Dr.
Olanrewaju Falodun, a consultant
dermatologist at the National Hospital
in Abuja, on Tuesday says the general
perception that some people were born
with body odour is wrong. Dr. Falodun
told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
that body odour was caused by the
process of bacteria breaking down in
the sweat, and the sweat causing the
odour. "There are two types of sweat
glands in the body. These are the
eccrine gland which is found all over
the body, and the apocrine gland which
is found primarily in the ancillary
(armpit) and genital areas. "The two
sweat glands are usually connected to
hair follicles, and much of the thing we
call body odour is as a result of the
apocrine gland. "The glands do not
mature or start functioning until when
a person reaches the age of puberty,
and that is why the real issues about
odour are more pronounced after
puberty," he said. Mr. Falodun says
obesity also triggers body odour in
people who are overweight, as the
sweat is trapped between the folds of
skin. The dermatologist however says
body odour can be prevented, as long
as the person diligently maintained
cleanliness of the body. Mr. Falodun
also added that the use of anti-
perspirants and deodorants should also
be a routine. "Deodorants work by
masking the smell of sweat with
fragrance, while anti-perspirants
reduce the amount of sweat the body
produces,'' he said. The dermatologist
also noted that it was also essential to
wash clothes thoroughly, particularly
clothing that comes into contact with
sweaty areas such as socks, underwear
and shirts. "Wash the body with soap
daily, particularly the armpits, groin
and feet, where there are many sweat-
producing glands. "Washing removes
sweat and reduces the number of
bacteria which act upon them,'' Mr.
Falodun says. (NAN)
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