontophoresis Treatments

Health and Fitness June 13, 2017

Iontophoresis machines

Have you been searching for an effective way to control excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis? While sweating is necessary in order to protect the body from overheating, excessive sweating can be considerably uncomfortable and cause embarrassment for many individuals.

While men as well as women experience this condition equally, it is most common with individuals between the ages of 25 to 64. Currently, there are approximately 8 million people in the United States with this condition. The most common cause is primary focal hyperhidrosis, which affects approximately 1% to 3% of the population.

Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition to hyperhidrosis. This will usually be apparent when they have 1 or more family members that are also afflicted with this condition. A recent survey showed that this was the case for 30% to 50% of the individuals that responded.

Regular iontophoresis treatments with an iontophoresis machine have been known to help with excessive sweating. Iontophoresis is referred to as a “no-sweat machine,” and it was initially used for this purpose more than 50 years ago.

When someone has severe hyperhidrosis, they may initially need 2 to 3 treatments a week. In general, it will take 6 to 10 treatments on the iontophoresis machine in order to shut down the sweat glands. Each session will generally last between 10 and 20 minutes.

If you’ve had this condition for a while, it may have been affecting you in a variety of ways. A recent survey with hyperhidrosis patients revealed that 90% of these individuals were affected emotionally by their condition. Furthermore, most of these patients also reported that it affected their confidence levels.

Since you will need a prescription in order to purchase an iontophoresis machine, be sure to schedule an appointment with your dermatologist to learn more about the benefits of this device. Your dermatologist will inform you that having an iontophoresis treatment is a painless and non-invasive way to stop hyperhidrosis. Given that sweating excessively is uncomfortable on multiple levels, having this treatment option can make a significant difference in your quality of life and state-of-mind.