My body odor is really bad. Is this a problem?

All bodies sweat, and it’s a great mechanism to help with cooling down when our bodies are overheated. But did you ever wonder why it’s only certain parts of your body that smell? For example, after exercise, it’s not your forehead or legs that stink, but your armpits. The special kind of sweat glands that produce body odor are called apocrine sweat glands, and they’re found in highest numbers in the armpits and groin.

During puberty, hormones can kick your apocrine sweat glands into high gear. They start producing secretions that are super tasty to the bacteria on your skin (which is ACTUALLY the cause of the smell). Bacteria on our skin are not usually bad, but they do love warm and moist places (like the armpits and groin) where they can also get a good meal.

Consider a few things when it comes to body odor:

• The worst time for body odor is usually during puberty when hormones are working very hard. This means body odor generally gets better with age.

• Many components of body odor are genetic — sorry!

• Because it’s actually the bacteria causing body odor, make sure to wash the armpits and the groin every day and especially after exercise (if you’re concerned about it).

• Look into a deodorant!