It depends on where you most look like a human werewolf. If your body hair is thickest on your arms, legs and back, you might be mocked as much as the Chia Pet you resemble. But it won’t cause you to smell any worse than your smooth-skinned friends. Luscious locks in your armpits and groin, however, could cause your aroma to stink like a Port-o-Potty, sitting in the sun, on the last day of the Gathering of the Juggalos.
The difference between the neutral smell of your arms and legs, compared to the stench wafting from your pits, is the type of sweat produced in these areas. Eccrine glands are located all over your body and produce odorless, watery sweat to keep you cool. Apocrine glands are found in your groin, underarms and scalp and produce a different kind of sweat that creates body odor when mixed with bacteria normally found on your skin.
Body hair exacerbates the unpleasant aroma in a couple ways. First, it provides extra surface area for bacteria to cling to, creating more opportunities for a nasty stench to develop. Second, it absorbs the foul odor, allowing the smell to stick around long after it should have packed it in and gone home.
The fix doesn’t require more shampoo, an extra misting of cologne or Botoxing your armpits. Instead, it mostly involves hair clippers. Less hair under your arms and down below means less places for sweat and bacteria to hang out, so you can raise your arms and spread your legs with confidence.
Just be careful not to veer into manspreading territory.
There’s no such thing as a stupid question—especially when it comes to your body, your health or your hygiene. Send us the things that you’ve always wondered about to bm@dollarshaveclub.com.
Does Having A Lot of Body Hair Mean That I'm Going to Smell More?
