How does Botox® paralyze the sweat glands?
The sweat glands require stimulation by the cholinergic nerve fibers which are part of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system. These fibers originate in ganglia located near the spinal cord and extend up to the undersurface of the skin where they branch into tiny fibers that extend to the eccrine sweat glands. The Botox® inhibits the release of the chemical messenger acetylcholine which is released at the nerve endings and is required to stimulate the sweat glands. If there is no release of acetylcholine, there is no stimulation of the glands. If there is no stimulation, the glands simply sit there doing nothing and the skin remains dry.
