Questions regarding Iontophoresis for sweating

Hello I have purchased one of your Hidrex psp1000 iontophoresis for sweating systems and a couple of accessories to treat sever excessive sweating condition. As one of the treatment areas is a large area (the back) I understand the 20×20 large treatment pads accessory is fine to use flat, but thought that there had to be two separate sections for the system to be effective, (one section for each electrode, positive/negative). To achieve maximum coverage I therefore place the accessory flat on my back with a gap between the two sections.

This is correct and the most effective method. To assist you can also use cotton towels to hold the electrodes in place on the back. Start with lower powers on your first session building up to the maximum comfortable power level on your first treatment. Set the machine to pulsed current P90.

Facial Hyperhidrosis Mask

I have however noticed that the face accessory is designed in one piece and not separated by any gap in materials between the two electrodes.

The face mask applicator is a one piece mask so the immersion monitoring will see the closed circuit and deliver the current automatically. Due to this the set up is slightly different for facial sweating. UPDATE: MAY 2019: The new face mask applicator is a two electrode process now. Please see the Facial Hyperhidrosis Mask  

Can you explain this? How does it work? I can feel both accessories and therefore they seem to be doing the same thing but I would like to put the back treatment closer together if this will still be affective, to prevent a strip of skin being left untreated, This will still work however results may be affected due to the shortened circuit. The current will take the path of least resistance in to the treatment area and if you contact the two electrodes, this will become the less resistant path. It will be better to keep them close but not touching, maybe 3 cm apart and over the course of your treatment, move the electrodes around the back to ensure full coverage. Most back sweating is focused along the spine, so you should be able to treat this area quite efficiently using the large area treatment pads.

In addition does the type of electrode make a difference in this usage ( I have both metal electrodes and the flexible silicone ones) can you advise please?

It only really makes a difference in terms of how easy the electrode is to apply. Both type have pros and cons= The silicone electrodes will offer a more pliable option which is useful four contacting the contours of the body – nape of the neck, groin, buttocks and chest areas, but they are smaller and more fragile in terms of small cables and connections. The large area treatment pads treat a larger area but can be cumbersome to apply (although a towel is a great help) but have metal electrodes that will outlast the sponge covers.

Also will the iontophoresis for sweating treatment be more effective using bottled water rather than tap water?

Water quality can have an effect on treatment. There have been patients treated in a hospital with great results using a Hidrex machine, only to find that they struggled to close the circuit when at home on a different water supply. Essentially Iontophoresis machines are tap water machines, so you should try using just tap water. You mention you feel the current so this would indicate that the current flow is adequate in your case. If you are struggling you can add salt or bicarbonate of soda or use mineral water but this is only recommended if you cannot get started with current flow.