Is it effective to spray antiperspirant when you sweat? Will sweating compensate for surgical treatment of body odor? Dermatologists answer myths

Is body odor actually hereditary? How easy is it to get body odor due to ear oil?

Summer is here. Due to the high temperature and hot weather, many people are prone to excessive sweating, which can lead to aggravated sweat odor. If they are accompanied by symptoms of body odor, many people are afraid to avoid indoor places. Dr. Huang Zhaoyu said in an interview that body odor is actually most related to the two major factors of “heredity” and “physical constitution”.

In terms of genetic factors, if one of the parents suffers from body odor, their children may have half the chance of developing body odor; if both parents suffer from body odor, the chance of their children suffering from body odor will increase to 80%, and among them Men are more likely to develop body odor than women. In addition, if an individual’s ears are prone to earwax production or have oily ears, the symptoms of body odor will usually be more obvious.

In order to prevent the odor from worsening, some patients with body odor often shave their armpit hair and drink more water to relieve the odor in their armpits. They even use folk remedies, such as applying ginger, chili pepper, etc. to cover up the odor. Dr. Huang Zhaoyu pointed out that if the patient is suffering from a bacterial infection that causes the odor in the armpit, shaving the armpit hair and using antibacterial products may be helpful. However, if the patient has congenital body odor, in fact, whether it is shaving the armpit hair or taking too many supplements The effect of moisture on body odor is actually minimal; as for applying ginger or chili pepper, it is not only ineffective in alleviating body odor, but may also cause inflammation, redness and swelling of the skin under the armpits because the ingredients of ginger and chili are too spicy. If you have underarm odor for a long time and like to wear tight, airtight clothes, it may aggravate the problem of body odor.

Dr. Huang Zhaoyu said that the problem of body odor is related to the “apocrine glands” in the body, commonly known as the apocrine glands. The secretions of the apocrine glands will produce odor after being metabolized by bacteria; and the “exocrine glands” that control human sweating “Hyperhidrosis” can also occur if an imbalance occurs in the eccrine glands. Although hyperhidrosis does not necessarily cause odor, it is easily accompanied by body odor, and in severe cases, it can affect the daily life of many patients.

Is it useless to spray antiperspirant after sweating? Doctors recommend “spraying at the right time” to be effective

Doctors remind you that if you want to minimize the smell of your armpits, you can try to wear looser clothes to keep your body dry. You can also apply an appropriate amount of antiperspirant or deodorant to your armpits, and use antibacterial shower gel regularly. , it may be helpful to suppress body odor.

Antiperspirant is not the same as deodorant. Antiperspirants use “aluminum chloride” and its derivatives to act on sweat glands, blocking sweat ducts and reducing sweat excretion. Deodorants use antibacterial and fragrance ingredients to neutralize the smell of body odor.

It should be noted that generally commercially available antiperspirants are not effective when applied immediately after sweating, because the “aluminum chloride” and its derivatives in antiperspirants need to be used in a “dry” condition. The best time to use it is before going to bed or when your skin is dry. Avoid using it after sweating a lot or losing heat. Many antiperspirants currently on the market can have long-lasting effects, and some can even be controlled for 24 to 48 hours.

Dr. Huang Zhaoyu reminds that antiperspirants and deodorants often contain ingredients such as fragrance or alcohol. Some people may have allergic reactions, so be careful when using them. The skin of those who have just shaved their armpits or received laser hair removal is more sensitive. You need to stop using these products to avoid skin allergies and inflammation. In addition, when purchasing, avoid purchasing from unknown websites or sources, and choose products that have passed the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare inspection. Otherwise, inferior antiperspirants can easily cause armpit itching, pigmentation and other problems.

How to treat body odor? Will there be any compensation issues?

Dr. Huang Zhaoyu said that currently body odor treatment is divided into three categories: Botulinum toxin injection, spiral knife to remove sweat, and microwave to remove sweat. If the budget is limited, Botox will be used to inhibit the release of sweat signals from nerve endings, thereby controlling sweating. The disadvantage is that the effect will slowly disappear after the treatment, and it will take four months to return for treatment. Sweat gland curettage surgery with spiral knife has the better effect among the three. Usually, one surgery can solve the patient’s body odor and hyperhidrosis problems. However, the recovery period is relatively long, and it is an invasive treatment that will cause wounds and scars. The patient cannot take a shower for 3 to 5 days after surgery.

Microwave antiperspirant treatment can be completed in about an hour. It can achieve antiperspirant and deodorizing effects without surgery or invasive treatments. It can destroy most of the sweat glands in the armpits in one go, and there are less problems with wounds and scars after treatment. The recovery period is short and patients can bathe normally after treatment. However, microwave antiperspirant treatments are more expensive. Compared with sweat gland curettage surgery, the effect difference is about 10%.

Some people worry that after surgery, armpit sweating will be transferred to other parts of the body due to “compensatory effects”, such as increased sweating on hands and feet. Dr. Huang Zhaoyu explained that the earliest body odor surgery used “nerve amputation”. The nerves that cause sweating in the armpits are surgically cut off, which may indeed cause compensatory sweating in other parts of the body. Today’s surgical treatment has made great progress, and there will be no sweating compensation.

Doctors remind that body odor can easily cause interpersonal or social problems for patients. Hyperhidrosis can also easily cause bacteria to breed in the armpits, causing skin inflammation or redness. In addition to paying attention to daily hygiene habits, you should consult a professional dermatologist when you have skin symptoms. Do not purchase pharmaceutical products from unknown sources or online advertisements to avoid adverse effects on the body after use.