Video
Boy 1: Fishy, is the word i’d use maybe
Holly Oaks actor 1: Musky
Boy 2: Maybe Oniony
Hollyoaks Actress: Beef Curry
Boy 3: Just disgusting
Girl 1: I’d just go into a boy’s changing room
Hollyoaks Actress 2: I’d actually want to get my perfume out and go spraying noise.
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Dr Dawn: As you get into your teens you may notice that you and your friends start to smell. And I’m not talking nice smells! I’m talking body odour.
That’s because during puberty it’s not just the outside of your body that changes. Under the skin your body starts to develop sweat glands.
Sweating is normal.On average, we lose over a litre of sweat every day.
Our body produces sweat to cool itself down – which is why we sweat more when it’s hot or during exercise.
Fresh sweat doesn’t smell but when left on the skin it gets broken down by bacteria and develops the characteristic smell of BO.
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Boy 3: As I’ve got older I’ve noticed that i’m sweating a lot more
Boy 4: When i was 12 my parents and my friends started telling me that i smelt. I thought they were joking but when i found out that it was true i felt really embarrassed.
Hollyoaks Actress 2: I can honestly say no i’ve never ever ever suffered with body odour. I must be very lucky, i don’t perspire a lot, that’s because i’m lazy and don’t do any exercise.
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Dr Dawn No-one wants to smell and a bit of attention to personal hygiene is all that is needed.
Washing twice a day with a pH balanced soap, especially under the arms and genital areas will remove stale sweat.
Don’t forget – sweat can seep into clothes as well as hang about on the skin, so wear clean clothes and change your underwear and socks every day.
As well as keeping clean you can also buy deodorants or antiperspirants to help combat body odour.
Deodorants work by killing bacteria and masking underarms smells with a fragrance.
Antiperspirants are designed to prevent the sweat developing in the first place.
DONíT think these sprays are INSTEAD of washing.
You can’t cover up a smell that’s already there ñ bacteria will feast on your old sweat and the new sweat you add on top.
There is a reason why teachers tell you to shower after PE!
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Boy 5: Old sweat smells a lot different to new sweat…
Boy 2: Yeah
Boy 5: If you know what i mean, If you leave your sweaty gym kit in your room for ages, it’s going to really hum.
Boy 6: In school i had PE and i came home and my mum was saying ‘what’s that smell’ and it was me so i’ve learnt that i’ve got to start washing more.
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Dr Dawn: Everyone’s sweat smells differently and some people will sweat more than others. Sweating during exercise doesn’t mean you’re unfit. It’s an essential function of the body. Sweating does NOT mean you have bad hygiene.It doesn’t mean you’re dirty.
But if you feel your antiperspirant or deodorant isn’t working or you’re sweating when you’re just sitting still and not even warm – you may be suffering from excessive sweating, a condition called hyperhidrosis. Only one percent of the population has this, and it commonly affects the armpits, face, palms and soles of the feet. I have met people who have to carry spare clothes with them wherever they go because they sweat so much.
If this sounds like you, talk to your pharmacist about a Chlorexidine solution which will help reduce bacteria and an aluminium based antiperspirant which you can buy without prescription. But if you find these over-the-counter treatments aren’t doing the trick go to your GP; there are other treatments available so don’t give up hope.
Am I Normal: Body Odour
Dr Dawn Harper discusses what is and isn’t normal when it comes to body odour. As your body develops sweat glands, body odour can become a serious issue, but there are simple and practical steps to help alleviate the problem. Includes discussion with teens from across the country and the cast of Hollyoaks.
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With thanks to:
Hollyoaks
University of Birmingham Hockey Club
Llanelli Youth Theatre
Tetbury Hospital
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I am 17 years old and whenever i am at parties etc i sweat and get sweat patches which are embarrsing especially when i have a grey shirt on, is there any reason why i keep sweating and will it stop when i am older? As well is there any hints or tips that i could do to stop sweating so much and to stop getting sweat patches? By the way i shower twice daily and use anti-persparent deodarant regularly.
I sweat profusely from my vaginal area. I am very hygienic, wear cotton undearwear dont douche dont use harsh soaps but by the end of the day my crotch stinks of bo. And I mean stink. Others can smell it. I used to be sociable and happy but my life has been ruined by this. Close to suicide, please does anyone know a solution?
Give Proskin Candida by Mama Nature a go. If you suffer bad from sweating then you may have to apply it 3 to 4 times a day but if it works then I don't think that would be a problem would it? I used it for my thrush and as a deodorant in my vaginal area and it has been brilliant. I only needed to use it once a day. According to Mama Nature's website it won't stop you from sweating but it will kill the bacteria that causes the body odour (apparently sweating causes a build up of bacteria). You can see I've been doing my research. PLEASE give it a try it may make all the difference.
In fact I have just gone on their website for you. If you are applying it externally to the vagina area and not for thrush you might be better with proskin athlete for women. The proskin candida is better for thrush.
my daughter is 9 years old and i just find white discharge in her pants is it a start of things
hi, i have this aswell, its called hyperhidrosis, you can look it up online. its excessive sweating on the hands, feet and underarms. there is different treatments from roll-on deo to iontophresis, to tablets if it is really bad, it all depends on how bad it is, ive had all the medication available and i had to have the tablets but they were so strong i could hardly talk because they affected every sweat gland in your body. my advice would be to go and see your gp about it.. hope this helps :) xx
I have a shower every night and wash my body and hair but in the day at school if it is hot or cold my palms get really sweety they get that sweety that it feels like i have just washed my hands it doesn't smell but people notice it and sometimes i wet my schoolbooks when i put my hands on them and when i hold my boyfriends hand i get really nervous about having sweety palms can someone help please xxxx
hello' i am 14 and i smell alto and i still shower 2ce a day and i still smell round the penice area it smell like fishy :/ i am relay concerned ?
Hi i had a similar problem myself when i was 14 in my experience this could be because you are starting puberty most of the boys smell abit in my school and they are about your age try and use a diodrant that suits u.But this could also be an infection if you are getting discharge out of your penis it is probably this and if you are it can be treated with drugs from your doctor but if you don't think i am right and you are really concerned i would go to your GP (doctor) hope this has helped from Dave
If you've got that smell, I suggest you go to your doctor. I had it once, its called BV. You can get antibiotics for it. It's really easy to get rid of :)
i am 15 years old(girl)and half way through the day i have to change my knickers because there is brown stuff on them and it produces a really bad odour. i dont know what it is?
I have a shower near enough every day, we have polyester and cotton uniform and i use sure anti persperant but it still doesn't help:S
have you tyred useing sure motion sence that seemed to work for me xx
hey im 16, im sick of getting sweat patches. All my friends moan that i always wear black or always have a jacket on, this is bcos i dont like people seeing my armpits is there anyway i can stop this?
I am 15 and i sweat so much i have a shower everyday plus i wear anti persperant. I sweat if it is hot or cold and i often just suddenly start sweating. I am really worried about sweat patches and if i smell all the time do you know if there is anything i can do to stop sweating so much? no one has ever said anything but i can sometimes smell it when sitting down any help thanks
I'm a boy and im 15 .. My breasts are painfull .one day one will be bigger than another the next it will be normal .. I have a lump behind one nipple and is painfull when force is on it.. If possible please Email me what u think it is ..
Hi are you under a lot of stress resently becuse if you are then that can lead to you sweating more than your body needs to if your not have a really good wash so you can get rid of the smell then as soon as you get out dry your self so your damp then apply the deodrant xxx
hi i am 15 going on to 16 and i am missing my period every couple of mouths my last one was in July and i am really worried and some time people say u wash u smell like fidh and i can smell it to some time can u please help
Hello, you've probably got Bacterical Vagonosis or BV. It's a bacterial infection in the vagina which causes it to give off a fishy odour. I have it, I keep missing periods too. I think I've had it for about five months without realising. It's caused by washing too much down there. You're washing away all the good bacteria and messing up the natural ph balance of the vagina. Hense the smell. It's like a vicious cycle, the more you wash the more you smell and the more you smell the more you wash. It's nothing to worry about. You're not dirty, you're not doing anything wrong, its a common problem amoungst us girls. All you need to do it visit your doctor who will do a swab test to confirm it and give you a course of anti biotics. It will clear up. But in 80% of cases, it comes back after a month so you will need to go back to get more anti biotics. Just DON'T wash out your vagina. Don't use soaps down there. Just clean the outside with water. The vagina cleans itself and doesn't need.the harsh chemicals. When you wash it, use cider vinegar. Asda 89p. That will help to retain some of the natural bacteria. Hope this helped :)