Why does my body still smell bad even after I just showered?

Hormones, food, clogged pores, excessive sweating, or certain illnesses cause many people's bodies to "smell" unpleasantly even after bathing.

Body odor is usually caused by personal hygiene. However, for some people, body odor is natural and does not disappear after bathing. This is often difficult to deal with, making them feel less confident despite a relatively clean lifestyle. Experts have pointed out a number of reasons why many people "stink" even after bathing.

Hormones

According to Dr. Pramod Kumar, a consultant dermatologist at KMC Hospital, USA, excessive sweating and body odor are caused by hormonal changes. This is often more noticeable during puberty, pregnancy, premenopause, and menopause due to increased hormone and sweat gland activity. During this period, women often experience hot flashes and night sweats, which increase sweating and cause body odor.

Eat strong-smelling foods

Regular showering, exfoliating, or shampooing isn’t enough to get rid of body odor if the scent comes from foods you’ve eaten. Certain foods, like garlic, onions, and spicy foods, can cause body odor to linger even after you shower, says California-based health expert Mark Lewis.

Hot baths can also make certain smells more diffused, says Justin Neubrander, MD, a physician at the Fredheim Lifestyle Center. “Eating large amounts of garlic can cause the scent to travel through the pores of your skin, so taking a hot bath helps release these compounds,” he explains.

In addition to garlic and onions, other foods such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower also produce gases that affect body odor. Some people have a rare condition called trimethylaminuria, which causes them to smell fishy after eating seafood. Processed foods, alcohol, and some grains can also cause body odor.

Does not clean pores

Clogged pores can be a major cause of body odor, says Dr. Neubrander. Exfoliating the surface of your skin with soap can remove surface compounds and microorganisms, but pores aren't as easy to clean.

Dr. Neubrander recommends using warm water to open pores, and using a washcloth to increase friction, cleaning away skin debris and dead skin cells.

Not cleaning your pores deeply can also cause your body to smell bad. Photo: Freepik — Not cleaning your pores deeply can also cause your body to smell bad. Photo: *Freepik*

Sweating more than usual

Sweating from everyday activities like running, riding the train, or taking the bus can create body odor, no matter how thoroughly you shower. According to experts, sweat itself has no odor. However, when exposed to air, natural bacteria on the skin break down sweat into thioalcohol. Body odor is caused by bacteria interacting with sweat. Warm, moist, and dark areas of the body are most likely to pick up odor, because that is the ideal place for bacteria to live.

Have certain medical conditions

For some people, body odor has nothing to do with personal hygiene. They have certain medical conditions that cause the body to naturally produce odor, such as tonsillitis, gum disease, and sinus infections, which can make their breath smell worse.

Diabetes or infections can also cause bad breath and body odor. Infections often cause odors in unusual places, such as the belly button.

According to Michael Kummer, health expert and former professional athlete, medical conditions that can affect body odor include gout, overactive thyroid, liver and kidney disease.

Smoking habits

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking increases your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. In addition, smoking makes your breath and body smell bad, no matter how hard you try to get rid of the scent.

Nicotine use also makes people sweat more, and the sweat secreted has a stronger odor.

Thuc Linh (According to Healthshots )

Source link