Seoul
Chief MD, Gangnam
Duk-ha Kim
The trust our patients have placed in this clinic was built on conviction and principle. We intend to hold to both, unchanged, through the next hundred years.
Botulinum toxin treatment-indication guide
Hyperhidrosis Toxin
Severe axillary hyperhidrosis is an approved treatment indication rather than a cosmetic add-on: the U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label covers treatment of severe axillary hyperhidrosis that is inadequately managed by topical agents, while the separate BOTOX Cosmetic label does not carry that indication at all. Which product and which country the approval belongs to decides what applies to you, so the product name comes before every other question.
- Approved indication
- Severe axillary hyperhidrosis inadequately managed by topical agents (U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label)
- Two separate labels
- Therapeutic BOTOX carries it; BOTOX Cosmetic does not
- Area on the label
- Underarm only; other body areas are stated as not established
- Label warning
- U.S. boxed warning on distant spread of toxin effect
Is underarm sweating treatment a cosmetic extra or an approved medical indication?
It is an approved medical indication where a label says so. The U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label lists "Treatment of severe axillary hyperhidrosis that is inadequately managed by topical agents" among its approved uses, which places it with treatment records rather than with a beauty menu. Whether your own sweating matches that description — severe, in the underarm, and not settled by topical agents — is decided at an in-person assessment, not by the menu heading you booked from.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)
How does a toxin injection reduce underarm sweating?
It interrupts the nerve signal that reaches the sweat glands rather than removing the glands. The mechanism section of the BOTOX labels describes the toxin blocking acetylcholine release at the nerve terminal by cleaving SNAP-25, the protein the terminal needs in order to release that signal, and the sweat glands in the underarm are driven by acetylcholine-carrying nerve fibres. Nothing is added to the skin and no tissue is taken out, so the treated zone is defined by where the injections are placed — which is also why the label still carries a warning about effects reaching beyond the injection site.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)FDA label — BOTOX Cosmetic
Which product and which label actually carries this indication?
Not every botulinum toxin product carries it, and the answer changes by country. In the United States it sits on the therapeutic BOTOX label; the separate BOTOX Cosmetic label lists wrinkle indications and does not carry hyperhidrosis at all, and JEUVEAU is approved for glabellar lines only. In Korea, the approved details for the imported BOTOX injection cover the treatment of persistent, severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis that resists topical treatment and interferes with daily activities, in people aged 18 and over, while the MFDS record for the Korean-made Nabota does not list hyperhidrosis among its indications. In Japan, the PMDA listing for the therapeutic Botox for injection includes severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis; this page could verify that only indirectly, so confirm the wording in the Japanese package insert. For mainland China, this page has no record it can cite either way.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticFDA label — JEUVEAU (Evolus)Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center — approved details for the imported BOTOX injection 50 UMFDS drug product record — Nabota 50 U (Daewoong)PMDA listing — Botox for injection (therapeutic)
Does the approval cover hands, feet, face or scalp as well?
No. The U.S. label attaches a Limitations of Use statement to this indication: safety and effectiveness for hyperhidrosis in other body areas have not been established. That is a statement about what the approval record does not establish, not a claim that such treatments are unavailable — clinics do offer them. If one is offered to you, it falls outside the approved area, and the clinician has to say so, explain the reasoning and set out the risks specific to that area before you agree.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)
What happens during an underarm treatment session?
The assessment comes first, then a defined number of injection points spread across each underarm. The dose follows the product label rather than the size of the area: the Japanese record for the therapeutic product describes 50 units per underarm in adults, divided across 10 to 15 injection points, and this page verified those figures only indirectly, so check them in the package insert for the product actually used. Ask for the product name alongside any number you are quoted, because the number is only readable once the product is named.
Sources: PMDA listing — Botox for injection (therapeutic)Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center — approved details for the imported BOTOX injection 50 U
How long does the effect last?
The U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label carries the axillary hyperhidrosis indication, and nothing in that label states a number of months for how long a treated injection controls sweating; it sets out the indication, the mechanism of action, and safety information, not a persistence curve. What the mechanism section already describes still applies here: the toxin blocks acetylcholine release at the nerve terminal, and that block is not permanent, so a return of sweating reflects the nerve terminal recovering rather than a treatment failure. The label does not set a fixed retreatment interval either; whether an injection is due again is a clinical judgment made against how the individual is responding, not a date printed on the label. Ask the clinic which product and label your treatment is given under — BOTOX Cosmetic and JEUVEAU do not carry this indication at all — and how it decides that a repeat injection is due, rather than assuming a fixed calendar interval.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)
What warning is printed on the label, and who cannot be treated?
The U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label carries a boxed warning headed "WARNING: DISTANT SPREAD OF TOXIN EFFECT", covering effects that may spread from the injection site hours to weeks after injection and produce symptoms of botulinum toxicity, including swallowing and breathing difficulties that can be life threatening. Contraindications are set product by product: the U.S. BOTOX Cosmetic label, for example, lists hypersensitivity to any botulinum toxin preparation and infection at the proposed injection site. Ask for the contraindication list printed on the label of the exact product being used, and disclose neuromuscular conditions, current medicines, allergies, and any pregnancy or breastfeeding before the appointment.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)FDA label — BOTOX Cosmetic
Why does the risk profile change with the part of the body treated?
Because what sits near the needle changes, and the U.S. label names two examples tied to specific areas: weakness of the hand muscles in people who receive the injection for palmar hyperhidrosis, and a drooping upper eyelid in people who receive it for facial hyperhidrosis. Those follow from where the injection goes, so a risk list written for underarm treatment does not describe palm, face or scalp treatment. If an area outside the underarm is being discussed, ask which risks apply to that area specifically and what the clinic does if they appear.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)
Can you compare the unit numbers quoted by two clinics?
Only when both quotes name the same product. The U.S. BOTOX Cosmetic label states that its Units cannot be compared to nor converted into Units of any other botulinum toxin products, and the JEUVEAU label carries an equivalent statement. A higher unit number quoted for a different product therefore does not mean more treatment, and it does not say that one product is stronger than another. Settle the product name first and the unit count becomes readable; leave it open and the two numbers sit on different scales.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticFDA label — JEUVEAU (Evolus)
What should you confirm before the injection is given?
Start with the product name, then the label it is being given under, then the units per underarm. Ask which national approval covers that product for this indication, whether the vial is the imported product named in the Korean record or a Korean-made product without the indication, who performs the injection, and whom to contact if symptoms appear after you have left. Disclose previous botulinum toxin treatment with its date and product name, hypersensitivity to any botulinum toxin preparation, infection or skin problems in the underarm, neuromuscular conditions, current medicines, and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Sources: Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center — approved details for the imported BOTOX injection 50 UFDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)
Where do topical treatments fit alongside the injection?
They come first in the approved wording itself. The U.S. indication is written for severe axillary hyperhidrosis that is inadequately managed by topical agents, and the Korean record describes sweating that resists topical treatment and interferes with daily activities; in both, the injection is positioned for cases that topical treatment has not settled. This page documents no other procedure for sweating, so if one is proposed, ask what it is approved for and under which record before you weigh it against anything written here.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center — approved details for the imported BOTOX injection 50 U
Which record carries the hyperhidrosis indication, and which does not?
These are separate approval records, not tiers of one treatment. Use this table to line up which label covers underarm hyperhidrosis in which country, and note that unit counts do not translate from one row to another.
| Product and label | Regulator and record | Does that record cover axillary hyperhidrosis? | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOTOX (therapeutic) | U.S. FDA — therapeutic label | Yes — treatment of severe axillary hyperhidrosis that is inadequately managed by topical agents | Read the Limitations of Use next to the indication: other body areas are stated as not established |
| BOTOX Cosmetic | U.S. FDA — cosmetic label | No — this label carries wrinkle indications only | A clinic saying Botox has not told you which of the two records applies |
| JEUVEAU | U.S. FDA — Evolus label | No — glabellar lines only | Approved scope is set per product, not per toxin type |
| Imported BOTOX injection | Korea — approved details for the imported product | Yes — persistent severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis resistant to topical treatment and interfering with daily activities, from age 18 | Confirm the vial is the imported product named in that record |
| Nabota | Korea MFDS — Daewoong product record | No — hyperhidrosis is not among the indications listed there | A Korean-made product on the menu does not bring this indication with it |
| Botox for injection | Japan PMDA — therapeutic listing | Listed as including severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis; verified indirectly on this page | Confirm the indication wording and the dosing in the Japanese package insert |
This table maps which approval record carries the indication. It is not a ranking, not an efficacy comparison, and not a statement that any two products can be exchanged at the same number of units.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic, onabotulinumtoxinA)FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticFDA label — JEUVEAU (Evolus)Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center — approved details for the imported BOTOX injection 50 UMFDS drug product record — Nabota 50 U (Daewoong)PMDA listing — Botox for injection (therapeutic)
Medical care at Abijou
Care is provided by the medical team at the branch you select. These clinicians lead the three branches linked from this guide; confirm the doctor assigned to your visit with that branch.
Chief MD, Myeongdong
Cheol-su Yoon
I want to be thinking about how the patient feels right up to the last moment of the procedure.
Chief MD, Hongdae
Jae-wook Kim
I will give my best with the attentiveness to catch even the smallest change.
Listed branch medical team — not a medical-review byline for this article.
Frequently asked questions
What does severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis mean on a clinic menu?
It is the wording of an approved indication, not a marketing phrase. The U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label names treatment of severe axillary hyperhidrosis that is inadequately managed by topical agents, and the Korean record for the imported BOTOX injection describes persistent, severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis that resists topical treatment and interferes with daily activities in people aged 18 and over. Whether your own sweating is assessed that way is decided in person.
Is this handled as a cosmetic procedure?
Not on the label the indication belongs to. Hyperhidrosis appears on the therapeutic BOTOX record in the United States, while the cosmetic record covers wrinkle indications; how a clinic advertises or files it is a separate matter from which approval applies. Ask which record the injection is being given under.
Does the injection destroy or remove the sweat glands?
No — it acts on the nerve signal that reaches them. The labels describe the toxin blocking acetylcholine release at the nerve terminal by cleaving SNAP-25, so the glands receive less of the signal that drives sweating while the tissue itself stays where it is.
My clinic uses Botox for wrinkles — is that the same product approved for sweating?
Not necessarily, because BOTOX and BOTOX Cosmetic are two separate records with two separate labels. Hyperhidrosis appears on the therapeutic label; the cosmetic label lists wrinkle indications and does not carry it. The brand name alone does not tell you which of the two is in front of you, so ask for the label.
A clinic in Korea offers a Korean-made toxin for underarm sweating — does the Korean approval cover that?
The Korean approval documented here belongs to the imported BOTOX injection, not to Korean-made products. The MFDS record for Nabota, made in Korea, does not list hyperhidrosis among its indications, and this page holds no record showing the indication for any other Korean-made product. If a domestic product is proposed, ask which record carries this indication for it.
Can the same treatment be used for sweaty palms?
Not under the approved wording: the U.S. label states that safety and effectiveness for hyperhidrosis in other body areas have not been established, and it notes weakness of the hand muscles in people who receive the injection for palmar hyperhidrosis. Some clinics offer palm treatment anyway. If yours does, ask plainly which approval it falls under, which risks apply to the hand, and what the plan is if grip strength changes.
How much does it hurt?
The sources cited on this page do not report a pain score, so this page cannot put a number on it. It is a series of small injections spread across each underarm, and whether topical anaesthetic, cooling or another comfort measure is used is a clinic decision — ask what they use and how long the appointment takes.
Is there downtime, and when can I shave, exercise or fly?
The sources cited here do not set a recovery schedule, so follow the aftercare instructions from the clinic that treated you. Ask specifically about shaving, antiperspirant use, exercise, heat exposure and your flight date before you book, and ask whom to contact if something changes once you are home.
How often does it need repeating?
This page cannot give you an interval, and no duration figure is documented here. The Japanese record describes a dose per underarm rather than a re-treatment schedule, so the interval is a clinical decision based on the product used and your own response. Ask the injecting clinician what they plan and on what basis.
Who should not have this injection?
Contraindications are set on each product’s own label. The U.S. BOTOX Cosmetic label lists hypersensitivity to any botulinum toxin preparation and infection at the proposed injection site, and the product actually used may carry its own list — ask for the label of that product. Neuromuscular conditions, current medicines, allergies, pregnancy and breastfeeding all need to be disclosed and reviewed in person.
Which symptoms after the injection need urgent medical attention?
Swallowing or breathing difficulty needs immediate medical attention. The boxed warning headed "WARNING: DISTANT SPREAD OF TOXIN EFFECT" describes effects spreading from the injection site hours to weeks after injection and producing symptoms of botulinum toxicity, including swallowing and breathing difficulties that can be life threatening. Contact the treating clinic as well, and tell any emergency clinician which product was injected, at what dose and when.
Does an approval in one country apply where I live?
No — approved uses are decided country by country. This indication is documented here for the therapeutic BOTOX label in the United States, for the imported BOTOX injection in Korea, and for the therapeutic Botox listing in Japan, while mainland China is not documented on this page either way. Check what is approved at home before you plan treatment or follow-up there.
How do I compare quotes between clinics?
Line up the product name first, then the label it is given under, the units per underarm, whether both sides are included, and what follow-up comes with it. Unit counts from two different products are not a like-for-like comparison, so a quote that names only a menu heading cannot be compared at all. This page carries no prices; ask each clinic to state the current amount and what it includes.
Who is this suitable for, and can it be done on a short trip to Korea?
Suitability is decided at an in-person assessment, including for short trips. The Korean record for the imported product describes people aged 18 and over with persistent severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis that resists topical treatment and interferes with daily activities. Tell the clinic your travel dates, previous toxin treatments with dates and product names, medicines, allergies and medical history, and ask what happens if you need follow-up after you have left the country.
How Abijou works
We started in Gangnam in 2006 and the network now runs 17 branches across Korea. The line we work to is skin transformation woven into everyday life — care you can keep up with, rather than one dramatic change.
- Across the 17 branches in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon and Busan: over 1,000 medical professionals and more than 350 certified medical devices
- Authentic products only, in appropriate amounts — the treatment is fitted to the condition, not to a package
- Prices are quoted from each branch’s published price list as it stands
Contact and location
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- 1544-0377
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There is no inquiry form on this page. Once you have picked a branch above, open that branch’s site or the official reservation center and choose a time yourself.
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