Is body odor a physiological phenomenon or a medical condition, and how can it be treated? This “scented” article gives you the answer.

As soon as summer arrives, a peculiar “odor” begins to permeate subway carriages. It isn’t perfume, nor is it the smell of sweat or laundry detergent residue. It is a pungent, nose-wrinkling scent—body odor (specifically, axillary osmidrosis).

Many people assume this is simply a matter of poor hygiene or naturally strong body odor, but the reality is far more complex. Is body odor a normal bodily reaction, or is it a medical condition requiring treatment?

Is there a way to get rid of it completely? These questions aren’t easily answered, as the solution lies at the intersection of sweat glands, genetics, and lifestyle habits.

Body odor isn’t actually the fault of the sweat itself; the true source of the smell lies in the substances contained within that sweat. There are two types of sweat glands in the human underarm: ordinary eccrine glands and apocrine glands. While the former regulate body temperature, the latter are the “source” of body odor.

The sweat secreted by apocrine glands is odorless on its own. However, its composition is complex, containing lipids, proteins, ammonia, and other substances. When bacteria in the underarm break down these “nutrients,” they produce the characteristic “body odor.” It is much like a steak in the refrigerator: it has no smell before it spoils, but once bacteria multiply, it quickly develops a foul odor.

But that isn’t the whole story. Some people sweat profusely every day yet never develop body odor, while others emit a pungent smell with even the slightest exertion. Genetics plays a silent role here.

Science has identified the “scent code” behind this: the ABCC11 gene. If you carry a specific variant of this gene, your apocrine glands are more active, and the composition of your sweat makes it more prone to bacterial breakdown into foul-smelling compounds. Simply put, you didn’t choose body odor; body odor chose you.

But don’t despair just yet. While you cannot change your genes, you can influence how they are expressed. Just as someone with a family history of high blood pressure can avoid medication for a lifetime by watching their diet and exercising, the same applies to body odor. It isn’t a disease in the clinical sense, yet its impact can be so significant that people find it difficult to even speak about it.

Medically speaking, body odor is not typically classified as a disease. However, it can certainly cause social anxiety, psychological stress, and even damage one’s self-esteem. Body odor often intensifies during puberty, a time of rapid glandular development. Many young people find themselves ostracized or mocked because of it, becoming afraid to raise their hands, hug others, or even get close to people.

To make matters worse, many people turn to products like antiperspirant sprays, talcum powder, or deodorants, only to find the situation—and the embarrassment—worsening. This is because these products merely mask odors or control sweat; they fail to address the root causes: bacterial decomposition and the secretion of sweat itself.

Some people try folk remedies—washing underarms with scented soap, bathing in white vinegar, or applying ginger juice. While these methods may sound “natural,” from the perspective of skin barrier health, some can actually irritate the skin, leading to inflammation or allergic reactions.

Effectively alleviating body odor requires targeting one of three areas: reducing apocrine gland secretions, lowering bacterial counts, or decreasing the “nutrient-rich” components in the sweat. None of these can be achieved simply by washing.

Medical-grade antiperspirants (containing aluminum chloride) work by temporarily blocking sweat gland ducts to reduce sweat output. However, this method is suitable only for mild cases and is not appropriate for long-term use; it can irritate the skin’s stratum corneum, causing itching, stinging, or even allergic reactions.

A step up from that is botulinum toxin injection. This method blocks nerve signals to reduce apocrine gland secretions. While effective, the results last only about six months, and the cost is high, requiring repeated treatments to maintain the effect.

The most definitive solution is surgery. Procedures such as apocrine gland curettage, laser ablation, and microwave thermolysis work by directly destroying or removing the source of the odor. Although the concept sounds simple, the procedures are intricate and demand a high level of medical expertise. There are also risks of complications, such as scarring or compensatory sweating.