Iontophoresis

Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by excessive sweating that is not caused because of heat or exercise. This condition affects almost 3% of the world population.

For some people, it can completely disappear over the years, but for some, it can get worse. There isn't a cure for hyperhidrosis discovered yet, but there are treatments that can help patients sweat less.

Learn more about excessive sweating types, symptoms, and diagnosis on our hyperhidrosis page.

What is iontophoresis?

It is an excessive sweating treatment. The device delivers electrical currents through the tap water to your skin and stimulates your sweat glands.

The electrical current changes the way your nerves send signals to your sweat glands and causes sweat reduction. To start the treatment, you need to submerge affected body parts in the tap water.

What can you use iontophoresis for?

Generally, tap water is used for the treatment of craniofacial, palmoplantar hyperhidrosis, and axillary hyperhidrosis. But, some people can use it in combination with prescribed medications or drugs that are also used for excessive sweating treatment.

The treatment can also serve athletes in physical therapy. It can be used for improving grip function, treating sports injuries like athlete's foot, heel pain, and other deeper tissues related injuries. In these cases, anti-inflammatory medicine and drugs can be added to the water.

How does iontophoresis work?

It is a simple and painless treatment. Unlike other treatments for hyperhidrosis, it usually doesn't have any side effects or mild in some cases. The machine consists of a weak power source with an adjustable current. The power source is connected to a water bath where you place your hands or feet.

To start with your treatment, you need to turn the power on and place your feet or hands in two water baths. Or, you can place wet electrodes in the underarm area so you can treat the sweating of the underarms.

A treatment session lasts for 20-40 minutes. Some of our customers noticed reduced sweating after a few treatments. Usually, it takes about 8-12 treatments (one per day, or once every second day) to reach the full effect.

YouTube video

EXPLORE HIDROXA SE 20

When you achieve the full effect of the treatment, you need to proceed with continuous treatments. For continuous treatments, we recommend that you use the machine about 1-4 times a month (varies a lot from person to person).

Even after you achieve your desired results, you have to be persistent with continuous treatments, or the effect will decrease.

Who can use the iontophoresis device?

The treatment is an excellent alternative for you if you:

• Don't have access to sweat clinics in your area
• Want a cheaper alternative to continuous injection treatments
• Don't want to experience muscle weakness as a side effect
• Have a fear of needles and surgery
• Don't want to travel often to receive treatment
• Are an athlete that wants to sweat reduction to positively affect your performance

You shouldn't use the treatment if:

• You're pregnant. The treatment was not tested on pregnant women, and it is not advised to use it during pregnancy. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, is not a contraindication.
• You have a pacemaker or some metal implant in the body in the path of the current

Contact us if you want to be certain.

Side effects

Clinical studies show that it is an effective and safe treatment for plantar, axillary, and palmar hyperhidrosis with minimal side effects. [3]

The most common side effect is increased dryness of the skin. This can be treated with different moisturizers that you can apply to the skin after each session.

Other side effects that are not common as dryness are:

• Skin peeling
• Blistering
• Irritation

Does iontophoresis really work?

Even though it is a successful and non-invasive treatment option, you might wonder if it really works. As an machine reseller, we often get questions from our customers like:

“I have tried so much before, and nothing worked. Can this really work?”
“Water and electricity combined. Is that safe?”
“How can a machine that uses water affect my sweating condition?”

There have been researches done by many medical institutes and hospitals, which prove that it can be convenient for patients with palmoplantar hyperhidrosis for the most part, but also for the axillary hyperhidrosis patients. Iontophoresis has been used as a treatment option for plantar and/or palmar hyperhidrosis since 1952.

In the same year, a study on the treatment performance was conducted. 85% of the people that participated saw improvement in their sweat reduction after tap water treatment. [4]

In a recent study, 29 patients with severe palmar hyperhidrosis were enrolled in the study in two groups A and B. Group A received active treatments. Group B received sham treatment. The participants performed the study for 20 minutes, five times a week, for a duration of 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, 27 patients completed the treatment.

• 92.9% of patients treated saw improvements in sweat reduction after one week of treatment. After 2 weeks and a completed study - the sweat secretion rate was reduced by 91.8% for patients from group A treated with iontophoresis, and 39.1% for patients that performed the sham treatment. [1]
• 76.8% of patients reported that their life quality has improved after they started to perform the treatment. [1]
• It usually takes 6-15 treatments for patients to start noticing effects. [2]
• Iontophoresis is an alternative treatment for axillary and palmoplantar hyperhidrosis, that needs to be done few times a week initially, and in case of no effect, Hidroxa offers a right to return the machine as mentioned in the Oslo University hospital hyperhidrosis eBook. [6]

We understand that each individual has their own experience, so that's why we at Hidroxa give you a 50-day trial period for the device, with the right to withdraw from the sale.

You can test the Hidroxa SE 20 machine to see if it fits you, and decide if you're satisfied with the results. It is a successful treatment when used regularly, so it's important for you to stay motivated to use the machine after you achieve the full effect to maintain your condition.

Unfortunately, despite hyperhidrosis being a serious condition making life harder for millions of people, it still isn't prioritized in healthcare. We have personally experienced how difficult it can't be to find clinics that offer treatment for hyperhidrosis.

This method is often forgotten. Even by doctors that are working with patients that have hyperhidrosis. We at Hidroxa are trying to bring back the knowledge about this excellent treatment method to the health care personnel and clinics.

That's why we were motivated to provide everyone with the opportunity for treatment. With the Hidroxa SE 20 machine, you can do the treatment in the comfort of your own home. Our customers who struggled to find the right sweat clinic reported that being able to treat their condition at home helped them control their hyperhidrosis, and improve their life quality.

Is the treatment going to cure my sweating condition?

There isn't a cure for hyperhidrosis discovered yet, but treatment like this one can help to control the condition effectively. People don't often recognize that their problem can be treatable, or often use products that are not medically approved and non-effective. Before starting any type of treatment, medication, or drug, you should contact your doctor or dermatologist to see if there are any contraindications that might be an obstacle.

Is the treatment painful?

It doesn't hurt to use the treatment, but a minority of people experience itching or tingling feelings. The closest feeling to that is like when you put a tongue on a battery. Some people may describe it as a slight discomfort but it depends on the current density.

Thus, it is a subjective feeling. We always suggest that you start the treatment with a low current, and then increase the current density slowly.

If you have cuts or wounds on the skin of the area that you are planning to treat, make sure that you cover them with a thick layer of Vaseline or another type of petroleum jelly. Some machines like Hidroxa offer a constant current and pulsed current mode, and with the pulsed current, you can reduce possible discomfort.

How does the treatment procedure look?

In general, you place your hands or feet in containers with tap water or put electrodes for axillary hyperhidrosis treatment under your arms. If the tap water in your area doesn't have enough electrolytes to provide enough current level to reach your skin, you can add a teaspoon of salt into the water of each container.

The treatment can last 20-40 minutes depending on your sweat level. The treatment is normally repeated 3-5 times a week, and once you achieve desired results, you can switch to a maintenance mode which consists of 1-2 treatments per week.

Hidroxa is the only company based in Sweden that provides iontophoresis devices (Hidroxa SE20)