You glow girl…

Ready to bin the antiperspirant? Its the BIG DAY! You’re a bit anxious, it’s a hot day, you’re nervous... worried about soggy armpits?

No need to worry! Dermatologists have developed a non-surgical treatment using Botox to stop the sweat. A little perspiration is normal and healthy too, and you can easily deal with normal sweating with all the different potions to stop it.

Do I need to add this is not medical advice? I am an academically qualified photographer, not a doctor, so please don’t print this off and demand treatment for hyperhidrosis. You need to get proper health advice before any surgical intervention or treatment, however as this is a real problem for real Irish brides and Irish grooms, so I will continue with that cleared up....

In 2004, Botox was approved for the treatment of underarm hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating. A doctor makes a series of small injections of Botox, which paralyze the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. For most people, sweating is decreased in 24 to 72 hours, with an even greater reduction of sweating 4 weeks after the first treatment. Studies show that Botox injections are most effective in treating excessive sweating in the underarms, but less effective as a treatment on the face, feet and hands.

Botox is a substance derived from the toxin botulinum. I’m reading from the Wikipedia website here; “was first applied tiny doses of the toxin in a medicinal sense to treat crossed eyes and uncontrollable blinking.” Then patients began reporting that these same injections around the eyes and forehead prevented them from creating frown lines and a new use was born!

Will it hurt? Oooh yes, it hurts! A couple of years ago, I got my lips done; if you have ever had an injection in a sensitive area you'll know - its like the stings of a 1,000 sadistic bees in the same tiny vicinity of skin! Remember that we’re looking at a load of shots so, it is sore, but only for a few minutes and the pain doesn’t last.

Most people, who have underarm Botox injections immediately recover, but the hands, face and feet are more sensitive and may require some people to be put under general anaesthesia. Bruising at the site of the procedure is possible with any type of injection, including Botox, but more common side effects are infection, temporary paralysis, headache, fever, neck or back aches and itching, pain and/or bleeding at the injection site.

Since your doctor pays about €500 for a small vial of Botox, your procedure should be about €250-€500 for each area injected. During each session, multiple injections are given in an attempt to cover the entire affected area. The effects last from four to six months.

So if you want to bin the deoderant for life and never use Sure, or suffer the Lynx effect again: you face the same cost two or three times a year for treatment…