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MiraDry

MiraDry is a safe and effective treatment for permanently managing excessive underarm sweating known as axillary hyperhidrosis. MiraDry delivers electromagnetic energy to the sweat glands using a specially designed handpiece. Super high energy is focused to the area where sweat glands are located & destroys them. 

Key Points

  • MiraDry uses electromagnetic waves to destroy sweat glands 
  • Up to 80+% PERMANENT reduction in sweating can be experienced after 2 treatments
  • Recovery from MiraDry is approximately one week
  • Suitable candidates should have a good layer of axillary fat
  • Treatments are safe, effective, permanent and take less than 60 minutes to perform
  • miraDry can treat underarm sweat, odor and hair
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MiraDry at a glance

Best outcomes: 2 sessions
Procedure time: 120 minutes 
Duration of results: Potentially permanent
Back to work: 5-8 days 
Recovery: 1-20 weeks
Anaesthetic: Local
Your specialist: Dermatologist
How much: $$$$

FAQs

Who is a suitable candidate?

Patients who suffer from excessive underarm sweating that is not responsive to anti-sweat injections & topicals who also have a good buffer zone of fat (read more to understand).

What is the cost?

The initial treatment is $3,090.  If  a second session is required, the second treatment cost is $2000.

MiraDry is the first and only FDA cleared procedure to permanently reduce excessive sweat. This simple procedure can permanently remove 80% of sweat glands. Most cases only require one treatment.

What does MiraDry treatment entail?

There are three steps to the procedure:

  1. Your axillary vault (armpit) is numbed with local anaesthesia.
  2. The miraDry handpiece is placed in the marked areas of sweating. A vacuum suction draws the sweat glands closer to the surface to protect deeper tissue. Electromagnetic energy is delivered through the skin which penetrates the skin to the sweat glands destroying them.  
  3. You should experience a mild reduction in axillary sweat after one treatment with miraDry

Are There Any MiraDry Side Effects?

Temporary side effects like swelling, localized discomfort, and changes in skin sensation around the armpits and/or upper arms may arise. However, these effects are generally manageable and tend to subside on their own.

Our dermatologists were the first in Australia to use this treatment in 2015, so you can rest assured our team is highly trained and experienced.

How effective is MiraDry?

After two sessions, up to 80% PERMANENT reduction in underarm sweating can be expected. 88% of patients also reported that they were no longer bothered by odor at 12 months*.

The efficacy is directly proportional to the treatment level, which is in turn proportional to the side effects.

*Long-term Efficacy and Quality of Life Assessment for Treatment of Axillary Hyperhidrosis With a Microwave Device. Mark Lupin, MD et al; Dermatol Surg 2014; 40: 805-807

What has treatment levels got to do with how good the results are?

The higher the treatment level, the more intense the MiraDry treatment, the better the outcome. There are a few clinics in Australia that nuke the axilla with treatment level 5 (highest setting) from the start. Whilst this super high setting has the highest success rate, it also has the highest side effect rate (hence why you signed the consent form).

What is the pain like?

Patients should be comfortable while the MiraDry procedure is performed under local anaesthesia. During the procedure, most people experience some pressure & light pulling on the skin, with some sensations of warmth. There may be an occasional “hot spot” that lasts a few minutes.

How can you treat nerve pain secondary to MiraDry?

Fortunately, most cases resolve within 6 months. Permanent nerve damage is rare. Your doctor will assess the severity and discuss your dose & side effects.

Does MiraDry treat sweating in other areas?

No, however there is rumour that MiraDry 2 will be out in 2022. There have been attempts to manufacture a device for excessive sweating of the hands, however this is hampered with anatomy & complexity of the hands, namely nerves in the area. 

Products

Medik8 Physical Sunscreen SPF50+
$69.00

Dermaceutic All Things Pigment 21 Day Kit
$154.00

Electromagnetic radiation can be an effective method of destroying sweat glands. Results can be permanent, however patients must be aware of the potential side effects of this treatment. 

What are other treatment options?

Other treatment options for underarm sweating include- 

  • Injections: Medicare subsidised, very safe, with 96% clinical efficacy. 
  • ETS or endoscopic thoracic symphectomy: higher rate of success, best for hands & underarms. Apart from compensatory sweating, the side effects are probably less than MiraDry. 57
  • Antiperspirants: including aluminium chloride can be effective for mild cases of underarm sweating.

Which patients are not great MiraDry candidates?

This is what marketing does not tell you. Poor candidates for MiraDry are those who-

  • Have a low body fat percentage especially of the underarms. Sweat glands are in the subcutaneous fat. The lower the buffer zone the higher the side effects. 
  • Those who have had a good to excellent response to injections. With injections, underarm sweating is turned off, like a tap. MiraDry at best reduces the flow by 50-70%.
  • Patients who require manual dexterity for work, including tradesmen & women, anyone in the medical field… ask your doctor if he or she would have MiraDry themselves AND what are the consequences of nerve damage pertaining to their job. 
  • Those with stress related sweating will have minimal outcomes with MiraDry. This is because the remaining 20-30% of sweat glands can compensate 10-fold. Patients should be screened for this PRIOR to MiraDry treatment. 

Can MiraDry reduce body odour?

Yes, MiraDry has been reported to help reduce BO due to apocrine gland destruction. 

Treatments for BO include hygiene & topical antibacterial agents, drying agents, & injections. Surgical treatments include liposuction curettage, deep liposuction curettage, & ETS surgery. 

What is emotional sweating & why does MiraDry fail to treat this?

There are 3 main patterns of sweating. Firstly, primarily axillary hyperhidrosis without stress associated with sweating. Essentially you sweat because you sweat, no matter what the season & situation. 

Secondly, a combination of the above WITH added stress. Stress & emotional turn up sweating to the next level. 

Thirdly, you have background sweating, but it’s upped a few levels with emotion & stress. If you have pattern two & three, MiraDry will most likely not work. The explanation is as follows- 

What is our disclaimer?

Our dermatologists were the very first trained in MiraDry well before the TGA approval. We helped launch MiraDry in Australia, & we have treated well over a hundred patients over 4 years. We have also published papers on the efficacy of electromagnetic description of sweat glands, & we thoroughly understand the side effects of this treatment. 

Who to see for treatments if you are set on MiraDry?

The clinic in Brisbane that will preselect patients based upon risks is The Cosmetic Centre in Toowong. For Sydney & Melbourne, the clinic of choice is Laser Dermatology in Box Hill. 

Ask us more about this treatment