Body Odor Treatment

The condition can be known medically as bromhidrosis, osmidrosis, fetid sweat, body smell, or malodorous sweating. Humans have two types of sweat glands: eccrine sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands. Eccrine sweat glands are present from birth, while the apocrine glands become activated during puberty.  The body odor primarily results from the apocrine sweat glands, which secrete most chemical compounds needed for the skin flora to metabolize it into odorant substances. Body odor is most likely to occur in the following places: feet, groin, armpits, genitalia, pubic hair and other hair, belly button, anus, behind the ears, and the rest of the skin, to a lesser extent. Body odor is usually accompanied by excessive sweating and managed in the same manner. Botox is injected intradermally to treat hyperhidrosis and inhibits the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction and from the sympathetic nerves that innervate eccrine sweat glands. A new bipolar radiofrequency device can destroy the eccrine glands by thermolysis at the deep dermis and subcutis interface. When medical treatment fails, ultrasound and power-assisted liposuction of armpits can gently remove both eccrine and apocrine sweat glands.