Facial hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive, abnormal sweating of the face.
Independent of the amount of sweat being produced and thus also independent of the diagnostic capability of such excessive sweating, mankind perceives sweating in the face most of the time as an especially strong limitation, since the face is considered the primary area of contact.
Interesting facts: The area of the face most frequently afflicted by sweating is the so-called T-Zone. The visualized „T“ describes the central area of the face, where the forehead constitutes the upper area of the letter T.
In contrast to many other kinds of visible perspiration, sweating of forehead, mouth, nose, or chin as well as cheeks can hardly be hidden and thus is usually immediately obvious in interpersonal relationships. Oftentimes, this results in strong limitations which affect the social environment of the afflicted person. This includes, but is not limited to, important areas like partner search, career opportunities or even career choice. Although there is no truth to it, sweating in the face is oftentimes judged as insecurity or a lack of resilience by outsiders. Afflicted persons suffer under these prejudices, which lead to mental stress which in turn further increases transpiration of the face – a vicious cycle!
Bottom line: tap water iontophoresis treatment is an excellent weapon to manage sweating in the face, for example, a sweat-covered forehead.
Besides the safety mechanisms integrated into the iontophoresis device, it seems advisable to draw your special attention to quality and fit of the face mask! For an even and safe supply of the treatment current, the electrode cables in the face mask should be incorporated on a large scale. To us, flat electrodes that are installed only at points seem to be a less recommendable value, e.g. in the area of cheeks or on forehead and chin. Furthermore, the face mask should be anatomically correct and be able to completely adjust to the contour of the face when wet..
What should I look out for when buying an iontophoresis face mask?
The current type and possible current level are highly dependent on the type of electrodes. Face masks with attached metal electrodes have a comparatively spotty power input and therefore require pulsed current as well as lower current value. Textile electrodes with evenly distributed sewn-in graphite fibers also facilitate direct current as well as generally higher current values.
Application recommendation: iontophoresis in the face
To treat sweating of forehead, mouth, nose or chin as well as the cheeks we basically recommend only one therapy device which can deliver the more pleasant and gentle pulsed current. This is what you use for the initial treatment.
Start with pulsed current and a value of 1 mA and increase this value over the entire course of the session (15 minutes) to a value that lets you perceive the current as a „slightly painful but manageable“ sensation (tolerable current rating in the upper range of your comfort zone). Only if you can permanently tolerate this current rating very well and only if necessary (because even after a longer period of time the desired effect is not forthcoming), you should try to incrementally increase the current rating.
Description of a typical iontophoresis application in the face
Common contraindications to apply iontophoresis in the face
- metal implants and other conductive items in or on the head (e.g. dental implants, inlays, braces, piercings).
- to be on the safe side, remove metal body jewelry in the area of your head as well as on the neck.
- neurological diseases in the head/neck area.
- wearing a pace maker.
- pathological changes of the facial skin.
General information & safety information
- for hygienic reasons, the iontophoresis-face mask should only be used by one person.
- carefully read the information contained in the user manual of your iontophoresis device, particularly the provisions for safety and start-up!
- find out whether the face electrode (face mask) available to you has been approved for use with your iontophoresis device. Medical devices require an according certification!
- it is best to schedule your therapy in the evening hours. This gives the skin sufficient time to regenerate after the morning shave. Even the typical skin reddening (caused by increased circulation after a treatment) should have disappeared by the next morning.
Preparation for the iontophoresis session
- gently clean the T-Zone of the face prior to putting the face mask on. Remove ointments, creams and cosmetics. Normal soap is recommended. Do not use cream soap!
- a micro fiber cloth that has been washed in the washing machine multiple times can be very useful for cleaning the skin areas and opening the pores.
- after you have cleaned the face (i.e. before you start your treatment session) you should give your skin a longer break to avoid irritations.
- do not conduct a treatment session in the face directly after shaving. The current increasingly penetrates minor skin defects which can locally result in unfamiliar pain perceptions. The rest periods after shaving are individual and you have to decide for yourself what is adequate. A standard time frame would certainly be at least 6 hours.
- does your face mask still use conventional metal plates as electrodes? In this case completely insert the metal plates in the sewn-on pockets of the mask to avoid possible power-related damages to the facial skin.
- Iontophoresis face masks with sewn-in electronic circuits1 (in most cases made of graphite) do not require any additional preparation beyond hooking up the connectors to the control device.
- hook up all connectors of the face electrode with the iontophoresis-control device. In face masks with sewn in electronic circuits only one connector needs to be attached, since hand or foot constitute the counter pole for face treatment. hook up all connectors of the face electrode with the iontophoresis-control device. In face masks with sewn in electronic circuits only one connector needs to be attached, since hand or foot constitute the counter pole for face treatment.
- Before starting the treatment session, completely soak the face mask. Thereafter gently and very lightly wring excess dripping water! The wetter the face electrode, the better its conductivity and consequently, current distribution on the skin.
- You can wrap a towel around your chest to stay warm and protect yourself from leaking water.
- Especially in the colder seasons, use warm tap water to ensure a more pleasant therapy session.
- If your iontophoresis device works with a treatment tray as container for the return electrode, fill the tray with water so that the palm or the foot sole, respectively, are only barely covered with water. Do not wet the hands or feet completely with water but rather keep the water level as low as possible and necessary, to ensure a stable current flow.
The (first) treatment session
- Treatment time: 15 minutes turns out to be the ideal time span for a treatment session. When administering your very first treatment, however, please check for unusual skin reactions already after 2 – 3 minutes. A slight reddening of the skin is, however, totally normal and in most cases subsides after 1-2 hours.
- Select pulsed current and a start value of 1 mA. Increase this value in your first session over the entire treatment time until reaching the end of your “comfort zone”.
- Select the direction of current in a way that the current encompasses your face and is diverted via the return electrode
- It may become necessary to re-moisten the face mask during a session. In this case interrupt the ongoing session.
- If at all possible, avoid very strong movements during the session since these can result in power fluctuations.
- Do not accept any telephone calls during the session and do not use any electric devices near your head.
- If you should sense an uneven tingling or strong burning sensation, re-moisten the face mask and/or lower the therapy current.
- Should the contact current become unpleasant, immediately reduce the amperage (current strength). If necessary finish the session (in case of sewn in graphite fibers) by slowly and incrementally removing your hand / foot from the treatment tray at the counter pole.
Recommendation: If you would like to order an iontophoresis device, we recommend the iontophoresis shop www.schwitzen.com as specialist supplier to manage excessive sweating1.
1 Product advertising – clicking on the link will take you to an online store/website which is also operated by us. This is not an editorial recommendation.