Iontophoresis for excessively sweating feet

This post is to talk about iontophoresis for excessively sweating feet. The feet contain more sweat glands than any other area of the body. Feet sweat, but for some its is uncontrollable and ruins confidence and shoes. There are more than 120,000 on each foot, so it’s not a surprise that it is the most commonly affected area for Hyperhidrosis and the area of the body that suffers the most. Thankfully, it’s also the easiest area in which to treat hyperhidrosis and enjoys the overall best success rates. This is mainly because the whole sole (or foot when required) can be placed into the tap water filled trays with the electrodes inside. This gives all round exposure to the current and minerals in the water and treats the full area efficiently.

Excessive sweating on the soles of the feet is called Plantar Hyperhidrosis. It’s the sole of the foot that is more often affected but many patients also sweat on the tops of the feet, in the arches and even around the ankles. These areas can also be treated and we will describe best methods for this below. If excessively sweating on the soles of the feet, then it is best to try to keep the water levels focused in this area. If you place your feet flat in the water treatment trays the level should be half way up the side of your toe or approximately 500-600ml per tray. This will ensure the current clan flow freely without diluting the current by treating larger surface areas of skin on the feet.

Treat the feet with iontophoresis – a non-invasive treatment for sweating feet.

Iontophoresis for Plantar Hyperhidrosis

Of all areas that are afflicted with excessive sweating, the feet are the easiest to control sweating. Iontophoresis involves placing the feet into water filled trays that contain electrodes. These electrodes are connected to a Hidrex or Idromed iontophoresis machine that outputs controlled levels of electrical current. The current leaves the control panel on one side, enters the body via the foot and travels along the legs and exists on the other side of the body. The body creates a circuit for the current to flow through.

It is widely believed that the mineral content of the water is iontophoretically transferred into the body where is acts as a type of antiperspirant. This could explain why soft water with low mineral content does not offer great results. Hard water is better for iontophoresis. You can check your water hardness on this water map of the UK It is also though the the electrical stimulations at the gland temporarily jams the mis-signals sent by the central nervous system that is repeatedly sending incorrect messages to the glands creating excessive sweating.

Regardless of the action, the results are astounding and you can go from severe excessive sweating on the feet to dry in a matter of a few days. Once dry you can enjoy lengthy periods of dryness before needing to perform more session and sweating resumes.

How to perform iontophoresis on the feet.

For most people, we recommend treating the feet in direct current. Direct current offer the greatest level of efficiency and most foot patients can tolerate the stronger direct current. If you have sensitive skin or secondary skin complaints on the feet then you may decide to opt for a pulsed current treatment.

Set the equipment up as described in the user manual or look at our support videos for set up advice. You want the machine in direct current (relevant to all iontophoresis machines with the exception of the Idromed 5PS which is pulsed current only). The recommended treatment time is 15 minutes per day in the initial treatment stage.

• Fill the treatment tray with approximately 500ml of warm tap water.
• Place electrodes into the trays and put the plastic distance grids over the top
• Plug in machine. Check your settings to ensure your in direct current
• On your initial treatment, start with a low 10volts on screen
• Place your feet into the trays (hidrex and idromed will both sense that you are connected and begin to deliver the current)
• After a few seconds, increase the power to your maximum comfortable power level (if using an Idromed then your machine will be set to 15mA for the feet and will auto adjust the voltage to reach that)
• Remain in the baths for the 15 minute treatment cycle
• When complete, remove and dry feet, clean and dry equipment ready for next use.

The number of sessions required before result are seen will depend on several factors: what power you reach, your water quality and severity of condition. Most patient can expect to see some improvement after a week with full results seen after around 2 weeks. Don’t be alarmed if you do not respond in this timescale as many patients require much longer to see results. If after three of four weeks you still have no results, contact your support team and they will discuss your treatment regime and any possible recommendations for treatment.

Treating excessive sweating of the feet is easy with Iontophoresis. The feet can (generally) tolerate high powers as the skin is thicker so you can normally perform your iontophoresis treatment in direct current – the most efficient format of current delivery.