Body odor (BO) is a normal part of being human. Hormones, certain medical conditions, and the food you eat can cause strong body odor or changes in the way that you smell. Strong body odor is often perceived as being unpleasant, but there are ways to prevent or treat BO.
This article discusses the causes of strong body odor, tips for reducing it, and medical treatments for body odor that doesn’t improve with preventative measures.
What Causes Strong Body Odor?
Sweat itself doesn't have a smell. Body odor comes from the bacteria that live on sweaty parts of your body, like your armpits. When you sweat, these bacteria break down certain proteins in your sweat into acids, causing an odor.
Whether your sweat causes body odor depends on the glands releasing it. You're more likely to have body odor when your sweat comes from apocrine glands, which release sweat from hair follicles found in the armpits, groin, and pubic area. Sweat from these glands, produced when you're hot or stressed, contain fats and other compounds that smell when broken down by bacteria.
Eccrine glands, on the other hand, are found all over your skin and squeeze out sweat through a duct to regulate your body temperature. This sweat lacks the fats and other compounds that can smell when broken down by bacteria.
Additional external factors can also contribute to how you smell.
Weight Changes
When you gain weight, you may develop more skin folds. These folds can hold sweat and bacteria, which create ideal conditions for strong body odor.
Diet
Onions, garlic, and some cruciferous vegetables contain sulfur, which can build up and come out through eccrine sweat glands, making body odor even stronger.
Spicy foods can also make you sweat more, which in turn can give you a stronger scent.
Medical Conditions
Some conditions can change your normal body scent. These include diabetes, kidney problems or liver disease, and an overactive thyroid. Some very rare genetic conditions can also change your body's odor.
In some cases, an odd body odor can be a sign of something more serious. For example, a bleach-like or urine-like smell may indicate kidney or liver problems.
Stress
Stress increases your heart rate and sends a signal to your sweat glands to begin producing sweat to help regulate your body temperature and balance your body's fluids. While sweat may be released through the eccrine glands, most stress-induced sweat will come out of the apocrine glands, which create smellier sweat.
So, you may notice an increase in body odor right before or during a stressful event.
Genetics
If your family members have smellier sweat, you may be more likely to have it, too. Genes are one of the factors that determine your individual odor.
Excessive Sweating
A condition called hyperhidrosis can cause you to sweat a lot. People with this condition may sweat even when they don't feel excessively hot or stressed.
Menopause may also cause an increase in sweat due to changes in hormone levels that affect your body's ability to regulate temperature. And some people just naturally sweat more than others.
Overview of Hyperhidrosis
Hormones (Pregnancy or Puberty)
Shifting hormones during pregnancy can raise your body temperature and can make your body think it's hotter than it actually is. The combination can cause you to sweat more than usual, leading to body odor.
Puberty is another time when people may have more body odor than usual. That's because the surge in hormones makes sweat glands more active, allowing for the kind of sweating that causes BO.
How to Get Rid of Strong Body Odor
Body odor can be embarrassing. Fortunately, in most cases, it doesn't signal a serious problem. There are things you can do to banish body odor, or at least tone it down.
Shower Daily
Shower at least once a day. Use soap or shower gel and lather up thoroughly. Pay special attention to the areas prone to body odor.
If you are in a very hot or humid area, you may need to shower twice a day. You can also use a washcloth to wash just your armpits, groin, and skin folds. Be sure to shower immediately after you exercise or sweat.
Use Anti-Bacterial Soap
If regular showers don't seem to help, try a special cleanser. These include:
- Anti-bacterial soap or body wash like Dial
- Benzoyl peroxide cleanser
These washes can help reduce the amount of bacteria on your skin.
Choose the Right Underarm Products
There are two types of underarm products: deodorants and antiperspirants.
Deodorants make your underarms less hospitable for bacteria. They also help mask body odor with a fragrance. Antiperspirants block sweat glands to reduce perspiration.
If you don't sweat much but still get body odor, deodorants are a good choice. If you sweat a lot, look for a product that is both an antiperspirant and a deodorant.
If you have strong body odor, look for a product with higher amounts of active ingredients. If over-the-counter products don't seem to help, talk to a healthcare provider. You might benefit from a prescription antiperspirant/deodorant.
Wear Breathable Fabrics
Natural fabrics like cotton are better than polyester, nylon, and rayon at controlling body odor. Natural fibers breathe; this lets sweat evaporate.
Avoid fabrics that trapsweat against the skin. These create a better breeding ground for body odor. When working out, choose moisture-wicking fabrics.
Change Your Diet
Remove or reduce spicy or pungent foods from your diet. This includes foods like:
- Curry
- Garlic
- Spicy peppers
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Onions
These foods can cause a more pungent sweat. Even alcohol can change the smell of your sweat.
If you eat these types of foods regularly, try eating less of them or stop eating them altogether. This might help improve your body odor.
Shave or Wax
Apocrine glands are concentrated in areas covered by hair. This includes the armpits and the pubic area.
Hair holds sweat and makes a good home for bacteria. Removing hair can help control body odor.
Consider shaving your underarms. If you'd rather not go bare, try trimming the hair short. This can also help reduce body odor.
Medical Treatments for Body Odor
If you've tried these tips and haven't seen an improvement, call a healthcare provider. Something else may be causing your body odor, such as a fungal infection. Or, you just may need a stronger treatment.
Consider these options:
- Prescription antiperspirants/deodorants are stronger than what you can get over the counter. These are usually the first treatment step for body odor.
- Antibiotics, either topical or oral, can help reduce bacteria on the skin.
- Botox (onabotulinumtoxin A) injections can reduce your sweat glands' ability to produce sweat. This is not a permanent fix, though. Treatment needs to be repeated every few months.
- Laser treatment reduces hair follicles. This may not help with body odor, though.
- Surgery to remove sweat glands can be done in extreme cases.
Summary
Body odor is caused by bacteria breaking down the sweat from the apocrine glands in your armpits, groin, and pubic area.
You may be more prone to body odor if you are overweight, eat certain foods, have certain health conditions, or are under stress. Genetics may also play a role.
You can prevent body odor with lifestyle changes like daily showering and choosing the right underarm product.
If you still have body odor after trying these things, ask a healthcare provider about prescription medication or medical procedures that might help.
