Sweat tends to pool and stick more to skin with hair than without, leaving an unpleasant odor in its wake. Laser hair removal treatments effectively destroy both sweat glands and targeted hair follicles at once for long-term solutions.
However, this treatment does not directly target sweat glands in the underarm region but does significantly decrease odor.
Eccrine glands
Eccrine glands, which produce sweat, have been present since birth. They serve a dual role of thermoregulation and emotion regulation; when body temperatures spike due to exercise, high ambient temperatures or fever, eccrine glands secrete sweat that evaporates over the skin surface to cool it down. While sweat contains small amounts of salts (mainly sodium chloride and chloride ions), normally these ions are reabsorbe by epithelial linings within sweat ducts that absorb them back out resulting in less saltier sweat; however individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis have impaired chloride reabsorption mechanisms thus leading to saltier sweat.
Eccrine sweat lacks any scent; rather it’s caused by bacteria decomposing apocrine sweat’s unique composition of fatty acids and proteins.
Sweat glands are comprised of epithelial cell buds that proliferate within the underlying mesenchyme and coil to form sweat ducts. Each gland consists of an inner layer of secretory cells and an outer layer of myoepithelial cells; with light pink staining secretory cells being located closer to their respective myoepithelial cell layers while dark pink-staining ducts contain double layer cuboidal cell receptacles which reabsorb ions back.
Apocrine glands, formed from embryonic ectoderm, first appear during gestation during the fourth month and rapidly spread across the entire body shortly after birth. Active during hot and humid weather, Apocrine glands also contribute to emotional sweating brought on by stress, fear, or pain; their smell results from Brevibacterium linens bacteria present.
Recent research demonstrated that laser hair removal treatment significantly decreased axillary hyperhidrosis during a clinical trial. Six subjects suffering from hyperhidrosis underwent monthly laser hair removal sessions using 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser technology; these were assessed with subjective sweat evaluation instruments as well as punch biopsies performed at the beginning, after each laser session and again one month post-laser session; results demonstrated reduced sweating throughout their axilla after laser hair removal, with these benefits lasting a full year after their final session had finished.
Apocrine glands
Apocrine glands are sweat glands associated with hair follicles. They are commonly found in skin areas like the axilla, areola, nipples and perianal region as well as the groin area and external genitals, producing viscous milky secretions rich in proteins, fats and steroids that is released through hair follicles – unlike their counterpart eccrine glands which release their secretions onto the surface of skin surface – producing their distinct smell due to large number of odor-producing compounds known as pheromones present within their secretions pheromones present within their secretions.
Traditionally, apocrine and eccrine glands were differentiated by their relationship to hair follicles; that is, either opening into them directly, or not at all; this distinction has since been dropped as it’s believed both types of sweat glands open directly into hair follicles; secretions from both types then combine with sebum produced by sebaceous glands to form sebum.
Apocrine glands are coiled tubular sweat glands found near hair follicles on the skin. They play an integral part in thermoregulatory sweating under normal circumstances as well as stress or adrenaline-driven sweating due to nervous stimulation; both types are initiated via input from cholinergic and adrenaline receptors in the hypothalamus.
Although both apocrine and eccrine ducts share many similarities, their functions differ considerably. Each is divided into a glandular part and an unbranched or branched duct part; with apocrine glands being more complex in terms of their structures and secretions than eccrine glands.
Apocrine glands feature larger lumens than eccrine glands and are enclosed by an apical duct with bilayered cuboidal cells devoid of myoepithelial cells and possessing glassy aggregates in their cytoplasm. These cells contain numerous lysosomes, mitochondria, lipofuscin and have a prominent Golgi apparatus when the gland is active. Histopathologic examination of dilated apocrine glands reveal foamy histiocytes with periductal fibrosis (hematoxylin-eosin original magnification x20). Fox-Fordyce Disease (FFD) is an uncommon chronic inflammatory condition of apocrine sweat glands affecting postpubertal women. This disease manifests itself by pruritic, skin-colored dome-shaped papules in areas bearing these sweat glands (axillae, areolae and nipples).
Hair follicles
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective solution to unwanted body hair, with its laser light targeting hair follicles to destroy their bulb at their base, effectively disabling further production by your body. Additionally, this treatment reduces ingrown hairs – an often unsightly problem on neck, armpits or bikini lines – and aids those suffering from folliculitis (skin inflammation around a single hair follicle). Folliculitis occurs when hair becomes trapped underneath the skin due to shaving, scrubbing or rubbing against clothing or other appendages. Laser hair removal can reduce this risk by permanently eliminating unwanted hairs while decreasing skin sensitivity in their vicinity.
Laser Hair Removal and Sweating
Laser treatments have the ability to alter bacterial flora in the skin, leading to either an increase or decrease in sweat production depending on factors like wavelength of laser used, surface area treated and strains present in tissue. It is best to refrain from sweating for 24 hours following laser hair removal session to avoid risking infection and rash development; alternatively it could worsen an already excessive sweating condition.
If you are interested in laser hair removal, consult with a certified esthetician first to discuss your needs and options. She can recommend the appropriate treatment and then schedule sessions accordingly while following proper skin aftercare practices such as limiting sun exposure and using a sunless tan cream to avoid an unnatural tan.
Excessive sweating is a condition that affects many, particularly in the palms, armpits, and groin area. Although difficult to conceal this condition, treatment options exist for controlling excessive sweating with medication and other treatments such as Botox which blocks nerve signals that trigger excessive sweating; laser therapy at Voyage MedSpa in St Petersburg Florida has proven successful against hyperhidrosis among other conditions.
Sweating after laser hair removal
Laser hair removal is a highly popular cosmetic procedure that uses concentrated beams of light to target and destroy hair follicles, thereby halting future growth. It works best on people with dark hair and light skin as the contrast makes it easier for the laser to absorb heat and disable follicles. A doctor uses hand-held laser instrument that presses against your skin while cooling devices or gel may be applied before activating laser; once activated you may feel some minor pain similar to pinprick.
Prior to laser hair removal, it is crucial that patients shave the area being targeted, but also refrain from tweezing, waxing, or plucking the area. As laser treatments rely on pigment within hair follicles to identify them and disable them, using other removal methods could render laser sessions ineffective. In addition, patients should refrain from tanning in advance as artificially darkened skin could diminish effectiveness of treatments.
As part of their normal healing response, some individuals experience significant sweating after laser hair removal. This reaction is caused by your metabolism adjusting to its new hormone levels; typically it lasts only for a short while; to ensure optimal results it is best to wait several days after treatment before exercising again and cover treated area with clothing or towel until its temperature has returned back down and use cool compresses if necessary.
After your initial sweating subsides, you can resume your normal activities. However, swimming should be avoided for 48 hours following laser therapy in order to prevent hyper- and hypopigmentation issues arising as a result. Furthermore, sunscreen should always be applied when outside.
Some practitioners recommend miraDry treatments prior and after laser hair removal in order to address excessive sweating, since the treatment is safe and effective on underarms. Although results don’t show immediately, 4-8 treatments over 6-8 weeks will produce lasting change that reduces sweating by as much as 90%.
