No sweat - just take a Botox jab

Botox, the popular injectable drug used to treat facial wrinkles, also does wonders for sweaty armpits, scientists have found.

Botox, the popular injectable drug used to treat facial wrinkles, also does wonders for sweaty armpits, scientists have found.

Researchers said the same chemical that tells facial muscles to freeze when injected into the skin also instructs sweat glands to stop functioning. They discovered that people who suffer from sweating so severely that it limits their daily activities can be helped with just one or two injections a year.

Dr Dee Ann Glaser, a dermatologist at St Louis University School of Medicine and one of the study's lead investigators, said: "It makes sense that Botox would work for both types of problems." In the year-long study of 322 patients, 75 percent reported improvement and the majority sweated less for an average of six months, she said.

California-based Allergan, which makes Botox, sponsored the study, which was presented yesterday at the American Academy of Dermatology's annual meeting.

Unlike cosmetic Botox shots, which are deep enough to penetrate muscle, the sweat-suppressing shots are superficial.

"It really is not very uncomfortable at all," Dr Glaser said. Costs for the treatment vary between $1,000 and $1,200 (£550-£650) a session and can offer relief for an average of six months.