Underarm Sweating Treatment Earns First IHhS Seal of Recognition in 20 Years! 

By Angela Ballard, RN
IHhS Educator & Advocate

Every November since Hyperhidrosis Awareness Month launched in 2017, we’ve worked diligently alongside you, our community, to show the significant, peer-reviewed, scientific research to prove that hyperhidrosis is a significant, detrimental, and common medical condition that deserves serious attention and treatment. And, we can’t wait to do it again this month!

To kick things off, we have an announcement that celebrates the importance of real data! 

Botanix Pharmaceuticals’ prescription treatment for underarm hyperhidrosis, Sofdra, which is FDA-approved for patients 9 years of age and older with axillary excessive sweating, has been awarded the International Hyperhidrosis Society’s Seal of Recognition.This marks the first IHhS Seal of Recognition in 20 years! (Our very first Seal of Recognition was awarded to Procter & Gamble’s Secret Clinical Strength and Gillette Clinical Strength antiperspirants.)

The IHhS Seal of Recognition is intended to recognize products, devices, and

procedures designed to help combat excessive sweating and/or body odor that demonstrate meaningful scientific research and clinical evidence, rigorous testing, substantiated efficacy and tolerability, responsible marketing, and more. The Seal reflects evidence-based development and recognizes products, devices, or procedures that do what they claim to do. It does not mean that something is a cure, but rather that claims about its ability to help people manage their condition are supported by scientific and clinical evidence. 

In evaluating the topical anticholinergic, Sofdra, the IHhS review committee found a strong and well-established body of evidence supporting its efficacy and safety. The combination of large, well-controlled clinical studies; objective gravimetric efficacy assessments; statistically significant and clinically relevant treatment outcomes; comprehensive safety and tolerability monitoring; peer-reviewed publications; longer-term clinical evaluation; U.S. FDA approval; and responsible product communication provided a compelling foundation for recognition.

“The IHhS does not recommend specific products, devices, procedures, or treatments,” says  Lisa J. Pieretti, MBA, Founder and Executive Director of IHhS. “Those decisions are best made with your healthcare team, who understands your individual needs and circumstances. Our role is to bring potential sweat- and odor-management options to your attention and provide meaningful context, including information about the scientific research behind their development. You can find this information throughout our educational resources on SweatHelp.org, including webpages dedicated to specific treatment approaches and, where applicable, individual products, devices, or procedures.”

“When a company asks the IHhS to formally evaluate the scientific evidence supporting a product, device, or procedure and its claims,” adds Pieretti, “our role is to determine whether that evidence meets our high standards for research, rigor, and credibility. There is a lot of noise and misinformation out there, especially on social media. We cut through that to focus on the scientific data behind any claims of efficacy and safety.”

“Congratulations to the Botanix team on this important achievement. We appreciate Botanix’s commitment to advancing treatment options for people living with hyperhidrosis and are pleased to recognize Sofdra with the IHhS Seal of Recognition.”

To apply for an IHhS Seal of Recognition, the makers of products, devices, or procedures intended to address excessive sweating and/or body odor must submit documentation demonstrating that the candidate product, device, or procedure meets IHhS standards. This evidence must reflect a substantial commitment to rigorous clinical research, objective evaluation, safety monitoring, and responsible communication about the product, device, or procedure’s benefits.

Treatment developers, researchers and brand teams can learn more about how to apply for a prestigious IHhS Seal of Recognition here. 

Stay tuned for more throughout Hyperhidrosis Awareness Month, including a chance to test your knowledge! 

In the meantime, please help us increase hyperhidrosis awareness by following IHhS on social media and sharing our posts with your friends, family, healthcare providers, and community. Together, we can help more people recognize hyperhidrosis as a medical condition that deserves attention, understanding, and treatment.

Access valuable hyperhidrosis resources on www.SweatHelp.org and use the site to:

• Subscribe to our research and treatment alerts 
• Search our Clinician Finder, or as a healthcare provider who treats hyperhidrosis, join our Clinician Finder
• Learn about all the current treatment options
• Discover evidence-based healthcare provider diagnostic guidelines and treatment algorithms
• And more!

Find us on social media at: 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SweatingStopsHere/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/weknowsweat/

X:  https://x.com/WeKnowSweat 

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/InternationalHyperhidrosisSociety

This article was written without the use of artificial intelligence by Angela Ballard, RN, who has spent more than 20 years serving the hyperhidrosis community as IHhS Communications Director, Educator, and Advocate.