Dear Dr. Armpit! I have not just smelly armpits, but smelly feet as well! I have a condition called pitted keratolysis. So bunch of bacteria drilled it's way into the skin of my soles and I presume, eating away at my epidermis! I noticed that cotton socks and leather shoes tend to cause less stinky odor. I was wondering, how the microbial communities on my feet differ from those on my armpits? Thanks!
1 Answers
Dear Tanya, thanks for your question. The bacteria on the feet diver than those on the armpit. The diversity on the feet is much higher (a lot more different bacteria are present). The main odor causing bacteria on feet are Brevibacterium spp. Other micro-organisms are involved such as propionibacteria, micrococci, corynebacteria and even fungi. The malodor generation is related to the oxygen availibility. So make sure your feet can 'breath' in order to diminish malodors. Best, Chris
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