Excessive Sweating · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Hyperhidrosis Treatment in Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Specialist treatment for excessive sweating of the underarms, hands, feet and face. If clinical-strength antiperspirant hasn't worked, our dermatologists offer in-clinic treatment for severe underarm sweating, the first-line option in treatment guidelines, with a Medicare rebate when you meet the criteria.
Specialist consultations from $395 · No referral needed to book · Medicare rebate with a valid referral · See fees
A dermatologist-led clinic. Excessive sweating is assessed by a specialist dermatologist, who looks for an underlying cause before recommending any treatment.
Meet our teamHyperhidrosis Treatment at a Glance
The DERM sweating ladder
How We Treat Severe Underarm Sweating
Most people only need two steps. If a clinical-strength antiperspirant hasn't controlled your sweating after a proper trial, there's no need to keep struggling: the next step is in-clinic treatment with our dermatologist.
Antiperspirant, used properly
A clinical-strength antiperspirant applied at night to completely dry skin, for 4 to 6 weeks. We show you how to use it so it works and doesn't irritate.
Still severe? In-clinic treatment
Our dermatologists offer the treatment listed first-line in guidelines for severe underarm sweating, done in our rooms. A Medicare rebate applies when you meet the criteria, which include trying an antiperspirant first.
Reviews to keep it controlled
Sweating usually returns over time, so treatment is repeated when you need it. Hands, feet and face are assessed separately, with their own options.
What Is Hyperhidrosis?
The short answer: hyperhidrosis is sweating far beyond what your body needs to cool down. It's a recognised medical condition, not a hygiene problem, and it can be treated. Most people get good day-to-day control with the right steps. No option cures it, so ongoing or repeat treatment is usual.
Sweat may soak through your shirt on a cool day, drip from your hands onto paper or your phone, or make your feet slide in your shoes. Many people change clothes at lunch, avoid shaking hands, or only wear dark colours to hide the marks.
It's common. About 3 in every 100 Australians have it, according to Healthdirect. Yet many people never mention it to a doctor because they assume nothing can be done. In a large US survey, only about half of people with excessive sweating had ever discussed it with a health professional.
We see people from Mount Gravatt and across Brisbane's southside, including Holland Park, Carindale and Sunnybank, for excessive sweating treatment.
Signs it's more than normal sweating
- Sweat drips or soaks through without heat or exercise
- It happens at least once a week
- It affects both sides, such as both palms
- It started in childhood or your teens
- Others in your family have it
- It gets in the way of work, study or relationships
Two different problems
What Causes Excessive Sweating?
There are two main types. Working out which one you have decides what happens next.
Primary (focal) hyperhidrosis
The sweat glands are normal, but the nerves that switch them on are overactive in particular areas: the underarms, palms, soles, or face and scalp. It usually starts in childhood or the teenage years, affects both sides evenly, often runs in families and tends to settle during sleep.
There is no underlying illness. Most people we see for excessive sweating have this type.
Secondary hyperhidrosis
The sweating is caused by something else. Common causes include some medicines, menopause and other hormonal changes, an overactive thyroid, diabetes, infections and some other medical conditions.
It is more likely if sweating is all over the body, starts suddenly in adult life, affects one side only, or happens at night. Treating the cause often settles the sweating.
When Should Excessive Sweating Be Checked Urgently?
Most excessive sweating is primary hyperhidrosis and isn't dangerous. But sweating can be a sign of another health problem, so see your GP promptly if:
- Sweating is all over your body, or started suddenly
- You wake drenched at night
- It comes with fever, weight loss, a racing heart or feeling unwell
- It only affects one side of your body
- It started after a new medicine
Call 000 if sweating comes with chest pain, light-headedness or nausea.
At DERM Skin Specialists, every hyperhidrosis consultation starts with these questions. If something points to a secondary cause, we arrange tests or work with your GP before treating the sweat itself.
Dr Mitch on Sweating Treatment
"Excess sweating can be a mild annoyance, or it can be genuinely disruptive. The first step is working out what type of sweating you have."
"Sometimes sweating is a symptom of an underlying medical issue. If you skip that step and go straight to a procedure, you can miss the real driver."
From Dr Mitch's own notes on hyperhidrosis.
Assess first. Then treat.
What Happens at a Hyperhidrosis Consultation?
From your first visit to your reviews, here's what to expect when you see a dermatologist for excessive sweating.
History and examination
We ask where you sweat, when it started, what sets it off, whether it happens at night, your family history, your medicines and your general health. We also ask how much it interferes with daily life, using a simple 1 to 4 scale that dermatologists use to rate severity.
A step-by-step plan
Your plan is matched to each area and to what you've already tried. You get clear instructions, an explanation of any Medicare criteria, and the cost of any treatment in writing before you start.
Sweating Treatment and Review
We review how you've responded, step up or change treatment if needed, and plan longer-term control. Sweating often changes with seasons, stress and age, so the plan does too.
Start simple. Step up if needed.
How Is Hyperhidrosis Treated?
There's no single treatment for every area. We start with the simplest option that is likely to work for your area and severity, and step up only if it doesn't.
Clinical-strength antiperspirants
- Often the first step, especially for underarms
- Pharmacy products, no prescription needed
- Work well when applied the right way
- Irritation limits use for some people
Iontophoresis
- For sweaty hands and feet
- A home device using tap water and a mild current
- Needs regular sessions, then maintenance
- We can advise on whether it suits you
In-clinic specialist treatment
- First-line in guidelines for severe underarm sweating
- Performed in our rooms by a dermatologist
- Medicare rebate when you meet the criteria
- Benefits, side effects and costs explained first
If sweating is severe and the first steps haven't helped, a dermatologist may recommend in-clinic specialist treatment. These are assessed at your consultation, where we explain what's suitable for your area, the likely benefit, the side effects and the cost.
Everyday measures help alongside any treatment: breathable natural fabrics or moisture-wicking sportswear, absorbent underarm pads or undershirts, spare socks, and noticing your own triggers such as heat, spicy food, caffeine or stress.
What the research says. A US survey of 8,160 people found 4.8% had excessive sweating, and 70% of them rated it severe in at least one area (Archives of Dermatological Research, 2016).
How Do You Use Clinical-Strength Antiperspirant Properly?
Many people tell us clinical-strength antiperspirant "didn't work" or "burned". Often the product was fine but the timing was wrong. These products plug the sweat ducts, and they need dry skin and quiet sweat glands to do that.
- Apply at night, when your sweat glands are least active, not in the morning.
- Make sure the skin is completely dry. Use a hairdryer on the cool setting if needed. Damp skin stings and absorbs less.
- Wash it off in the morning, then use a normal deodorant if you like.
- Start nightly for a few nights, then cut back to once or twice a week as sweating comes under control.
- Don't apply straight after shaving or on broken or irritated skin.
It can take one to two weeks to judge. If it still doesn't control your sweating, or the irritation is too much, that's useful information for your consultation, and it is often part of the criteria for other treatment.
If it stings or itches
- Check the skin is bone dry before applying
- Leave a day or two after shaving
- Apply it less often
- Stop and see us if a rash develops
How Are Sweaty Hands and Feet Treated?
Sweaty palms and soles are harder to treat than underarms. The skin is thicker and more sensitive, and response is more variable. Most people still get meaningful improvement with a plan that suits their work and lifestyle.
How Iontophoresis Works
You rest your hands or feet in shallow trays of tap water while a device passes a mild electrical current through the water. It's thought to block the sweat ducts for a while. Sessions usually take about 20 to 30 minutes, several times a week at first, then about once a week or less to keep sweating down.
Home devices can be bought, so once you know the routine you do it yourself. We can advise on whether it suits you and how to use it. It isn't suitable if you are pregnant, have a pacemaker, or have metal implants in the path of the current. Expect tingling and some dryness.
What the research says. A 2025 systematic review of 14 studies and 1,733 people with sweaty palms found iontophoresis was low risk but needed ongoing maintenance sessions. Surgery worked well but caused substantial side effects. Most studies were small, with short follow-up, so long-term results are less certain (Dermatology Research and Practice, 2025).
For your feet
Use antiperspirant on the soles at night, wear moisture-wicking socks and change them during the day, and rotate shoes so each pair dries out for 24 hours. Damp feet are prone to odour, fungal infection and a bacterial infection called pitted keratolysis, which we can treat.
Small things that help hands
- Keep a cloth handy before handshakes
- Use grip aids for sport and the gym
- Try antiperspirant on the palms at night
How Is Underarm Sweating Treated?
Underarm sweating, also called axillary hyperhidrosis, is the area we see most often and usually the most predictable to treat.
Most people start with a clinical-strength antiperspirant used the right way. If that doesn't control it, or your skin can't tolerate it, and your sweating is severe, in-clinic specialist treatment with our dermatologist is usually the next step. A Medicare rebate applies when you meet the criteria, which include trying a clinical-strength antiperspirant first. We check this at your consultation.
What About Facial and Scalp Sweating?
Sweat running down the forehead or through the hair is often triggered by heat, stress, exercise or hot and spicy food. It can be very visible, so it often affects confidence at work.
Some antiperspirants can be used carefully on the forehead and hairline, away from the eyes. Prescription treatments may be considered where appropriate. Sweating on one side of the face when eating can follow surgery or injury near the salivary glands, or come with diabetes, so it's worth having checked.
Is Surgery an Option for Excessive Sweating?
For a small number of people with severe sweating that hasn't responded to other treatment, there are procedural options. We don't perform these at DERM Skin Specialists, but we discuss them honestly and refer you if one is right for you.
- Energy-device treatment for the underarms. A device heats and destroys sweat glands in the underarm skin. It usually needs local anaesthetic, with swelling and tenderness for days to weeks afterwards.
- Sweat gland removal from the underarm. A surgical option for severe, localised underarm sweating.
- Sympathectomy. Keyhole chest surgery that cuts the nerves controlling sweating in the hands. It can work well for palms, but many people develop new, heavier sweating elsewhere, such as the back or chest, called compensatory sweating. The nerve surgery can't easily be undone, so it is a last resort.
Because the downsides can be lasting, we only suggest a referral once simpler options have been tried properly.
Can Hyperhidrosis Cause Other Skin Problems?
Yes. Skin that stays damp for hours breaks down more easily, and germs thrive in warm, wet folds. Treating the sweating often helps these problems too.
- Odour. Sweat itself has little smell. Odour comes from bacteria breaking it down, especially in the underarms and feet.
- Fungal infections such as tinea between the toes and in skin folds.
- Pitted keratolysis. Small pits on the soles, often with a strong smell, caused by bacteria in damp skin.
- Dermatitis. Irritated, itchy skin from constant moisture and friction, or from products used to manage sweat. More on dermatitis.
Excessive sweating can also affect confidence, work and relationships. That alone is a good reason to seek treatment.
Tell us if you notice
- A rash in the underarms or groin
- Peeling or itchy skin between the toes
- Small pits or a strong smell on the soles
- Stinging from antiperspirant
- Sweating that has changed recently
Can Teenagers Get Treatment for Excessive Sweating?
Yes. Primary hyperhidrosis often starts in childhood or the teenage years, and it can make school, exams, sport and social life hard.
Treatment for teenagers usually starts with antiperspirants used properly and practical changes at school, with iontophoresis for hands and feet. Some treatments have minimum age limits, which we explain at the consultation. A parent or guardian attends with anyone under 18.
Dr Emily Shao sees children and teenagers as well as adults. Meet Dr Shao.
What Are the Risks of Treatment? And How We Reduce Them
Every treatment has trade-offs. Here are the main ones and what we do about each.
Common, Short-Term Side Effects of Sweating Treatment
- Stinging or itch from antiperspirant. We check how you're applying it, adjust how often, and treat any irritation.
- Tingling and dry skin from iontophoresis. Lower settings, moisturiser, and covering small cuts with petroleum jelly help.
- Results wear off. Hyperhidrosis isn't cured, so we plan maintenance and review you.
- Less improvement than hoped. Hands and feet respond more variably. We step up or change treatment rather than leave you stuck.
Less Common Sweating Treatment Risks
- Missing an underlying cause. A full history comes first, with tests if anything points to one.
- Side effects from prescription treatments. We explain them before you start and review you afterwards.
- Compensatory sweating after surgery. We explain this clearly before any referral.
- Skin infections in damp skin. We look for them at every visit and treat them promptly.
If something isn't right, call us. Phone 07 3487 1414 if a rash spreads, skin blisters or breaks down, or you feel unwell. Outside hours, see your GP or go to an emergency department.
How Much Does Hyperhidrosis Treatment Cost in Brisbane?
A specialist consultation starts from $395. The cost of any treatment depends on the areas involved, which treatment suits you and how often it needs repeating, so we give you a price after we've assessed you.
You get the cost in writing before any treatment starts. Because hyperhidrosis needs ongoing control, ask about the cost over a year, not just one visit. Antiperspirants are an inexpensive pharmacy cost, and an iontophoresis device is a one-off purchase you then use at home.
Is Hyperhidrosis Treatment Covered by Medicare?
Partly, in some cases. We're a private billing practice. With a valid GP referral, Medicare pays a rebate towards your specialist consultation. You don't need a referral to book, but without one there's no rebate.
Some treatments for severe underarm sweating have Medicare criteria. These usually include having tried a clinical-strength antiperspirant first, and they limit how often treatment can be rebated. Treatment for hands, feet, face and scalp is usually private. We explain at your consultation exactly what applies to you. See our fees.
Bring to Your Hyperhidrosis Consultation
- A GP referral, for the Medicare rebate
- A list of your medicines
- Products you've tried and how you used them
- When and where you sweat most
- Any family history of sweating
Your dermatologist
Your Hyperhidrosis Dermatologist: Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD
Specialist Dermatologist · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Dr Mitch founded DERM Skin Specialists and treats medical and cosmetic skin conditions. Excessive sweating is assessed by a specialist dermatologist, who confirms the type of sweating, checks for underlying causes and plans treatment step by step.
- Specialist dermatologist (FACD)Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists
- Assessment before treatmentLooks for the cause, not just the sweat
- Teaches dermatologists and registrarsLectures in Australia and Asia
Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Hyperhidrosis Treatment in Mount Gravatt
DERM Skin Specialists is at 2/1437 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt, about 15 minutes' drive from the Brisbane CBD, with free parking onsite. Patients come from Upper Mount Gravatt, Mansfield, Wishart, Eight Mile Plains, Greenslopes and across Brisbane's southside.
Common Questions
Excessive Sweating: Common Questions
Is hyperhidrosis a real medical condition?
Yes. It's a recognised condition where sweating is far more than the body needs to cool down. It isn't caused by poor hygiene, and it can be treated.
How do I know if I have hyperhidrosis?
If you sweat heavily in the same areas at least weekly, without heat or exercise, and it affects daily life, it's likely. A dermatologist can confirm it and check for other causes.
Do I need a referral to see a dermatologist for sweating?
No. You can book directly. A valid GP referral lets you claim a Medicare rebate on your consultation.
Does Medicare cover treatment for sweaty hands?
Usually not. Medicare criteria mainly apply to some treatments for severe underarm sweating. We'll explain costs for hands and feet at your consultation.
Which antiperspirant should I use for heavy sweating?
A clinical-strength antiperspirant from a pharmacy is a good start. How you apply it matters more than the brand: at night, on completely dry skin, washed off in the morning.
Why does my antiperspirant sting?
Usually because it went on damp or freshly shaved skin. Dry the skin fully, leave a day after shaving and use it less often. If a rash develops, stop and see us.
Can I buy an iontophoresis machine for home?
Yes, home devices are available. They suit sweaty hands and feet. We can advise whether one suits you and how to use it safely.
Is hyperhidrosis genetic?
Primary hyperhidrosis often runs in families. Many people we see have a parent or sibling with the same problem.
Does hyperhidrosis go away with age?
It can ease for some people over time, especially after their 20s and 30s, but many people need ongoing treatment. It rarely goes away completely on its own.
Can anxiety cause excessive sweating?
Stress and nerves make sweating worse, and worrying about sweating can set up a cycle. But primary hyperhidrosis isn't caused by anxiety, and treating the sweating often eases the worry.
Why do I sweat so much at night?
Primary hyperhidrosis usually settles during sleep. Drenching night sweats point to another cause, such as hormonal change, infection or medicines, so see your GP.
Will drinking less water stop me sweating?
No. Cutting back on fluids doesn't reduce sweating and can make you unwell, especially in Brisbane's heat. Keep drinking normally.
Can food or drink make sweating worse?
Yes. Hot and spicy food, caffeine and alcohol are common triggers, especially for facial sweating. Noticing your own triggers helps.
Can sweaty feet cause smelly feet or infections?
Yes. Damp feet are prone to odour, tinea and pitted keratolysis. Treating the sweating and the infection together usually helps both.
Is there a cure for hyperhidrosis?
Not a cure, but good control. Most treatments need ongoing use or repeating, and we plan reviews to keep sweating under control.
Get Your Sweating Properly Assessed
Book a consultation with a specialist dermatologist. We'll confirm what type of sweating you have, check for an underlying cause, and give you a step-by-step plan with any treatment costs in writing.
Clinical content overseen by Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD (AHPRA MED0001946771). Updated October 2026. General information only, not medical advice. All procedures carry risks; suitability, recovery and results vary between individuals.