B.O. (body odor) is a big side effect of puberty and if you don't take proper care of it, it can be an unpleasant smell... not just for you, but also for the people that surround you. Puberty can be difficult to deal with and it's important to be educated about what to do so you don't create unnecessary anxiety.
When puberty starts, your sweat glands become active and you will start to perspire more in the following areas:
- Hand Palms
- Underarms
- Genitals
- Feet
Imagine this… It's the lunch break and you've just being playing basketball in the gymnasium for the last 20 minutes. Then the bell rings. You have 5 minutes to get to your next class, which is English, and the special someone you like is going to be sitting right in front of you. As you approach the class, you notice a rotten smell. It's following you… wait… it's you. Now what are you going to do? If you worry about it, it's only going to get worse as stress also makes you sweat.
Here are some daily tips that you can use to avoid running into some embarrassing situations:
- Wash your body everyday and after playing sports
- Wear clean clothes and bring a change of clothes for after playing sports
- Don't let deodorants and anti-perspirants be substitutes for soap
- Wear different shoes everyday
- Keep your shoes and feet clean and dry
- Use natural fibers like cotton socks and leather/canvas shoes
Deodorant will help prevent or hide body odor
The main thing is to relax and not worry. If you understand that everyone goes through puberty and gets body odor, you will be able to avoid stress, which also can cause your body odor to get worse. Stress can also cause more acne to break out, it can prevent your immune system from fighting common colds and sicknesses, and there are also more serious illnesses that may occur from too much stress.
Related Stories:
- Male Puberty :: The Ups and Downs
- Dear Dish-It, I Haven't Hit Puberty Yet
- The 411 on Sweat and Body Odor
- Growing Out of your Shoes
