It gets embarrassing when we are in situations in which our underarms cause trouble and make us conscious of our body and our smell!
We need to make a daily effort to clean ourselves and smell fresh. An antiperspirant deodorant works most of the time. It helps by blocking the pores that release sweat from our bodies. On the other hand, deodorants block the smell and can make the skin acidic. This is due to the perfumes in deodorants being alcohol-based.
People often get botox as an alternative to reduce the smell from the sweat glands under their underarms, although botox is never a permanent solution for smelly underarms.
It’s never too late to learn how to keep yourself feeling fresh and cool, so here are 10 ways to get rid of that unwanted underarmsmell!
What Causes the Underarms to Smell?
There is no common smell because it varies from person to person and is based on a variety of factors, including genetics, diet, hormones, hygiene and drugs. If your body odour is particularly strong, it could be an indication of an infection and could be considered a medical issue. Other than that, the only danger from having odorous armpits is that those around you can find it unpleasant.
However, a smell often arises when our bodies feel hot, so underarm smells can be due to exercise or when our bodies feel warm in general. When a person sweats profusely because of other factors, it is called hyperhidrosis and can also cause a bad smell.
Sometimes, certain kinds of food can also release odour within our sweat. It is important to know the glands that cause this – the eccrine and apocrine glands. The eccrine glands often release sweat with an odour when certain food or medications are consumed.
The apocrine glands, which usually work under stress conditions and are present in skin follicles, start smelling when bacteria reacts with the skin.
Certain underlying conditions might also result in an unpleasant underarm odour including:
- Gout
- Diabetes
- Menopause
- Thyroid disease
Certain foods with sulphur like onions, cabbages and red meat may contribute to the development of underarm smell. Excessive weight is also known to cause bad armpit odour.
Underarm hair is the perfect place for bacteria to breed due to the suitable condition it provides for the bacteria to grow and cause an unpleasant smell. Stress and anxiety are also major contributors to bad-smelling armpits. In addition, the presence of certain genes might be a reason for smelly underarms.
Underarm Smell Treatments
if you have unwanted underarm odour that you want to get rid of, here are 10 quick and easy ways to get rid of smelly underarms:
1. Fresh Showers
Regular showers with soap or body wash after strenuous activities help us stay and feel fresh, and this helps reduce body odour.
2. Rocksalt
Applying lukewarm water with some rocksalt helps eliminate extra sweat and has cleansing properties.
3. Potato Slices
Cutting thin slices of potato and rubbing them on your underarms for more than 20 minutes and then washing them will effectively help in removing the smell from your underarms.
4. Tomato and Lemon Juice
Mixing tomato juice and lemon juice and then applying the mixture to your underarm area for 15 minutes will lessen the bad smell.
5. Deodorant
Certain over-the-counter deodorants can help reduce the smell after taking a shower. There are many types of deodorants, so find the one that suits you best.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Certain home remedies can help, such as dabbing apple cider vinegar on your underarms. Its antimicrobial properties can help fight odour-causing germs and bacteria.
7. Wash Your Clothes
While cleaning yourself, it is important to properly wash your sweaty clothes. Remaining in sweaty or musty clothes will worsen the smell coming from your underarms.
8. Witch Hazel
As a natural astringent, witch hazel reduces the skin tissues that release sweat, which automatically reduces the odour.
9. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is an acidic ingredient that prevents bacteria from growing in your underarm area. Applying a bit of lemon juice once a day can help in reducing odour-causing bacteria.
10. Medical Help
Medical help can be sought for smelly underarms in the following cases:
- Excessive sweating while sleeping.
- Constant and profuse sweating.
- Sweat that smells sweet, which is an indication of diabetes.
- A sudden increase in the amount of sweating or a sudden change in body odour.
- An infection in an area subjected to excessive sweating
- Sweating even while not engaged in any physical activity.
- Daily activities are impaired due to sweating, such as handling a computer mouse or turning the door knob.
It should be noted that these treatments are to be carried out depending on one’s skin type, especially if they have sensitive skin. Treatment on any cuts or nicks is not recommended as it can irritate and burn the skin.
Underarm Smell Prevention Tips
1. Choose the Correct Deodorant
It is important to choose the correct deodorant for your skin as certain ingredients can trigger and cause itchy arms, or the sweat can react and further cause an unpleasant smell.
2. Wash Regularly
Keeping oneself fresh and clean by washing regularly is first and foremost to reduce and prevent underarm odour.
3. Wear Loose, Breathable and Comfortable Clothing
Fabrics like cotton and linen allow the skin to breathe, especially if you sweat a lot. Wearing appropriate clothing will help control the sweat and the odour that comes with it.
4. Remove Hair
A study has also shown that the removal of hair, especially from the armpit area, can help reduce underarm odour.
5. Reduce Stress
As mentioned above, stress usually causes us to sweat a lot more than required, and can release unwanted odour at the same time.
6. Cut Down on Alcohol
Excessive alcohol is never good for your body and it doesn’t help with underarm odour either, since a higher intake of alcohol may lead to the development of a stronger body odour.
7. Change in Diet
It is recommended to avoid foods that can cause body odour, especially in the underarm region. Often seafood has compounds that the body is unable to break and this can cause the underarms to release a bad smell. This can also happen with raw meat and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
The Bottomline
There are many factors that contribute to body odour, especially in the underarm area. While it is highly uncomfortable to have a bad underarm smell, you do not need to feel too self-conscious and avoid going outside or meeting people.
There are many underarm smell prevention tips to make sure that you can reduce and get rid of the unpleasant smell from your underarms. Make sure you know your skin type so you can find the right product and treatment method to give you clean, fresh and pleasant-smelling underarms!
