DALLAS – , a condition that affects an estimated 1.4% people in the United States.
“Newer treatments such as microwave technology, botulinum toxin injections, and lasers have emerged as effective methods,” lead study author Bruce E. Katz, MD, who directs the Juva Skin & Laser Center in New York, said at the annual conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Inc.
In a prospective pilot study, Dr. Katz and his associates examined the use of a noninvasive 1060-nm diode laser (SculpSure, Cynosure) in 10 subjects with moderate to severe hyperhidrosis of the axilla, which was defined as having Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) scores of 3 or 4. The subjects, whose mean age was 42 years, received two laser treatments on the axillary area at 6-week intervals, and the researchers performed starch iodine tests and took two-dimensional photography of the axilla before and after treatment. Subjects were asked to rate their conditions on the HDSS and satisfaction with treatment. Two blinded dermatologist evaluators graded the reduction in sweat production on photos of starch iodine tests. The researchers also performed a retrospective analysis on all subjects to assess safety and efficacy of treatment.
Courtesy Dr. Bruce E. Katz
The starch iodine test at baseline showed significant sweating in this subject.
The 1060-nm diode laser used for the study features four flat, nonsuction applicators. Dr. Katz and his associates positioned two applicators on the axilla simultaneously for 25 minutes. “The 1060-nm wavelength has minimal absorption in the melanin, so we can really treat any skin type,” he said. “It has a high affinity for adipose tissue, and we believe that its targeted effect at the level of the eccrine and apocrine glands should help improve hyperhidrosis. It works by elevating the tissue temperature to about 42 to 47 degrees Centigrade, without damaging surrounding tissue. The device has a sapphire cooling plate, so it’s comfortable for the patient.”
Courtesy Dr. Bruce E. Katz
The clear axilla at 1 year post treatment shows the lack of sweating.