Iontodry has a 10-year service life.
Iontodry has a 10-year service life.
The control unit has 3 different indicators. The two on the bottom of the unit are the closed-loop circuit indicators. When lit up, they indicate that the current is circulating, i.e. the treatment is under way.
The largest indicator, located on the top right-hand side of the control unit, indicates the battery level. Green means the battery level is above 50 percent. Red means it is below this level.
The closed-loop circuit indicators indicate when the current is circulating in the treatment area. They turn off and back on again roughly every 60 seconds. This is because the voltage changes polarity every minute so the current changes direction. To that end, there is an instant when the current doesn’t circulate, which is when the lights turn off.
The closed-loop circuit indicators should light up whenever a treatment with an intensity level of more than 2 is performed. If they don’t, it may be that you haven’t put your hand/foot in the unit properly and are not closing the electrical loop. Make sure you are doing it properly. See our palmar and plantar treatment videos for help.
If you have positioned the area to treat properly and the light still doesn’t come on, there’s not enough water in the treatment unit compartments.
The battery will last for three sessions, i.e. 90 minutes.
It takes four hours to fully charge a completely uncharged battery.
When the control unit is charging, the battery-level indicator is red for the first two minutes.
When the battery level indicator is red, the battery is less than half-charged. This means it can be used for around 45 minutes, i.e. about 1 and a half sessions. In any case, we recommend you charge the device when the battery light turns red.
Iontodry foam pads have been designed exclusively for use with iontodry. Their function is to prevent contact between the application area and the metal plates on the unit. The thicker the foam pads, the milder the tickling but also the less effective the session.
Driosec recommends the exclusive use of iontodry foam pads in iontodry application, using the 5mm foam pads for treating hands and the 3mm ones for treating feet.
It depends on the area to treat. If you are treating your hands, we recommend using the 5 mm pads due to the current’s lower impact on thick surfaces. If you are treating your feet, we recommend using the 3 mm foam pads.
We advise against using any other type of pad because we do not know how compatible it will be with iontodry.
Iontodry uses the pulsating current system, a type of continuous (or direct) current that has no harmonic polarity changes but does have variable intensity changes of duration and regularity. These variations alleviate the discomfort the direct current could cause whilst, at the same time, maintaining its effectiveness.
You can prep for a session by following these steps:
There are two positions, depending on the area to treat:
To ensure effective treatment across the whole of the affected surface area, change the position of the hand/foot during the session. This will make certain that the treatment is applied to the whole of the desired area.
During the iontodry session, we recommend moving your fingers and hands gradually without losing contact with the foam pads around every 5 minutes.
For optimal iontodry operation, we recommend using 400 ml of tap water. If the closed-loop circuit indicators don’t turn on after you have introduced the 400 ml of water and placed your hands in the unit, or if you are sweating between your toes or on the top of your foot, add a little more water. In these situations, we recommend adding water gradually until the indicators turn on and/or the hand/foot is partially covered by the water.
There are 15 intensity levels ranging from 2 mA to 20 mA.
In any case, the higher the level the greater the treatment efficacy, so if you can comfortably withstand a higher-than-recommended intensity level, do not hesitate to do so.
Current circulation is more noticeable when it penetrates small skin surfaces. To reduce the impact of the current when you introduce either your hand or foot, begin by introducing the fingers/toes and then close the circuit with the palm of the hand or your heel. When you remove your hand or foot, first remove your palm or heel and then your fingers or toes.
Session effectiveness and length varies from person to person.
It is not advisable. Although the iontophoresis technique has been proven not to have any serious side effects, it can cause redness on overly treated areas or due to poor product use.
The only proven consequence is redness of the treated areas but no improvement in effect has been shown by having a treatment of more than 30 minutes.
You can expect sweating to reappear at some stage after it has stopped. When it reappears, there are two options: you can follow the same procedure as the initial treatment (you will usually get the same result with fewer sessions) or you can do between 1 and 4 sessions per fortnight. The number of treatments depends on the initial level of hyperhidrosis, skin type, time of year, intensity level applied, etc.
Removing a hand/foot during treatment is not a problem. We recommend first removing the palm/sole and then the fingers/toes. When you want to reintroduce the area to treat, start with the fingers/toes followed by the palm/sole.
If you have a sore or cut, cover it with a little Vaseline (we suggest Iontoprotect protector balm) to prevent the current from circulating inside the wound. Once the wound is covered, you can begin the treatment as per usual.
If the area to treat is the top of the foot, add more water to the larger compartment in the treatment unit. This means there will be more surface area undergoing the treatment.
If the area to treat is between the toes, make sure the affected surface area is in contact with the maximum possible amount of water.
Normally, during the treatment, you often notice a tickling on the palm of your hand, the heel or the tip of the fingers or toes. If you can’t feel anything, increase the intensity level as high as you can comfortably bear it. If you still can’t feel anything, make sure the current is circulating properly. To that end, check whether the closed-loop circuit indicators, i.e. those at the bottom of the control unit, are turning on and off.
If they are on and you still can’t feel the current and have already turned up the intensity level, it may be that the loop is not closed through your hand. This happens when there is water connecting the two compartments of the treatment unit. To solve this, simply dry the area between them with a cloth. If the closed-loop circuit indicators remain off, it’s usually because there’s not enough water in the compartments. Add a bit more water to both compartments. Make sure the pad in the small compartment is completely wet, to the point that it can’t absorb any more liquid.
There have been no previous studies proving an improvement in iontodry effect after adding bicarbonate soda. We therefore do not recommend adding it to the water in the treatment unit.
Iontodry is based on the transdermal introduction of ions in the water based on the generation of an electric current. There are not as many mineral salts in distilled or bottled water so it may affect the effectiveness of the iontodry technique.
The minimum age for the iontophoresis treatment is 16 years. We advise consulting a medical specialist regarding treatment in younger patients.
The iontodry must be maintained properly to maximise its service life.
At Driosec, we recommend wiping soapy water over the treatment unit after each session and, most importantly, drying the different compartments with a cloth.
The aluminium electrodes are the part that wear down the fastest so we recommend you dry them completely with a dry cloth. If they are very rusted, we suggest changing them for new ones in order to perform the treatment safely and with greater efficacy.
It’s a good idea to wash the foam pads after each session to keep them in good condition for as long as possible. To that end, we recommend submerging them in water, wringing them out and drying them off.
The foam pads wear down through continual use and may get out of shape and tattered. Change them about once a year to keep them in tip-top condition. The treatment must be done with foam pads or the skin could be burnt or suffer other adverse effects if it comes into contact with the aluminium electrodes.
The aluminium electrodes wear down due to a build-up of salts on the surface. This adverse effect can vary greatly according to tap water hardness (depending on geographic areas). Electrodes in poor condition must be replaced with new ones.
The Driosec products section has iontodry-compatible electrodes that you can buy to replace the ones that come with the unit.
To change the aluminium electrodes, you will need to use an M3 screwdriver or an adjustable wrench. Once you have removed the electrode, clean the area well and insert a new one. It should be screwed in tightly to fasten the electrode as much as possible.
The Driosec products section has iontodry-compatible polyester foam pads that you can buy to replace the ones that come with the unit.