Most people get sweaty palms when they have an interview, or see a police car behind them with its siren on. But when the sweat starts to interfere with activities, such as being able to hold onto objects or shake hands without embarrassment, this may be a symptom of hyperhydrosis. Hyperhydrosis is characterized by excessive sweating, more than can be accounted for by simple temperature regulation processes. The condition affects about three percent of the population, and can be a trigger of social phobia; and even though effective treatments exist, over a third of sufferers never consult a physician.

Hyperhydrosis can be classified as either generalized or focal. While generalized hyperhydrosis affects the entire body, and may signal an underlying disorder, focal hyperhydrosis is contained to specific part of the body, and is usually containable. Focal hyperhydrosis is frequently localized to the armpits, palms, feet, and groin. There is no known cause of the focal type, but genetics does seem to play a role, as the condition often runs in families. A UCLA study performed in 2002 reported that 65 percent of sufferers responding to a family history survey had family members with symptoms of the condition. The head researcher, Dr. Samuel S. Ahn, even recommended DNA testing to find and treat more people at risk for the disorder. (1)

Typically, a sufferer will first be given a strong antiperspirant consisting of high concentration of aluminium chloride. The concentration shown to help control hyperhydrosis is about twelve times that of regular antiperspirant, and is often effective within three weeks. A frequent side effect is skin irritation due to the strength of the aluminium chloride. Additionally, if treatment is stopped, excessive sweating will return. Botox (Botulinum toxin type A) has also been shown to be effective temporarily. The medication is injected into the sweat gland to keep it from functioning. (2)

If prescription drugs fail to control excessive sweating, a doctor may recommend surgery. The most common procedure, called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), involves destroying some of the nerves running through the upper chest. The surgery works particularly well for symptoms involving the armpits and palms. In the 1990s, minimally invasive techniques were developed, and now the procedure is normally performed on an outpatient basis. The major drawback with ETS is that once sweating has been reduced in the target area, compensatory sweating may occur in untreated parts of the body. This can result in patients being drenched as the body tries to regulate temperature. To reduce some of these effects, surgeons are trying different treatment locations, such as lower on the thorax, and alternative methods of destroying the nerve chain, like clamps instead of cutting.

By consulting with a physician once excessive sweating is having a continuing negative effect, those experiencing hyperhydrosis may be able to lead lives free from discomfort and embarrassment.

(1) University Of California – Los Angeles (2002, March 6). UCLA Study Finds Evidence That “Sweaty Palms” Syndrome Is Genetic And Underreported. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2002/03/020301071230.htm

(2) Haider, A; Solish N, Canadian Medical Association Journal, (January 2005). “Focal hyperhidrosis: diagnosis and management”. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC543948/?tool=pubmed

Cosmetic surgery is what people turn to when their outer beauty fails to reflect their inner beauty. While cosmetic surgery is surrounded by myths and stigmas, most modern procedures are designed to be natural looking and rejuvenating rather than transforming. Most people undergoing cosmetic surgery do not want to look totally different; they want to look like better versions of themselves.

In other words, for most patients these procedures are all about balancing. It can be hard to feel confident if you’re unhappy with what the world is seeing from the outside. These insecurities are common.  While cosmetic surgery isn’t always the answer, some people find that improving their outer beauty–even in small, subtle ways–makes them feel sexier, more beautiful, more confident and even more accomplished.

We live in a world that puts huge emphasis on physical appearance. How we look significantly impacts the first impression we make on others and also factors largely into how we view ourselves. There’s no shame in wanting to look better, just as there’s no shame in wanting to earn more money or be more intelligent. These are all important personal and social achievements that our world has taught us to value.

Some patients use cosmetic surgery to fight the effects of aging; they don’t want to look like a celebrity, they just want to look like themselves again. Other patients use surgery to enhance features that nature has neglected (like a misshapen nose or weak chin). For some, looking good is an important part of their jobs, and cosmetic surgery is an easy way to meet those expectations. For others, cosmetic surgery can be a new lease on life; a way to hide unsightly scars or to restore features that have been distorted in an unfortunate accident.

Some worry that wanting to change the exterior suggests they’re unhappy with who they are inside. They also worry society will judge them for wanting to change or they’ll be viewed as superficial. Such concerns are worth exploring.  Surgery does affect perception.  The goal is to create a positive change in perception, but there will always be a vocal minority who opposes surgical changes in appearance.

On the other hand, many have no qualms with cosmetic surgery. They view it as an easy way to upgrade their appearance or to get physical features they’ve always admired in others. For them, cosmetic surgery is a well-deserved reward with the added bonus of a confidence boost; it’s the ideal way to make their outer beauty match their inner beauty.

Plastic surgery is not just for keeping up appearances.  Check out a new way that plastic surgery is helping relieve a lot of headaches.

Migraines can be one of the most painful experiences that a person can possibly endure. Many people shut the bedroom door, turn the lights off and try to grit through the pain until it is over. There is now a new plastic surgery that has been discovered to practically eliminate migraines. Although cosmetic surgery is still a new idea, there have been patients that have suffered from ongoing migraine headaches that have used plastic surgery to eliminate the problem.

Dr. Bahman Guyuron, Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, discovered a normal plastic surgery process helped alleviate migraines by mere luck. A patient of his that came in for a checkup after a forehead lift notified the doctor that she not only was happy with how she looked, but also had not suffered from any migraines in the six months since her cosmetic surgery. There were other patients that suffered from migraines that underwent the same surgery that also had the same results.

A study that was performed enlisted seventy-five patients that suffered from moderate to extreme migraine headaches. The patients were injected with Botox into the trigger sites of the forehead, cheek and back of the head and neck. Patients who trigger sites reacted to the Botox, underwent plastic surgery to remove them. The surgery performed depended upon which of the trigger spots that was stimulated. Patients that endured forehead headaches had the frowning muscles removed. Patients that had problems with temple headaches received a surgery on a small nerve that also lifted the eyebrows as well. The patients with a back of the head trigger, had a procedure performed that deducted a small quantity of muscle around the occipital nerve, it was substituted with fatty tissue that protected the nerve from being squelched by the muscle.

Michelle Cramer, one of the patients involved in the study, suffered from approximately fifteen migraine headaches per month. She is very happy with the results, her frown lines are now gone and she no longer anguishes with excessive monthly migraines. She now declares that she usually has just two migraines per year. She is just one of the patients that are very satisfied with the surgery performed on them in the experimental study. There are a reportedly thirty million Americans that have migraine headaches. This study gives many of them hope that they may be able to overcome the obstacle of debilitating migraine headaches.

Approximately one year after the experimental cosmetic surgeries, 84% of patients described a 50% decrease in migraines. There were 57% of the patients that declared that the migraine headaches had vanished completely. There should be another test performed to back up this study and this surgery should really be reserved for patients that anguish from severe pain of migraines.