Health Team

Simple laser treatment reduces excessive sweating

A laser treatment recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is effective at reducing excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis.

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A hot, summer day is especially uncomfortable for someone such as Amearah Abuassi.

The 20-year-old suffers from a condition called hyperhidrosis, or excessive perspiration.

“I would always have to watch my clothes,” she said. “If I had to put my hands up, I tried not to because there (would) always a stain there, ruining all of my clothes. It was really bad.”

She's hoping a new procedure approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called Precision TX finally stops her sweating for good.

During the procedure, surgeons insert a laser fiber in the patient's underarm. The laser shoots energy and heat at the undersurface of the skin.

“We make a tiny incision – in fact, so small that we don't even put a stitch in – and the laser fires and reduces the number of active sweat glands,” said Dr. Bruce Katz of the Juva Skin & Laser Center in New York.

One procedure is all it takes. Research shows that six months later, 80 percent of patients have had a significant reduction in sweating.

“It is local anesthetic, so the patients awake and they can go right back to work after,” Katz said. “In terms of side effects, they have a little swelling and bruising, and that is it.”

The treatment costs about $3,000, and insurance does not cover it.

Since Abuassi had her procedure, she's had to deal with some very hot days. She’s looking forward to enjoying the rest of the summer without sweating it out.

“We were in the 90s, 100s almost, and it was perfect,” she said. “No sweating.”

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