Wearing deodorant, showering on a regular basis, and wearing clean clothing are common body odor treatments. Deodorant and antiperspirants are body odor treatments that focus on preventing underarm odor. Showering or taking a bath with soap is another way to treat foul body odor. An important thing to keep in mind is that no matter how clean a person is, he or she will usually begin to have body odor soon after wearing dirty shirts or pants. In addition, body odor treatments can sometimes have no effect because the condition is related to a health problem rather than a personal hygiene problem.
Many people find relief in wearing a deodorant or antiperspirant, both of which are often found in drug stores. These substances either prevent the underarms from sweating or kill the bacteria that makes a person’s sweat smelly. Sometimes purchasing these items from a store is ineffective because a person requires prescription-strength antiperspirant. A doctor can assess a person to determine if he or she sweats excessively and needs a special medication.
Showering on a regular basis is a common way to treat body odor. When showering, the person should focus on washing his or her underarms and private parts. If the body odor remains after scrubbing, switching soap or exfoliating the offending areas may help. It is worth noting that some people have a foul body odor because of health issues, and it cannot be washed away. This must be assessed and possibly treated by a health professional.
Wearing clean clothing is important and can avoid the need of using other body odor treatments. When a person wears clothing, the bacteria under his or her arms and other sweaty places rubs off on the clothing. This bacteria can breed and become abundant the next time the clothing is worn but not washed. Some people find that they have offensive body odor even when freshly showered, and the problem could be that, while they themselves are clean, their clothing is not. It is common for people not to wash certain garments, such as jeans, outerwear, and dry clean–only tops, after every use, but these pieces of clothing can still be home to bacteria that cause body odor.
Sometimes body odor treatments offer no relief. For example, some people have a very rare disorder that cannot be treated. It causes them to have a strong, fishy body odor. The condition can be managed by avoiding certain types of foods.