Women 'Microwave' Armpits To Reduce Underarm Hair, Sweat

Chris Oberholtz and Alexis Del Cid

PHILADELPHIA (CNN) -- Some women - and even some men - will go to some pretty extreme measures to look good.

The latest buzz is about microwaving your under arms all in the name of beauty.

It's called MiraSmooth, and it's the only FDA-approved treatment for permanent reduction of underarm hair and sweat. Michelle Sanabria has an embarrassing secret. Her sweating is out of control.

"I sweat profusely," she said. "Could be in any mood -- happy, sad, excited -- I still sweat."

The 26-year-old has struggled with hyperhidrosis for years, with constant underarm stains ruining clothes and self-esteem.

She tried a radical approach and had her armpits microwaved.

Using a kind of underarm tattoo as a road map, dermatologist Whitney Bowe burns off sweat and odor glands and hair follicles with the same technology that heats your food up in a microwave. Each armpit takes about a half hour.

"It uses microwave technology to deliver heat to the layer beneath the skin where the hair follicles and sweat glands live and it permanently kills those off," Bowe said. "It's an incredibly efficient procedure."

The doctor says aside from some initial swelling and discomfort, there are no lasting side effects.

"We have about two million sweat glands throughout the body and two percent are underneath the arms. You're not going to miss those sweat glands," Bowe said.

Sanabria reported back and said that her sweating problem has completely disappeared and says she's extremely happy with the results.

Bowe said aside from some initial swelling and discomfort, there are no lasting side effects. Patients are however asked to avoid vigorous exercise for a few days.

The one-hour procedure costs anywhere from $1,200 to $2,000 and sometimes requires a second treatment.

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