Aesthetic medicine · Cape Town
Hyperhidrosis Treatment
Relief from excessive sweating
From R8 00090 min
What it is
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating well beyond what the body needs for temperature control. Botulinum toxin, injected just under the skin across the affected area, blocks the chemical signal that tells sweat glands to activate — reducing sweating in that area by around eighty per cent for several months.
This is a medical treatment rather than a cosmetic one, and for many patients it is genuinely life-changing: the end of ruined shirts, of planning outfits around sweat marks, and of avoiding handshakes.
Who it’s for
Anyone whose sweating interferes with work, clothing choices or confidence, and who has found clinical-strength antiperspirants insufficient.
Most commonly treated areas are the underarms, palms and soles. Treatment is also popular ahead of a Cape Town summer or a wedding.
The benefits
- Reduces sweating in the treated area by around 80%
- Lasts four to six months, often longer than facial treatment
- Ends sweat marks on clothing
- A genuine improvement in day-to-day confidence
- Quick appointment with no recovery period
- Well established, with decades of medical use
What to expect
The process
Every appointment follows the same considered sequence, so you always know what is coming next.
Step 1
Consultation and assessment
Dr Allison confirms the diagnosis, rules out secondary causes of excessive sweating, and reviews what you've already tried. Where useful, a starch-iodine test is used to map exactly where the sweating is most active.
Step 2
Cleanse, map and numb
The area is cleansed and injection points marked out in a grid roughly one to two centimetres apart. Topical anaesthetic or ice is used, which matters most for palms and soles — the underarms need very little.
Step 3
Treatment
A large number of small, very superficial injections is placed across the mapped area. Each takes a second. Underarms take around fifteen minutes in total; palms take longer and are more sensitive.
Step 4
Aftercare
You can return to normal activity straight away. Avoid antiperspirant, hot showers and heavy exercise for twenty-four hours. Sweating reduces progressively over the following week.
Step 5
Review
You're reviewed at two to four weeks to confirm the reduction and treat any patches that remain active.
Downtime & aftercare
What to plan for
- Downtime
- None
- Results visible in
- 2–14 days
- Results last
- 4–6 months
You are welcome to contact the practice at any point if something doesn’t look or feel as expected. Individual responses vary — what to expect for your skin is discussed at your consultation.
Pricing
| Treatment | Duration | From |
|---|---|---|
| Underarms (both) | 90 min | R8 000 |
Prices are a guide and start from the amounts shown. Final pricing depends on the product and quantity your treatment plan calls for, and is confirmed at your consultation before anything goes ahead.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
The questions patients ask most often about hyperhidrosis treatment. If yours isn't here, ask us on WhatsApp — we're happy to answer before you book.
Excessive sweating beyond the body's thermoregulatory needs. Primary hyperhidrosis usually starts in adolescence and affects specific areas symmetrically; secondary hyperhidrosis has an underlying medical cause, which is screened for at consultation.
Botulinum toxin blocks acetylcholine, the chemical messenger that instructs sweat glands to produce sweat. Injected just beneath the skin across the affected area, it switches off that signal locally while leaving the rest of the body's sweating entirely normal.
Underarms are very manageable — the injections are superficial and quick. Palms and soles are considerably more sensitive, so ice and topical anaesthetic are used and the appointment is scheduled with extra time.
Hyperhidrosis needs substantially more product than facial treatment, which is why it costs more. Pricing starts from R6 500 for both underarms, confirmed at consultation once the treatment area is mapped.
Most patients notice a marked reduction within two to seven days, with the full effect by two weeks. Your review is booked accordingly.
Typically four to six months, and often longer than facial anti-wrinkle treatment. Many patients time a single treatment for the start of summer and find it carries them through the hottest months.
Compensatory sweating in other areas is occasionally reported but is uncommon and generally mild — unlike after surgical sympathectomy. The rest of your body continues to regulate temperature normally.
Some schemes contribute towards hyperhidrosis treatment where it is documented as a medical condition rather than a cosmetic request. We can provide a detailed invoice and clinical notes to submit, though approval is entirely at your scheme's discretion.
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Ready when you are
Considering hyperhidrosis treatment?
Book a consultation and we'll talk it through properly — what it can realistically achieve for you, what it will cost, and whether it's the right treatment at all.