How can I prevent head sweating?
In the case of secondary hyperhidrosis, the cause should be fought first and foremost. In most cases this means an adequate adjustment of the hormones. However, if sweating occurs idiopathically – for unknown reasons – a change in diet can help.
Frequent small meals instead of rare large meals, as well as a healthy diet and above all the renunciation of stimulants such as nicotine, alcohol and coffee. A weight reduction can also help, since obesity causes increased sweating. Alternating baths (cold and warm) and avoiding stress and tension can also have positive effects.
In addition to conservative methods, there are also some more radical therapies such as the application of ointments with aluminium salts, astringents (tanning agents), antihydral, urotropin, glycopyrronium bromide or AHC20. Both of these methods more or less close the exit of the sweat gland and thus prevent its secretion. Other possibilities are the intake of medications and herbal remedies, such as sage.
In the case of very severe hyperhidrosis, treatment with botulinum toxin (Botox) is also an option.Drug treatment of hyperhidrosis can include anticholinergics, psychotropic drugs or beta-blockers. The signal transmission to the eccrine sweat glands is effected by the messenger substance “acetylcholine“. This is also where the so-called anticholinergics, such as methanthelinium bromide, boron aprine hydrochloride or atropine, take effect.
These medicines work accordingly particularly with increased sweating caused by eccrine glands. Against sweating by smell glands help against it above all psychotropic drugs, which should be prescribed however because of the many side effects only by a psychiatrist. These drugs suppress emotional stress situations and thus reduce the activation of the glands by adrenaline.
Also blood pressure lowering drugs, such as beta-blockers, can have positive effects in individual cases. However, since there is hardly any scientific evidence of this, these are rarely prescribed against sweating. Another possibility is the intake of herbal remedies, such as sage or valerian.
At this point, however, it should be mentioned that there are only studies for anticholinergics that confirm the clear effect, which is why only these drugs are regularly prescribed for hyperhidrosis. In principle, homeopathy is possible for hyperhidrosis. There are some individual reports of successful treatment with globules.
In this case, however, a homeopath or alternative practitioner should be consulted, as the choice of globules can vary greatly depending on the patient’s medical history and diagnosis, and there is a huge selection of different ingredients and concentrations. An experienced homeopath is therefore the prerequisite for a possibly successful treatment. Although there are some suppliers whose shampoos are supposed to reduce increased sweating on the head, opinions are divided on the effects and side effects.
An alternative to chemical shampoos against sweating is offered by care products containing sage. Sage can reduce sweat production both when taken orally and when applied locally. Another important aspect is that frequent hair washing can cause increased sweating and therefore care should always be taken not to wash hair too frequently despite increased sweating.
An injection of botulinoma toxin A is an invasive measure for hyperhidrosis. Botox prevents the signal transmission of acetylcholine to the sweat gland, which is why there is no secretion. In this procedure, the injection needle must be inserted as often as possible to eliminate as many sweat glands as possible.
The full effect usually occurs after two weeks at the latest and lasts for several months. The treatment can then be repeated. The procedure is very effective because botulinum toxin is a very effective and toxic substance.
Therefore, the toxin is only injected into the uppermost layer of the skin to avoid paralysis or intoxication. Acupuncture is a procedure from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been used for centuries. Treatment is also possible for hyperhidrosis.
Especially when conventional methods do not show any effect, acupuncture can be very helpful. Unfortunately, however, this treatment is not covered by health insurance, as there is no solid evidence of its effect on hyperhidrosis. The experience reports of individual patients differ in the results. If acupuncture is considered, it is advisable, as in homeopathy, to consult an experienced TCM therapist or physician, as the chances of success increase immensely.
