Nina had had enough of the unpleasant smell that wrapped him like a blanket. The other day her friends had made a mockery of her; saying it to her face that her boyfriend had chronic body odour. If it was even alcohol or cigarette, she would understand that it was his consumption habit. But this wasn’t any alcohol or cigarette stench. It was simply body odour and she would do anything to figure out the best ways to stop body odour forever —at least for the sake of her man.
Nina’s boyfriend isn’t the only one with chronic body odour. A lot of people have body odour even without knowing. This alone can be very sickening to people who stay close to them and embarrassing to they themselves. If you are suffering from body odour or you know someone who does, culled here are 7 best ways on how to stop body odour forever. Yes, forever! So long as you abide by the tips herein, you’ll never have to be known for having body odour.
What is Body Odour?
We’ve heard people say “this person has body odour” and offer advice on how to stop body odour. But seldom have we stopped to perhaps wonder on how the whole B.O thing happens. So shall we?
Body odour, otherwise known as osmidrosis or bromhidrosis, is an unpleasant smell that comes from someone’s body when bacteria living on the skin break down sweat into acids.
Basically, there are two kinds of sweat glands — eccrine and apocrine.
Ecrine glands open directly on the skin’s surface and cover much of the body. It secretes sweat when the body experiences heat. The sweat is virtually odourless until bacteria living on the skin break it down.
On the other hand, apocrine glands are in the parts of the body that have a lot of hair follicles such as the armpits and pubic region. This kind of sweat glands secretes an odourless fluid when under stress. And the fluid in turn develops odour when it contacts bacteria on the skin.
The apocrine glands are the sweat glands mainly responsible for body odour because they produce sweat high in protein making it easy for bacteria to break down.
Although sweat has no odour, but when bacteria multiplies rapidly in the midst of sweat and breaks down keratin protein into acids, sweat develops odour.
The sweat glands do not begin working until puberty and that’s why you never had body odour when you were a kid. Hence, it is advised you cultivate healthy skincare habits from the start of your pubertal age.
Who Can Have Body Odour?
Anybody can have body odour so long as they are not mindful of their skin and body hygiene. First, when you exercise or move about in the sun, your body begins to sweat in order to regulate its temperature. And when this sweat meets the bacteria on your skin, body odour happens.
Second, those with hyperhidrosis, that is, people who sweat too much are also prone to having body odour. For example, they sweat excessively on their feet, hands and armpits.
Finally, individuals with medical conditions such as diabetes can also have body odour. Also, obese people and those who eat spicy foods regularly are liable to have body odour.
Body Parts That are Likely to Have Odour
To know how to stop body odour, you have to also know the body parts that can have odour. Therefore, body odour is likely to occur in the following parts of the body:
- Groin
- Feet
- Armpits
- Genitals
- Behind the ears
- Belly button
- Anus
- Upper thighs
7 Best Ways to Stop Body Odour Forever
To get started on how to stop body odour, consider the following tips:
1. Take Your Bath At Least Twice a Day
If you have body odour, you should always bathe at least twice a day to wash off sweat and bacteria from your skin. This is ideal as it makes you smell fresh and clean always. After doing a strenuous activity such as working out, you should shower with soap to get rid of odour-causing bacteria and sweat.
2. Apply an Antiperspirant and Deodorant
An antiperspirant temporarily blocks the pores that produce sweat, making you sweat less. You should always apply an antiperspirant in the morning and at bedtime. Applying it at night gives the product a chance to work while you sleep.
On the other hand, deodorants do not reduce sweating but only mask the odour of the sweat on your skin. They make the skin more acidic, making it difficult for bacteria to break down sweat.
Furthermore, some antiperspirants also contain deodorant thereby giving it double action.
3. Wear Breathable Fabrics
If you sweat a lot, you should wear loose-fitting fabrics such as cotton, linen, wool, silk etc., to enable your body breathe well. Especially on days when the weather is hot, breathable fabrics come in handy to help your body stay cool. You can also wear anti-sweat shirts.
4. Keep Your Armpits Clean and Shave Regularly
Bacteria have problems surviving in dry places. Hence, you should always keep your underarms dry. Also, when your armpits have hair, it becomes difficult for sweat to evaporate fast. Thus, this gives the bacteria more time to break sweat down and cause odour.
Hence, to prevent this, you should shave or wax your underarms regularly. This helps in controlling body odour and makes the products you use to smell nice more effective. And when you shower, you’d be certain that you’d be washing off sweat and bacteria completely.
Furthermore, using lime or lemon on your armpits can help retain the colour there and prevent unpleasant smell.
5. Check Your Diet
Spicy foods like garlic, curry, onions, etc., make some people’s sweat pungent. If you are among these people, you should avoid eating too much spicy foods.
6. Talk to Your Doctor
If you sweat excessively (hyperhidrosis), you should seek medical attention as there are treatment options for those with this condition. Also, your doctor will be able to make a diagnosis to ascertain the cause of your excessive sweat before prescribing a solution.
7. Wash Your Clothes and Sun Dry Well
If you have body odour from working out, you should always wash your workout clothes and sundry them properly to kill bacteria and other odoriferous substances.
Nina eventually figured out the best ways on how to stop body odour as you just did. She took her time to work on her man, buying him antiperspirants and encouraging him to improve his hygiene. She had realised he never bothered about how he smelled after engaging in workouts and other strenuous activities. In no time, the body odour stopped and even her friends always wanted to be around him just to catch a sniff of his nice scent. All thanks to Nina, he had succeeded in stopping body odour forever.
The best way to fight body odour is to prevent it. To therefore prevent body odour, the aforementioned seven simple ways to stop body odour should be adopted and even made a habit.
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Thanks for sharing these tips!
Thank you for reading and sharing!
I like the educational part of this, it’s insightful, thanks.