Riyadh is a beautiful and modern city to live in. If you have one grouse about it, it is that the hot and dry weather often makes you sweat a lot. And this gives to body odour that is embarrassing and socially isolating.
From the nature of sweating and why it happens, to getting armpit sweating treatment in Riyadh, this article explores the uncomfortable subject of sweat and body odour in its entirety.
What causes sweating?
The human body is conditioned to regulate and maintain its temperature in response to both internal and external factors. It does this primarily through sweating. Excess water is expelled from the skin, where it comes in contact with air and evaporates. This action leaves the skin feeling cooler. Sweating may occur when a person is feverish, or even when the weather becomes warm and/or humid.
However, the skin does not sweat uniformly all over. Sweating occurs only where sweat glands are present under the top layer of the skin. These glands are present on the scalp, neck, underarms, lower back, groin, back of the knees and under the breasts.
Types of sweat
There are two types of sweat – eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine sweat is secreted from the entire body, and is composed primarily of water and salt. Meanwhile, apocrine is secreted from those parts of the body that have hair, such as the head, underarms and groin. Apart from salt, this sweat contains some proportion of fats and protein.
Why does sweat stink?
Sweat by itself is completely odourless, having a trace salty taste. It begins to smell when it activates bacteria present on the skin. The intensity of body odour differs from person to person based on the proportion of bacteria present on the skin – it is differently proportioned for different people. Hence, some people hardly ever smell even after sweating, while others can smell bad even with normal amounts of perspiration. Body odour is often a reaction to your diet, lifestyle, personal hygiene and genetics.
Apocrine sweat is more likely to cause a stink, especially since it is secreted in the hairy areas of the body where bacteria is present in larger numbers. So the next time you have smelly armpits, you should know that there is excess sweat build-up in the underarms.
How to prevent underarm sweat smell
It is obvious that if you do not want your armpits to smell, then you must ensure that they do not sweat in the first place. However, this is easier said than done. The body is naturally attuned to sweating via the underarms to keep the skin cool and clean. Yet, excessive sweating (termed as ‘hydrolysis’) is unnatural and must be dealt with promptly.
Try these measures to prevent armpit sweating:
* Shower twice a day: Maintaining good personal hygiene is important not just in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also for ensuring that dried sweat is washed off and the skin is odour-free. Aim to have at least two cool water showers in the hot weather and use an antibacterial body wash to clean the skin.
* Use an antiperspirant: A simple deodorant will not be up to the task of managing your body odour. You need a good antiperspirant that ‘retards’ the sweating process for a few hours after application. When the skin sweats less, the chances of body odour from armpit sweat also reduce.
* Eat a diet composed of fresh fruit and vegetables: What you eat determines not just the state of your waistline, but also of the odour emanating from your skin. Foods high in sulphur (garlic, onion), trans fats (most processed and fried food), white sugar and spices often make you sweat more and make the sweat malodourous. Eat salads and have fruit and vegetable juices (without sugar or artificial sweeteners) to restore the skin’s pH balance and reduce body odour.
* Get treated: If the sweating is excessive, it is best to get armpit sweating treatment. Leading skin care clinics in Riyadh offer effective armpit sweating treatment. You can choose botox shots for temporary but effective relief, or a more permanent solution entailing eliminating the sweat glands in the underarms. With the second option, you will not sweat in the underarms ever again.