MiraDry treatment. Picture: Miramar Labs
Sweating is one of the body’s most natural functions and is a way of cooling down while also expelling impurities and maintaining the skin’s youthful appearance.
Yet for all its awesome benefits, excessive sweating can be quite embarrassing, especially when it’s so severe that clothing can’t conceal it.
And that’s not even taking into account the unpleasant odour it almost always leaves behind. Sometimes the odour even cuts through that roll-on you trusted to give you 28-hours protection and freshness.
Picture: iStock
Until recently, the most well-known solution was to get botox administered to parts of the body that sweat the most.
While botox shots have proven quite successful, needles are not everyone’s cup of tea. But now all those needle-phobic members of that not so exclusive sweaty social circle can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
That’s because internationally renowned Joburg-based anti-ageing and medical aesthetic specialist Dr Reza Mia has become the first medical cosmetic expert in South Africa to introduce an equally efficacious therapy that does not include needles.
Dr Reza Mia
Performed at his Houghton facility, Dr Reza positions the patient under his MiraDry machine, which uses thermal energy to eliminate the overactive sweat gland problem and assist with odour control.
The MiraDry machine specifically targets the underarms but, as Dr Reza explained, could also be used on other areas like the head, hands and feet.
Depending on the extent of sweating, patients may need more than one session with the MiraDry, which Dr Reza will determine after a careful consultation and examination. As with most medical treatments, progress will be measured over a period of time. Again, this depends on the severity of the sweating problem and is done at the discretion of the doctor.
MiraDry machine
Dr Reza said MiraDry yielded quick and effective effective results with none of the discomfort of needle therapy. However, a concern may be whether it is all right to suppress your body’s sweat glands, especially under the arms, which is in close proximity to some of the major organs.
The inventors of the technology explained that underarm sweat is from only 2% of the glands in the entire body and, therefore, it would not negatively affect the body.
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