Body Odor

Overview

Perspiration, or sweat, is part of your body's cooling mechanism. Water on your skin's surface evaporates and helps cool you down. Sweat itself doesn't actually smell; the odor is caused by bacteria on your skin releasing unpleasant-smelling natural chemicals. And thanks to puberty, sweat glands become more active than before you were a teenager. You might notice this odor under your arms (armpits). Your feet and your genitals might also have new smells as well.

The best way to keep clean is to bathe or shower every day using a mild soap or body wash and warm water. This will help wash away any bacteria that contribute to the smells. Taking a shower is the best way to get your whole body clean because you are washing under running water. Wearing clean clothes, socks and underwear each day also helps you feel clean. If you sweat a lot, you might find that shirts, T-shirts, socks and underwear made from cotton will help absorb sweat more effectively.

If you are concerned about the way your underarms smell, you can try using a deodorant or deodorant with antiperspirant. They come in sticks, roll-ons, gels, sprays and creams and are available at any drugstore or supermarket. All brands are similar, even those that say they're made for a man or for a woman. The difference is the scent of the perfumes that are added.

The main difference is the one between deodorants and antiperspirants. Deodorants get rid of the odor of sweat by covering it up, and antiperspirants actually stop or dry up perspiration. Antiperspirants often contain a deodorant in them, too.

Keep in mind that deodorants or antiperspirants aren't even necessary for some teenagers. Deodorant and antiperspirant commercials may try to convince you that you will have no friends or dates if you don't use their product, but if you aren't troubled by the way you smell and you take daily baths or showers and wear clean clothes, you may be fine without it. Everyone's body chemistry is different. Some people perspire more than others, and many teens do sweat more when they are growing or while their hormones are still fluctuating.

Q. I sweat so much all the time. The wet marks under my arms is embarrassing. Is this a physical or an emotional problem? I have tried many deodorants. Help!.

A. This is common problem for many teens. We all sweat different amounts, and the amount our sweat smells also differs. Certain materials make you sweat more--particularly artificial materials. Try and wear only pure cotton clothes. Make sure that you wash regularly to get rid of the sweat--bathing or showering twice a day helps. Try a deodorant with an antiperspirant in it. The best ones for sweating contain aluminum chloride hexahydrate.

Profuse sweating that occurs at times other than in hot conditions or after exercise is sometimes due to a disorder called hyperhidrosis. This disorder is marked by perspiration produced in abundance by overactive sweat glands. When you're a teenager it is not uncommon for hormones to be causing overactive sweat glands. However, there could be other causes like hyperhidrosis.
Excessive sweating may be all over the body or be limited to certain areas of the body. This condition affects both men and women and usually begins during childhood or at puberty, but improves spontaneously for many people in their twenties. Hyperhidrosis itself can cause anxiety or distress for people who have it, which leads to additional sweating.

Make an appointment with a health care provider to make sure that what you have is primary hyperhidrosis rather than an underlying condition that causes profuse perspiration, known as secondary hyperhidrosis; which would require treating the underlying condition first, often resolving the abundant sweating as well. Take this opportunity to get more information and to discuss your treatment options and their possible side effects.