Reading Time: <1 minuteThere are many statements on the web such as "MiraDry has no effect, I heard there is no downtime, but it was painful to the point of death." What is the truth? It is safe because it does not use a scalpel, it is less painful, it is easy to receive treatment, and it is performed with medical equipment approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare with little downtime... It is all a lie. There will be some burns, severe pain, and severe swelling. Downtime that makes daily life difficult, and if the treatment is performed by a nurse, there is an even greater risk of skin necrosis and infection. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has only approved it as a medical device for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, and has not approved it as a medical device for the treatment of underarm odor. Safety has not been confirmed for hems, areolas, and children, so I think it is contraindicated, and I think there are many doctors who think the same. In other words, MiraDry is not a medical device or method that solves patients' odor problems, but has become a business that prioritizes profit over medical care at some beauty clinics and dermatology clinics. Just because it is a medical institution does not mean you can be safe. There are also medical institutions where doctors are not the managers and they openly carry out anti-medical practices. MiraDry is a treatment device specifically for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, not for those who are concerned about body odor. Many beauty clinics treat hyperhidrosis and body odor the same, but in reality, the two conditions are fundamentally different. MiraDry is a medical device developed and sold to treat primary axillary hyperhidrosis, i.e., to suppress excessive sweating in the armpit area, and has not been certified as a medical device for the purpose of reducing body odor. This confusion and exaggerated advertising have misled many people. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has only certified the device as a medical device for the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis, which is underarm sweating.   ■Eccrine sweat glands Eccrine sweat glands are distributed over the skin surface all over the body, mainly in the dermis. They excrete sweat through ducts that open onto the skin surface. -Regenerative ability of eccrine sweat glands Even if eccrine sweat glands are destroyed or their function is reduced, they can regenerate over time and their function can be restored. ■ Apocrine sweat glands Apocrine sweat glands are found mainly in areas with dense hair, such as the armpits, pubic area, and around the areola. Apocrine sweat glands are found in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the skin, deeper from the surface than eccrine sweat glands, and their ducts open into hair follicles. ・Body odor and apocrine sweat glands Body odor is caused by a strong-smelling component (N-acetyl-5-methylornithine) contained in apocrine sweat. It is broken down by surface bacteria and causes the odor. Once destroyed, apocrine sweat glands rarely regenerate.  

Is MiraDry effective against underarm odor?

MiraDry destroys sweat glands with microwave energy. The microwaves used by MiraDry have a wavelength of 5.8 GHz, which allows for focused irradiation on the dermis layer where sweat glands are concentrated. However, the wavelength cannot be changed, and the depth of the energy cannot be adjusted. Because of this system, MiraDry can only affect and be effective on the eccrine sweat glands present in the dermis layer. However, the apocrine sweat glands, which are the main cause of body odor, are located in the subcutaneous tissue, which is a layer deeper than the dermis. For this reason, MiraDry's microwave energy cannot damage the apocrine sweat glands. This is the main reason why MiraDry has little effect on body odor.

The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency responded, "The results of the clinical trials for MiraDry did not meet the clinical trial criteria for odor, and so the review has concluded that, overall, the product is only suitable for treating hyperhidrosis, and that it did not demonstrate any odor-reducing effect." and "As you point out, this product (MiraDry) is only suitable for patients with primary axillary hyperhidrosis, and naturally is not suitable for patients with axillary hyperhidrosis."

  Minutes of the Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostics Subcommittee of the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council held on May 2018, 11

MiraDry is not suitable for underarm odor

The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency has a clear view on why miraDry treatment is not indicated for body odor. Clinical trials have shown that miraDry does not reduce body odor-related odors, so this treatment is not applicable to body odor. This leads to the conclusion that miraDry has little or no effect on body odor.

MiraDry is not expected to be effective in treating underarm odor, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has not approved it as a medical device for treating underarm odor.

We believe that the effectiveness of treatments by nurses in recent years, especially for hyperhidrosis, has declined significantly. MiraDry treatment has led to tragic deaths. Please beware of MiraDry armpit odor businesses that take advantage of patients who suffer from armpit odor. Not only is MiraDry ineffective against armpit odor, but irradiation of the hem, which is not suitable for this treatment, can cause extremely serious aftereffects and even death.