Question 1

How much does Botox for sweating cost in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Private botulinum toxin for underarm hyperhidrosis typically costs £350–£700 per treatment, lasting roughly four to seven months. Palms cost more because they need more injections and usually a nerve block. Some ICBs fund it on the NHS for severe axillary hyperhidrosis after first-line treatment has failed, but criteria vary by area.

Question 2

Is iontophoresis cheaper as a home device or clinic sessions?

Accepted Answer

A home device costs roughly £350–£900 once, while private clinic sessions run about £40–£80 each and you need 8–10 to load, then maintenance every one to four weeks. A device usually pays for itself inside the first year. Some NHS dermatology departments run iontophoresis clinics, though availability varies by area.

Question 3

How much does ETS surgery cost in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Privately, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy typically costs £3,500–£6,500. It is rarely funded on the NHS and usually only through an individual funding request after every other option has failed. It is irreversible, and compensatory sweating elsewhere on the body affects most patients — for some it is worse than the original problem.

Question 4

What will the NHS pay for?

Accepted Answer

NICE CKS puts 20% aluminium chloride antiperspirant first, which you can buy over the counter anyway. Beyond that, funding for iontophoresis, botulinum toxin and surgery is decided locally by your Integrated Care Board, so what is available genuinely depends on where you live. Your GP is the route to finding out what your area funds.

Question 5

What is the cheapest thing that actually works?

Accepted Answer

A 20% aluminium chloride antiperspirant — Driclor, Anhydrol Forte or Odaban — at around £5–£12 a bottle, with a bottle lasting most people six to eight weeks. It is over the counter in the UK, no prescription needed. Most people who think it did not work applied it to damp skin or in the morning; it has to go on completely dry skin at night.

Treatment	Typical UK price	Over 5 years	On the NHS
20% aluminium chloride (Driclor / Anhydrol Forte) A single bottle lasts most people 6–8 weeks. Cheapest effective option by a wide margin.	£5–£12 per bottle/month	£340	Usually available First line in NICE CKS. Buyable over the counter as a pharmacy medicine, and a GP can also prescribe it.
Iontophoresis — home device Bought once, then only running costs. Needs maintenance sessions to keep working.	£350–£900 once	£625	Sometimes funded Some dermatology departments run iontophoresis clinics; home devices are rarely funded.
miraDry (microwave thermolysis) Usually one or two sessions, intended to be permanent. Underarms only. Few UK providers.	£1,500–£3,000 per course	£2,250	Rarely funded Not routinely commissioned by the NHS.
Botulinum toxin injections Lasts roughly 4–7 months per treatment. Palms cost more and hurt more than underarms.	£350–£700 per course	£5,250	Sometimes funded Funded by some ICBs for severe axillary hyperhidrosis after first-line treatment has failed. Criteria vary.

What hyperhidrosis treatment costs in the UK

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