Body · 03 of 05
miraDry
Treatment to reduce excessive underarm sweating.
- Typical visit
- 60 min
- Downtime
- Routine and exercise resume as advisedSwelling or altered sensation can persist for weeks.
- First results
- Often noticed soon after
- Lasts
- Long-lasting, varies by person
- Treatment plan
- 1–2 in a series
Typical estimates. Your clinician explains the timing, recovery and treatment plan for you.
In brief
What this treatment does.
miraDry uses microwave energy to treat underarm sweat glands. It can reduce excessive underarm sweating and may also reduce odor and hair. Treated glands do not regrow, but the degree and persistence of symptom improvement vary.
- Heavy underarm sweating
- Underarm odor
- Sweat that antiperspirants miss
Before you decide
Suitability and important risks.
Your health, medicines and previous treatments affect what is appropriate. Discuss benefits, risks and alternatives with the clinical team.
Who might consider it, and when to ask first
Often a good fit
- Adults with excessive underarm sweating
- People bothered by underarm odor
- Anyone who finds antiperspirants unreliable
Discuss before booking
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding
- Active skin infection or an unhealed wound under the arm
- An implanted electronic device or metal in the area, which your clinician will ask about
- Any other question about your sweating or your health: ask your clinician first.
Visit & aftercare
Know what to expect.
The visit, step by step
Consultation
Your clinician asks how much you sweat, what you have tried, and about your health and medicines. Together you decide whether miraDry is the right choice.
Marking and numbing
The treatment area is marked and numbing injections are placed so you stay comfortable.
Treatment
The handpiece holds the skin by gentle suction, cools it and delivers microwave energy. 60 min
Afterwards
Your underarms are cooled and padded. Swelling, soreness and some bruising are expected, and you go home with clear instructions.
Results and second visit
1–2 in a series Your clinician reviews the response before recommending another treatment.
Caring for your skin afterwards
- Apply ice as directed to ease swelling and soreness.
- Wear loose-fitting tops for comfort.
- Skip shaving, deodorant and antiperspirant until we say it is fine.
- Avoid exercise for the first three days.
- Call us if swelling, pain or redness grows rather than eases.
Areas and concerns to discuss
Sweating
Primary axillary hyperhidrosis, the cleared indication for the underarms.
Odor
May be reduced when the treatment is used for underarm sweating.
Underarm hair
Cleared for permanent reduction, though results vary and some hair can remain.
Other areas
Hands, feet and whole-body sweating are not treated with miraDry.
How it works & evidence
The detail behind the treatment.
How it works, evidence and device labeling
miraDry is a non-invasive treatment that uses controlled microwave energy to heat and disable the sweat and odor glands that sit just beneath the skin of the underarm. Your clinician reviews how much your underarms trouble you, what you have already tried and whether this is the right fit. Most people plan one or two visits.
miraDry is FDA-cleared, which is a different regulatory pathway from FDA approval. Its cleared indications are the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis, meaning excessive underarm sweating, and the permanent reduction of underarm hair. When used for hyperhidrosis it may also reduce underarm odor. It is not cleared for sweating elsewhere on the body.
Local anesthetic numbs the area first, and the handpiece cools the skin while energy is delivered. Swelling, soreness and altered sensation are expected afterwards and can take weeks to settle. The manufacturer describes the loss of treated glands as permanent, although some people in published surveys report the effect fading over the years and some need a further treatment.
Device clearance and approval apply to particular products and uses. Ask which device or formulation will be used for your treatment.
- miraDry: treatment information and FDA clearance wording
- FDA 510(k) K160141, miraDry System MD4000 (hyperhidrosis, hair, odor wording)
- Patient satisfaction after miraDry treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis (PMC)
- Johns Hopkins miraDry study consent form, NCT02295891 (two visits about three months apart)
- BOTOX prescribing information (axillary hyperhidrosis indication)
Questions
Your questions about miraDry.
Is miraDry FDA-approved?
It is FDA-cleared, which is a different pathway from approval. The cleared indications are primary axillary hyperhidrosis and permanent reduction of underarm hair, and it may reduce odor.
Will the sweating come back?
The manufacturer describes the loss of treated glands as permanent. Some people report the effect fading over the years and a few need further treatment, so results vary.
Does it hurt?
The injections that numb the area sting briefly. After that most people feel pressure, and soreness follows once the numbing wears off.
How does it compare with Botox for sweating?
Botox is FDA-approved for severe underarm sweating and works by temporarily blocking the nerve signal to the glands, so it is repeated as it wears off. miraDry treats the glands themselves with a procedure planned in one or two visits.
When can I exercise again?
The manufacturer advises avoiding exercise for three days. We will tell you when to resume based on how your underarms feel.
General treatment information. Your clinician explains the choices appropriate for you.
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Ask about miraDry.
A consultation is a conversation about what you would like to change, and what you would like to keep. Nothing is scheduled until you choose to.
Book online