Combat Your Body Odour

Body odour, also known as bromhidrosis, is the unpleasant smell that can occur when you sweat. The sweat itself doesn't smell. The unpleasant odour is produced by bacteria on the skin that break down the sweat into acids. The two types of sweat gland are: eccrine glands – which are spread across the skin and regulate body temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when you get hot. apocrine glands – which are mainly found in hairy areas of the body, such as the armpits and genital area; apocrine glands develop during puberty and release scented chemicals called pheromones.
Sweat produced by the eccrine glands is usually odourless, although it can smell if bacteria start to break it down. It can also take on an offensive odour if you consume certain food and drink, such as garlic, spices and alcohol , as well as some types of medication, such as
antidepressants .
However, it's the apocrine glands that are mainly responsible for body odour, because the sweat they produce contains high levels of protein, which bacteria find easy to break down. People who sweat excessively from their apocrine
glands, or have a lot of bacteria on their skin, tend to have worse body odour.
Who gets body odour?
Anyone who has reached puberty (when the apocrine sweat glands develop) can produce body odour. Men are more likely to have body odour, because they tend to sweat more than women.
Things that can make body odour worse include:
overweight, eating rich or spicy foods, certain medical conditions, such as diabetes.

Managing body odour

The best way to avoid getting body odour is to keep areas of your body that are prone to sweating clean
and free of bacteria. Use soap to wash every day, paying particular attention to the areas that produce the most sweat, such as your armpits, genital area and feet. Washing removes sweat and reduces the number of bacteria on your skin. On hot days you need to have showers at least twice daily.

Changing and washing your clothes regularly will also help.

Using an antiperspirant or deodorant daily will help prevent body odour. Antiperspirants work by reducing
the amount of sweat your body produces. Deodorants use perfume to mask the smell of sweat. Use roll-on antiperspirants if you sweat heavily, as they tend to be more effective. Aluminium chloride is the active ingredient in most antiperspirants. It helps prevent the production of sweat.

Regularly shaving your armpits can also help reduce body odour. The hair in your armpits traps sweat and
odour, providing ideal conditions for bacteria to multiply.

In very severe cases of body odour, surgery or treatment with botulinum toxin may be possible options.

Excessive sweating and body odour is an unpleasant problem that can affect a person's confidence and self-esteem.
A body odour problem can usually be managed by getting rid of excess skin bacteria – which are responsible for the smell – and keeping the skin in the affected area (usually the armpits) clean and dry.

Wear natural fibres, such as wool, silk or cotton. They allow your skin to breathe, which means your sweat will evaporate quicker. Wear clean clothes, and make sure you wash
your clothes regularly.

Limit the amount of spicy foods you eat, such as curry or garlic, because they can make your sweat smell. Evidence also suggests that eating
a lot of red meat tends to make body odour worse.

If the above self care advice doesn't improve your body odour, you may need a stronger antiperspirant that contains more aluminium chloride.
Your GP or pharmacist can recommend a suitable product and advise about how often you should use it. Aluminium chloride solutions are usually applied every night before bed, and washed off in the morning. This is because you stop sweating in your sleep, so the solution can seep into your sweat glands and block them. This reduces how much you sweat the next day.
As the aluminium chloride solution begins to take effect, you can use it less often (every other night, or once or twice a week).