A Safe, New Treatment for Excessive Sweating

March 29, 2014March 29, 2014 / carynjoan / 4 Comments

Hyperhidrosis isn’t easy, but let’s face it, neither are the common treatments. If you decide to use a heavy duty antiperspirant you have to apply it often. If you choose Botox®, you need to pay for a new treatment every 3 to 6 months. Then, if you decide to go a more permanent route like thermal liposuction, you run the risk of burning and damaging your skin, glands, or deeper tissues. There has to be another way doesn’t there? There is.

A pioneering new liposuction technique has been growing in popularity, and one of its uses is not for liposuction, but rather for hyperhidrosis. The procedure known as SAFELipo® has been recognized for exactly what its name implies: a safer alternative. When it comes to treating excessive sweating, it is also a safer method than some of the alternative permanent treatments, like thermal liposuction. This is because it doesn’t run the risk of burning your body.

So, how exactly does SAFELipo work? Basically, it treats hyperhidrosis by disrupting the apocrine glands in the armpits. The apocrine glands are the sweat and odor producing glands in the body.

Who is a candidate for SAFELipo? The procedure focuses on the patient’s armpit and breast areas, making it ideal for people with underarm (axillary) hyperhidrosis.

What sets SAFELipo apart from other treatments? The SAFELipo website explains that, “Thermal liposuction and Botox injections, two of the most commonly employed hyperhidrosis treatments, both have their drawbacks. Lipo can be effective, but thermal methods such as laser and smart liposuction can destroy vital tissues. Botox, while safer, only deactivates the sweat glands temporarily. SAFELipo offers the best of both worlds: permanent disruption and deactivation of the sweat glands without the risk of thermal injury.”

If you suffer from hyperhidrosis and want to learn more about whether SAFELipo can work for you, you’ll need to find a doctor that is qualified to perform the procedure. The easiest way is to utilize the “Find a Doctor” feature on the SAFELipo website. From here, you can easily select your location and browse providers in your state.

Hyperhidrosis is tough to live with, but luckily there are treatments such as SAFELipo that offer permanent solutions so we can live without it.

–guest post written by Mike Davis

Further Experiences with Iontophoresis- Success!

July 14, 2013July 13, 2013 / carynjoan / 21 Comments

Since my first treatment with the R.A. Fischer Iontophoresis device, I have been able to work the device myself without help. If you work the machine yourself, it will take 40 minutes, even if you are just treating your hands.

While by myself, I use one tray for my left foot and one tray for my left hand. I am then able to work the machine with my free right hand. After 20 minutes, I repeat with the right hand, using my left hand to work the machine.

Generally, I will only feel a little discomfort when using the device with the vibration sensation. However, I have felt pain during a few treatments. Sometimes my hands or feet will feel like they are burning. When this happens, I immediately decrease the milliamperes until I feel comfortable again.

The pain may be caused from excess tap water in the tray. The extra water by my wrists causes some pain and I noticed after the treatment that my skin near my wrist turned red and it was also itchy. After the first treatment, I even noticed a little swelling. The swelling went down within a few hours. I have also experienced a red line along the entire side of my hand, from where the water level rested. You can see this in the picture below. Don’t worry- the red irritation goes away. My hands were fine by the next morning.

R.A. Fischer president, Bill Schuler, suggests if switching charge midway through the treatment causes discomfort, I can switch every other treatment instead. So far, I haven’t had a problem switching mid-way through.

Bill also suggests that you use the machine every other day for the best results and that results are most commonly seen after 6-10 treatments. After that, I read that you may use the machine as needed, usually once every 2-4 weeks.

Although the NYC heat is doing its best to work against me, I am seeing results with the device. I have even tried to will myself to sweat and am unsuccessful. Is this too good to be true?

I still feel the same sensation as when my hands and feet did sweat. My hands and feet get very hot and tingly, but my palms and soles of my feet are dry. The sides of my fingers and feet will get clammy but I think that is because the water in the trays does not reach that area. This doesn’t really bother me. Also, I am happy to report that I have experienced no compensatory sweating from Iontophoresis!

I have finished initial treatments but I am going to keep an eye on my progress and will continue to devote my time to the machine when needed. I will keep you posted, but so far, I recommend this machine to people with HH!

All best,

Caryn

Irritation from the Iontophoresis device. This goes away fairly soon.

Sweat on Command

March 29, 2013March 29, 2013 / carynjoan / 14 Comments

Earlier this week, my boyfriend Francis was visiting me at my apartment.
We were in one of our silly moods and when we both noticed that my hands were dry, he challenged me to make them sweat.

I went silent.

Francis said, “You know- you should practice your super power.”

“Shhh- I’m concentrating.”

Within 10 short seconds, my hands were glistening with sweat.
“Here, feel” I said, as I put my hand on his arm.

Francis was pretty impressed. I was too.

I knew I could probably sweat on command, but I had never really tried it.

All I have to do is think about my hands getting warm and they start tingling.

I like how Francis called it my “super power.” I hope one day I can use my power for good.

If only I could control the sweat and make them dry on command.

Oh well- maybe with practice I can! 🙂

Happy Reading,

Caryn

Cheese and Sweat

March 8, 2013March 8, 2013 / carynjoan / 2 Comments

One of my favorite foods is cheese. I have always loved all types of cheese*, even if I have never heard of it or tasted it before.

Recently, cheese has become somewhat of a hobby for me.
I enjoy going to cheese shops downtown and watch it being made (free samples!). On Saturday’s, I go to the farmer’s market in Union Square for fresh cheese. For Christmas, Francis got me a mozzarella cheese making kit! We just made a 1 pound ball of mozzarella the other day. Long story short, I am really interested in learning all there is about cheese.

Three days ago, Francis challenged me to incorporate my love of cheese into a HH blog post.

My first response was an unconvinced, “Yeah right, maybe cheese reduces sweat.”

So, the next day, just for laughs, I googled: Cheese and sweat
The first website that came up was this:
http://www.sweatblock.com/foods-that-reduce-sweat/

What do you know! Cheese can reduce sweat!

Apparently, it’s the calcium in cheese that is a temperature regulator. Similar to drinking water, calcium will regulate your temperature and you will tend to sweat less.

Other calcium-rich foods to try are: low-fat yogurt, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, almonds, and baked beans. Check out the rest of that site for other foods that can reduce sweat including milk, fruits and veggies.

Thanks, Francis! Mission accomplished, achievement unlocked 🙂
More cheese for me!

Caryn