If you block sweat pores, will they grow elsewhere?

Sweat Pores Cannot Grow Elsewhere When Blocked

No, sweat pores do not "grow" elsewhere when blocked. Sweat glands are fixed anatomical structures in the skin that develop during embryogenesis and cannot regenerate or appear in new locations when existing ones are blocked 1.

Anatomy and Physiology of Sweat Glands

Sweat glands are distributed throughout the body's dermis and are classified into two main types:

1. Eccrine sweat glands:

   • Located throughout the body's dermis
   • Primary function is thermoregulation
   • Deliver hypotonic solution through pores to the skin surface
   • Help lower body temperature through evaporation while preserving sodium 2

2. Apocrine sweat glands:

   • Located only in the pubic area and armpits
   • Produce sweat with different composition 2

What Happens When Sweat Pores Are Blocked

When sweat pores are blocked:

• The sweat gland continues to produce sweat but cannot release it properly
• This may lead to inflammation, irritation, or conditions like miliaria (heat rash)
• The body compensates through increased sweating from unaffected areas
• This compensation is often misinterpreted as "new" sweat glands forming, but it's actually existing glands working harder 1

Compensatory Sweating

Compensatory sweating is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly after procedures like endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) for hyperhidrosis:

• It involves increased sweating in sites distal to where sweating was blocked or reduced
• This is not due to new sweat glands forming, but rather existing sweat glands increasing their activity
• It's considered the most common and feared side effect of thoracic sympathectomy 3
• Recent research suggests compensatory sweating is caused by denatured sympathetic nerves influenced by ETS rather than being a purely physiological response 4

Clinical Implications

Understanding that sweat pores cannot grow elsewhere has important clinical implications:

• Treatments for hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) that block sweat glands in one area will not cause new sweat glands to develop elsewhere
• However, they may trigger compensatory sweating from existing glands in untreated areas
• This is particularly relevant when considering treatments like:
  • Topical aluminum chloride (blocks sweat ducts)
  • Botulinum toxin injections (inhibits acetylcholine release at nerve endings)
  • Microwave therapy (destroys sweat glands)
  • Surgical interventions like ETS 1, 5

Management Considerations

When managing conditions involving blocked sweat pores:

• Focus on treating the underlying cause of blockage rather than worrying about new pore formation
• For hyperhidrosis treatments, patients should be counseled about possible compensatory sweating, especially with surgical interventions
• Compensatory sweating can sometimes be managed with the same treatments used for primary hyperhidrosis 3

The body's thermoregulatory system is complex, and while it can adapt to changes in sweat gland function, it cannot create new anatomical structures in response to blockage.