eccrine glands are more abundant throughout the body and produce an odourless liquid that aids in temperature control, while apocrine glands, found in areas with more hair follicles (armpits, scalp, groin), emit a thicker liquid. when the fluid produced by these glands mixes with the bacteria on the surface of the armpit, you get body odour.
the kind of odour you produce is dependent on
many factors
, including what you eat or drink and or the medication you take.
and those yellow pit stains you might get on an old white t-shirt? don’t blame your diet or sweat. the yellowing is
caused by a chemical reaction
between your sweat and the aluminum in your deodorant.
armpit odour may also contribute to the mating process. whether you think it’s nasty or not, human sexual instincts are driven, in part, by
how we perceive each other’s scent
. there is even
some research
that men find women most attractive when they are ovulating.
what’s with the hair?
while western culture and
social constructs
have led to the common practice of shaving or waxing underarms, it wasn’t always the case. north american women only started routinely shaving the region
in the 1920s
.
and while the function of underarm hair does remain a bit mysterious, there are a few theories about its purpose. the sweat produced by the apocrine glands clings onto the pit hair, meaning that scent we produce is due partially to the hair. for better or worse,
there is evidence
that shaving the region can significantly reduce the amount of b.o. produced by men. another reason the region is hairier than most is to
reduce the friction
between the arms and torso while we walk or run.
3 minute read
