Hi Dr. Armpit! I am a teenage girl and have suffered from a strong "onion" odor emitting from my armpits for about three years now that has completely thwarted my confidence and socially isolated me. This odor developed slowly. At first it was manageable with a swipe of deodorant and longer showers, but then as puberty came along, it began to get out of hand. I would take extra-long, hot showers and slap on the soap & lotion. Then, five minutes out of the shower, I would smell it again. So I decided to combat it with a wide variety of deodorants and antiperspirants. I would irregularly apply a deodorant/antiperspirant from a selection of about five. (The WORST thing to do, I know that now:) Intense stress and bad eating habits may have also played a major role. It got so bad that I would reapply deodorant every ten to fifteen minutes. I took a hair analysis test which showed high toxicity levels in my body, so I stopped using antiperspirant (aluminium toxicity). Finally, I decided to change. I began to sauna and eat healthier. In the sauna I would smell great, but as soon as I showered and gave it a few hours, the onion odor would appear again. The onion odor could not physically be covered by any type of deodorant or antiperspirant, so I stopped using it. This is serious- I have known the smell to be able to reach people ten feet away. My friend has confirmed this. Your TedX talk and website are leading me to believe that I have totally destroyed my underarm biome, allowing the bad bacteria to override the good. I have spent hours researching and tried multiple home remedies (baking soda, lemon, tea tree oil, vinegar etc.) and have only found temporary 'cures.' I am taking vitamins and probiotics, which don't seem to significantly help. Which leads me to my question- What do you think about my body odor problem? Is there a way to kill off the bad and leave the good? How do I SPECIFICALLY kill the bacteria responsibly for an 'onion' odor? Is there anyway that I can restore the good bacteria once and for all? I have tried the AOBiome Mist spray, but it did not help as it did not target the bacteria responsible for an 'onion' odor. Are there any tests I should take to rule out metabolic disorders? Any dietary changes that could potentially help my recovery? Should I look into metabolic disorders, or is it bacterial? And finally, is it something to do with my digestive system? I get bloated after mealtimes (severe bloating), feel nausea, and my bowel movements are very loose and smelly. Should I take chlorophyll? Or do a certain detox? Thank you, THANK YOU, so much for your time. I look forward to reading your reply. I really need someone to help me before I spiral down into a depression, and I hope you can help me. Thanks, Kate
1 Answers
Dear Kate, thank you for your question. Believe me, there are many people who feel the same. No real cure is available for this condition. That is what I would like to change. If you would be in Belgium, I would propose to have a meeting. But I guess there is an ocean in between of us :-) It is for you that I do this research, so thank you for your question (and I've been there myself, so I understand your situation). To answer your questions: can deodorant/antitranspirants help? No, not in this case. Please stop applying every 15 minutes; this is not good. Use moderately. Can diet change anything? I would say no, or maybe it would have a minimum effect. So taking vitamins, chlorophyll, or whatever, would not really change the underarm microbiome. Is it a metabolic disorder? Maybe. Cases exists of systemic and metabolic disorders resulting into body odor, for example: trimethylaminuria (or fish odor syndrome), or phenylketonuria (creates a musty odor and skin eczema). These cases are rare. More probable is a bacterial problem. A typical onion odor originates from Staphylococcus hominis. Research has shown they possess enzymes to cleave an apocrine sweat molecule into something that smells like onions. It is very probable you have a similar problem. This also occurs frequently in female armpits. Try the following: apply topically an antibiotic cream (not a salve - is too fatty) for one week (so the bacteria on and in your skin are eliminated) and then don't wash your armpit for one-two weeks, so the microbiome can restore itself. Maybe in that way you can eliminate Staphylococcus hominis. Let me know what the result is. Best, Chris
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