Perspiration, or sweat,
is part of your body's cooling mechanism. Water on your skins
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 l 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 (and ones that say they're made for a man or for
a woman are similar too, except for some 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.
Many teens
DO sweat more when they are growing or while their hormones
are still fluctuating. See the
Health FAQ page for more on this topic. Here is a question
and answer about sweating from that page:
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. You say that you have many deodorants,
try one with an antiperspirant in it. The best ones for sweating
contain aluminum chloride hexahydrate.
Sweat
is part of our body's cooling mechanism. Water on your skin's
surface evaporates and helps you cool down. Sweat itself doesn't
actually smell, the odor is caused by the action of bacteria.
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 abundant
among 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. (I know I
had it too when I was about 14 - 16). The 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 an 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.
To
Health FAQ pages... --->
