Ever heard of aluminum chloride hexahydrate? It's when regular antiperspirants fail, as they often do, to remedy hyperhidrosis, most doctors start by recommending aluminum chloride hexahydrate, a prescription-strength version of aluminum chloride.
The process is to apply the product just before going to bed seven to 10 nights in a row, then roughly once a week as a maintenance medication. The aluminum salts in this preparation collect in the sweat ducts of the patient and block them. Over time, the excessive perspiration may decrease to such an extent that no further treatment is needed. This method works well for many patients whose problem is excessive underarm sweating, but it's not satisfactory for most of those with clammy palms and sweating of the soles of the feet and other parts of the body.
The main side effect with of this prescription version is irritation, which can sometimes be overcome by reducing the frequency of use or applying anti-inflammatory medications such as lotions containing hydrocortisone.