BOTOX FOR SWEATING AT SEBASTIAN ROSE, CARDIFF
Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, is a medical condition, not a hygiene problem or a confidence issue. It affects roughly one to three people in every hundred, usually from adolescence onwards, and most of them never seek help for it.
At Sebastian Rose Medical Aesthetics, 39 Charles Street in Cardiff city centre, we treat it with botulinum toxin injections, often called Botox for sweating. Treatment for both underarms is £320 and for the face is £249, with other areas priced at your consultation. Results typically last four to six months.
Every treatment is carried out by GMC or NMC-registered medical professionals, after a face-to-face consultation at least 48 hours beforehand. We also use botulinum toxin for hayfever, migraines and teeth grinding: see all our health and wellness treatments.
WHAT IS HYPERHIDROSIS?
Hyperhidrosis means sweating well beyond what the body needs to regulate its temperature. It is not caused by anxiety, being unfit, or being overweight, and it is not a failure of hygiene — though people living with it are often told all four.
Primary focal hyperhidrosis is the common form. It typically begins in childhood or adolescence, affects specific areas on both sides of the body, and often runs in families.
Secondary hyperhidrosis is sweating caused by something else: a thyroid disorder, diabetes, an infection, the menopause, a medication, or occasionally something more serious. It tends to come on later in life, affects the whole body rather than specific areas, and often occurs at night.
This distinction matters, and it is the first thing we assess. If your sweating is generalised, started recently, wakes you at night, or comes with weight loss, fevers or feeling unwell, you need investigating by your GP before anything else. We will tell you that rather than treat you.
HOW BOTOX FOR SWEATING WORKS
Sweat glands are switched on by a chemical messenger called acetylcholine, released by the nerves supplying them. Botulinum toxin blocks that messenger from reaching the gland. The nerve signal arrives; the instruction is not received; the gland does not produce sweat.
The effect is confined to the area injected. Your body continues to regulate its temperature normally everywhere else — this is not a whole-body change, and it does not cause compensatory sweating elsewhere in the way that surgical treatments can.
How it is done
A grid of very small injections is placed just under the surface of the skin across the treatment area. Each injection is superficial and quick.
Where it is helpful, we use a starch-iodine test to map exactly where you are sweating before we treat. An iodine solution is applied, then a fine dusting of starch. Where you sweat, the area turns dark purple. It takes a few minutes, it is entirely painless, and it means we treat where you actually sweat rather than where we assume you do.
Timings
Sweating begins to reduce within two to seven days, and the full effect is reached at two to three weeks. Results typically last four to six months, and often longer in the underarms. Some patients get closer to nine or twelve months once they've had a few courses. Treatment doesn't cure hyperhidrosis, so it needs repeating when the sweating returns.
AREAS WE TREAT
Underarms: £320 for both underarms The most commonly treated area. Botulinum toxin is licensed in the UK for severe primary underarm sweating that hasn't responded to topical treatment, meaning this specific use has been formally assessed and approved by the regulator. Treatment takes around 20 minutes and discomfort is minimal.
Face, scalp and head sweating: £249 For sweating on the face, hairline or scalp that ruins your hair, makeup or glasses. The same area contains the muscles of facial expression, and inaccurate placement can affect eyebrow position or the forehead, so we plan it carefully at your consultation.
A note on the face and scalp: this is an off-label use of a licensed medicine. It is lawful, well established, widely practised and supported by evidence, but it's prescribed on your practitioner's clinical judgement rather than under the product's licence, and we'll explain that as part of your consent.
BEFORE YOU CONSIDER INJECTIONS
We are not going to pretend injections are the only option, or that they should be your first.
Prescription-strength antiperspirants.
Aluminium chloride preparations are considerably stronger than anything on the high street and work well for a good number of people. Applied correctly — to completely dry skin, at night — they are effective, cheap and worth trying properly first. Applied wrongly, they irritate and get abandoned, which is what usually happens.
Oral medication.
Anticholinergic tablets reduce sweating throughout the body. They work, but side effects — dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation — mean many people stop. Usually a GP conversation.
Your GP and the NHS.
Severe hyperhidrosis can be treated on the NHS, including with botulinum toxin in some areas, and you may be entitled to that. Access varies considerably and waiting times can be long — but you should know the route exists, and if we think it is the better option for you we will say so.
Surgery.
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is a last resort for severe cases, and it carries a real risk of compensatory sweating elsewhere on the body that can be worse than the original problem. It is not something to approach lightly.
Where injections fit: for most people, after topical treatment has been tried properly and failed, and where the sweating is affecting daily life. That is the point at which it is worth doing.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your consultation.
A face-to-face appointment in clinic with us at least 48 hours before treatment. We take a full history, establish whether this is primary or secondary hyperhidrosis, discuss what you have already tried, and decide together whether treatment is appropriate.
Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine and cannot be prescribed without this.
Treatment day.
Underarms take around twenty minutes; the face or scalp can take a little longer.
Afterwards.
Some redness and small bumps at the injection points, settling within a few hours. Mild tenderness for a day or two. Occasional bruising. No exercise, saunas or hot baths for 24 hours, and no antiperspirant on the treated area that day.
The results.
Reduction starting within a week, full effect at three weeks. Most people describe it as the first time in years they have not thought about it — which is, in the end, the point.
Common side effects: injection site discomfort, redness, small bumps, mild bruising, occasional headache.
Less common: a slight increase in sweating elsewhere as the body adjusts, and temporary muscle weakness near the treated area.
Rare: infection at an injection site, allergic reaction, and spread of effect beyond the treated area causing muscle weakness. Your practitioner will go through all of this and the MHRA warning on distant spread before you consent.
BOTOX FOR SWEATING FAQs
How much does Botox for sweating cost in Cardiff?
At Sebastian Rose in Cardiff, treatment for both underarms is £320 and treatment for the face or scalp is £249. A £50 deposit secures your treatment appointment and comes off the price.
Does Botox work for excessive sweating?
Yes. Botulinum toxin blocks the chemical messenger that switches on the sweat glands in the treated area, so they produce much less sweat. It is licensed in the UK for severe underarm sweating that hasn't responded to topical treatment. Treating the face or scalp is an off-label use, which we explain as part of your consent.
Can Botox treat facial and head sweating?
Yes. We treat sweating on the face, hairline and scalp that affects your hair, makeup or glasses. The same area contains the muscles of facial expression, so placement needs care, and we plan it at your consultation.
How long does Botox for sweating last?
Results typically last four to six months, and often longer in the underarms. Some people reach nine to twelve months after several courses.
How quickly does Botox for sweating work?
Sweating starts to reduce within two to seven days, with the full effect at two to three weeks.
Do I need a consultation before treatment?
Yes. Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine, so you need a face-to-face consultation in clinic at least 48 hours before treatment. We check whether your sweating has an underlying cause, what you've already tried, and whether treatment is right for you. Book a consultation.
Does Botox for sweating hurt?
Most people find it very tolerable, and underarm treatment takes around 20 minutes. We'll talk you through what to expect beforehand.
Will I sweat more somewhere else after treatment? Not in any significant way. Some people notice a small increase elsewhere as the body adjusts. This is different from the compensatory sweating that can follow surgery for hyperhidrosis.
Can I get Botox for sweating on the NHS?
Possibly, for severe cases. Availability and waiting times vary a lot by area. It's worth asking your GP, and we'll tell you if we think that's the better route for you.
Who carries out treatment at Sebastian Rose? GMC or NMC-registered medical professionals holding Level 7 in Aesthetic Medicine, with 24 years of healthcare experience including emergency medicine and over a decade in full-time medical aesthetics.
Where is the clinic?
Sebastian Rose Medical Aesthetics, 39 Charles Street, Cardiff, CF10 2GB, in Cardiff city centre, serving clients from across South Wales. Get directions and contact details.
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