Everyone sweats, but there are people who sweat more than most people. Some people even develop hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. Although not a serious disease, this condition can certainly cause embarrassment and discomfort about body odor. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your body smelling good even if you sweat more than the "average" person.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Keeping Clean
Step 1. Take a shower regularly
Sweat itself doesn't smell; Body odor occurs when bacteria on the skin break down sweat into acids. Although it is a normal part of the body, excess bacteria and the resulting acid can be removed by bathing every day.
- Thoroughly clean hairy areas of the body. Humans have two types of sweat glands. Eccrine glands are spread over the skin and regulate body temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when the body is hot. The sweat produced by these glands is usually not very smelly. Meanwhile, the other sweat glands, the apocrine glands, are concentrated in hairy areas of the body such as the armpits and genital area. Sweat from these glands is high in protein. Because bacteria love protein, this type of sweat can quickly turn very smelly.
- Use antibacterial soap on your underarms. Some bacteria are good for the body. However, if there are too many of them, bacteria can cause body odor problems, especially in vulnerable areas such as the armpits.
Step 2. Shave your armpit hair
Because it is a place for sweat and body odor to stick, hair will be an ideal place for the growth of odor-producing bacteria.
Step 3. Change your clothes regularly
At a minimum, you should change clothes every day. Changing clothes more than once a day is also a good thing to do if you are doing work or sports that make you sweat.
Step 4. Wear clothes made of natural fibers
Avoid clothing that is tight and made of synthetic fibers such as nylon. This type of clothing limits the skin's ability to "breathe" and increases the amount of sweat produced.
Step 5. Pay attention to your socks and shoes
Wear socks that are thick, soft and made of natural fibers. Or, you can also wear sports socks that are made to absorb moisture. Instead of synthetic shoes, use shoes made of leather, canvas, or mesh.
- Change socks at least twice a day if your feet are prone to sweating.
- Consider bringing spare socks during the day so you can change them whenever you need them.
Step 6. Use products that can prevent body odor
Some products can mask body odor or eliminate the source of the sweat problem.
- Deodorants use perfume to cover up the smell of sweat without removing the sweat itself.
- Antiperspirants reduce the amount of sweat the body produces. Aluminum chloride, the active ingredient commonly found in antiperspirants, blocks sweat glands from producing sweat. In addition to making the body sweat-free, many antiperspirants also contain perfume ingredients that can make you smell good.
- If regular antiperspirants don't work to prevent sweating, talk to your doctor about getting a special formulation of aluminum chloride. This antiperspirant is usually used at night and washed off in the morning. These antiperspirants work by using the time you sleep (less sweat occurs during sleep) to seep into the sweat glands and block sweat production.
Step 7. Use perfume or body spray
Although it can't be used as a substitute for a cleaning routine, perfume can replace bad smells with good ones.
- Experiment to find a perfume that matches the chemicals in your body.
- Always carry your perfume or body spray during the day to freshen up your body.
- Pay attention to the regulations regarding fragrances at your workplace or school. Some people are very sensitive to synthetic fragrances and you may not be allowed to wear them under certain circumstances.
- Perfumes that are reactive to moisture (not yet commercially available) may be of use in the future. Scientists in Ireland have studied a way to bind fragrances to ionic liquids that react to water, including the water in sweat. The more sweat produced when the perfume is used, the stronger the scent will be.
Method 2 of 3: Minimize Sweat
Step 1. Take care not to overdo it
Excess weight causes the body to work harder because it increases body temperature and makes the body produce more sweat. Skin folds caused by being overweight can also hide bacteria. So, also clean these areas when showering.
Step 2. Avoid spicy food and alcoholic beverages
Sweat will appear more when spicy foods and alcoholic beverages are consumed. As mentioned earlier, sweat interacts with bacteria on the skin to produce body odor. By reducing or eliminating it from the diet, the amount of sweat production will be more controlled so that it keeps your body smelling good.
Step 3. Use an armpit shield to protect your clothes
While this won't change the amount of sweat you're shedding, this tactic will allow you to wear shirts and sweaters longer before they get stinky. This tool is usually made of absorbent material that will prevent sweat from sticking to the skin and causing odors. This tool will also minimize the appearance of sweat on the clothes.
Step 4. Stay positive
Recent scientific research indicates that "chemosignals" or body odors of happy people tend to cause happy reactions in others who smell their body odors. In other words, if you are happy, the messages you send to others spread that happiness and your scent will make other people happy too.
Method 3 of 3: Consider Serious Illness
Step 1. Determine if your sweat smells like fruit or like bleach
Sweat that smells like fruit can be a symptom of diabetes. Meanwhile, sweat that smells like bleach is a symptom of liver or kidney disease. Call your doctor if you are concerned that your sweating is a symptom of a serious illness.
Step 2. Call your doctor if you think you have hyperhidrosis
Basic hygiene practices should keep you smelling good. If the problem doesn't go away, your doctor may be able to offer a stronger treatment to get rid of the excessive sweating that's causing your body odor.
Step 3. Discuss botox options with your doctor
Botox, or low-dose botulinum toxin, can be injected into the problem area. Botox will block signals from the brain to the sweat glands and reduce sweating. This treatment is temporary and the effect lasts for 2-8 months.
Step 4. Consider therapeutic plastic surgery if you are already too worried about the body odor problem
Try the aforementioned methods before taking this big step. However, if your concerns have greatly affected your quality of life, this surgery option can be done.
- Removal of a small area of underarm skin and underlying tissue will often remove the most problematic apocrine sweat glands.
- Sweat glands can sometimes be pulled from the deeper layers of the skin by liposuction.
Step 5. Talk to your doctor about ETS surgery as a last resort
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS (endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy) uses laparoscopic surgery to destroy the nerves that control sweating in the problem area.
Tips
- Store clothes in a clean place and make sure that your home is clean and smells good.
- Check each fragrance you want to use before buying it. This is to ensure that the aroma matches and can replace the problematic odor.
- Remember, cleanliness is the key. When in doubt, clean your clothes, certain body parts or your entire body.
