Body odour

Body odour is never pleasant. Find out what causes it and how can you reduce it.


Body odour is never pleasant, and we've all been crammed on a train or been in a busy shopping centre and noticed the distinctive smell of stale sweat.

Men sweat more than women, so it's no surprise they are the worst offenders.

But is it a case of poor hygiene, or do some people have a medical condition that makes them sweat more than average?

A blind spot for smells

Strange as it may seem, many people with bad body odour are unaware that they smell.


Scientific research has shown that some people cannot detect certain molecules. Their nostrils may be able to register the smell of garlic or curry, but not the smell emanating from their armpits.

What causes body odour?

Everybody sweats. We have to. Perspiration is the body's biological way of cooling down.

Sweat itself does not smell, but it's a wonderful culture for the bacteria that live on our skin.


The bacteria breaks down sweat into aromatic fatty acids, which produce the unpleasant odour.

This means body odour can be tackled by:

  • reducing the amount of sweat
  • treating the bacteria that produce the odour.

Medical conditions, such as thyroid disease and carcinoid syndrome, can cause excessive sweating, as can the side-effects of some medicines, eg antidepressants.

How can I reduce body odour?

Wash with soap daily, particularly your armpits, groin and feet where there are many sweat producing glands. Washing removes sweat and reduces the numbers of bacteria that act upon it.

Some people have more sweat and oil producing glands than others. If you sweat a lot, you may need to shower two or three times a day.

The use of antiperspirants and deodorants should be routine. It's worth trying a few because they have different active ingredients, and you'll find some work better than others.

Deodorants work by masking the smell of sweat with fragrance, while antiperspirants reduce the amount of sweat your body produces. Roll-ons tend to be more effective for heavy sweating.

Another useful trick is to shave your armpits. Armpit hair provides a greater surface area for sweat to adhere to and gives the bacteria a fertile breeding ground.

It is also essential to wash clothes thoroughly, particularly clothing that comes into contact with sweaty areas such as socks, underwear and shirts.

Never wear yesterday's clothes. However clean your body is, the clothes will retain the smell of yesterday's sweat.

Help from the chemist

You can get an antibacterial and antiseptic solution called chlorhexidine 0.05 per cent solution from pharmacies. Applied daily, it significantly reduces the number of bacteria, although it has no effect on sweating itself.


Another remedy you can get without a prescription is 20 per cent aluminium chloride solution, otherwise known as Anhydrol Forte and Driclor.

  • You apply to it your armpits, feet etc before you go to bed each night. This is because sweating stops when you sleep, so the solution will be more effective.
  • You wash it off in the morning, and don't reapply until the next bedtime.
  • Never apply the solution after shaving because it will irritate the skin.
  • You use the product every night to start with, and then reduce it as you stop sweating to every other night or once or twice a week.

Help from your GP

Medical treatment may be helpful, especially for excessive sweating of the head and face (craniofacial hyperhidrosis).

Medicines such as Oxybutynin, which is a medication most often prescribed in general practice for over active bladder symptoms, may be taken twice daily, approximately an hour before they are required to be working at their best.

Other oral medications, either glycopyrrolate or clonidine, may be considered.

Treatment of severe sweating

There are a couple of surgical options for severe sweating (hyperhidrosis) which can't be controlled by over-the-counter products.

One is to remove a triangular area of skin in the apex of the armpit under local anaesthetic. A small piece measuring 4cm by 1.5cm is cut out, destroying the most troublesome sweat glands.


Keyhole surgery

Another type of surgery is called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). It's done under general anaesthetic and uses keyhole surgery to destroy the nerves that control sweating.

The surgeon makes an incision in your armpit and passes a fine needle under the second, third and fourth ribs on each side. An electrical current then kills off the nerves.

The success rate is about 40 per cent, but because the body still has to sweat, some people experience increased sweating from their chest, abdomen and back after the op.

It's important to understand this before undergoing surgery, because it cannot be reversed.


Botulinum toxin is an alternative to surgery. Known as Botox, it's more often used as a treatment for facial frown lines.

Botox is most commonly used as a treatment for excessive sweating from the armpit (axillary hyperhidrosis). It may also be used at other sites (see table below).


Although the results only last between four and nine months, it's an effective and safe treatment.


If you're thinking about surgery, you could try Botox to see how effective an operation would be, and whether blocking sweat glands in your armpits causes excessive sweating elsewhere.


This is an effective treatment for excessive sweating of the hands and feet.

If your hands and feet need treating, you place them in a bowl of water and a weak electric current is passed through the water. The current is thought to help block the sweat glands.


Each session of Iontophoresis lasts between 20 and 30 minutes and you will usually need to have two to four sessions a week.



Iontophoresis has proved to be effective in 80 per cent to 90 per cent of cases.

However, you will need to make regular visits to your local hospital's dermatology clinic to receive treatment.

Alternatively, Iontophoresis kits that you can use at home are also available, with prices ranging from £325 to £500.

In Summary

Site of sweatingFirst-line therapySecond-line therapyThird-line therapyFourth-line therapyFifth-line
Head and faceOral medicationTopical therapyBotulinum toxinETS
ArmpitTopical therapyBotulinum toxinOral medicationLocal surgeryETS
HandsTopical therapyOral medicationIontophoresisBotulinum toxinETS
FeetTopical therapyOral medicationOral medicationBotulinum toxinETS

A comprehensive review of the literature on the subject, which focussed on new and emerging treatment options, recommended updated therapeutic algorithms for each commonly affected body site.

Other people also read:

Botox: how does it work?

Bacteria: what are bacteria?

Teenage risk taking: we look at some of the common forms of risk taking.


Bhidayasiri R, Truong DD (2007). 'Evidence for effectiveness of botulinum toxin for hyperhidrosis'. Journal of Neural Transmission 115 (4): 641.

Walling HW, Swick BL. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2011 Oct 1;12(5):285-95. doi: 10.2165/11587870-000000000-00000. Review.

Based on a text by Dr Hilary Jones

Last updated

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