When does body odor normally appear in children?

You may be wondering when a child has body odor. Normally, body odor will occur when a child enters puberty or before adolescence. However, what is the proper age for body odor to appear in children? Check out the following reviews and the steps to overcome them.

Why do children get body odor?

According to the Marshfield Clinic Health System, when children reach adolescence and enter puberty, there are significant changes in the child's body. One of them is hormonal changes, so the question of when body odor in children begins to appear answered.

Yes, hormonal changes in teenage children cause their bodies to produce excessive sweat which is the cause of body odor. This is also supported by the children's physical activity which is also increasingly varied. At that age, children are naturally excited to increase their knowledge and abilities by exploring the surrounding environment.

However, when or when body odor begins to appear, it is not just puberty. The human body has two types of sweat glands, namely eccrine glands and apocrine glands. In children, the active sweat glands are eccrine glands. These glands are located throughout the body, namely around the pores of the skin and will produce sweat in the form of water when the body has to maintain an ideal body temperature.

For example, when the child has a fever or when the child tastes spicy food. Meanwhile, the apocrine glands are located around the armpit hair and will produce sweat every time the body performs physical activity and also feels emotions such as fear, anxiety, stress, or experiencing sexual stimulation. The resulting sweat is usually oily, opaque, and odorless.

When does body odor appear in children?

The child's sweat will become smelly when it reacts with bacteria that stick to the skin. Therefore, the time when body odor occurs in children is when the child is actively moving and begins to be exposed to bacteria from the surrounding environment.

Generally, babies to children under 8 years of age have sweat that is odorless, or has only a faint odor. Meanwhile, from 8 years old until puberty, the child will generally start to smell body odor.

In fact, it could be said, body odor appearing in children is one of the signs that the child is entering puberty. Well, this body odor starts to become unpleasant when a child enters 12 years of age or when he is a teenager. Usually, girls tend to go through puberty earlier than boys.

Therefore, it is not surprising that body odor appears in girls earlier than in boys. In girls, body odor begins to appear when they are 8 years old, while in boys, when a bad body odor occurs, it usually occurs when they are 9 years old.

In addition to activity and the abundance of bacteria, abnormal body odor in children can be caused by diseases or other body conditions. Therefore, if body odor occurs earlier than it should be, it needs to be overcome and prevented. Causes of body odor that can be prevented and which are easier to treat yourself include:

Poor body hygiene.
Unclean clothes or shoes.
Eat foods that trigger body odor.

Meanwhile, for body odor caused by disease, you must get treatment from a doctor to reduce the symptoms that cause body odor. Do not take medication without a doctor's recommendation which could make the condition worse.

Helping children prevent body odor that appears

The question of when the body odor occurs in children has been answered. Now, it's time for you to help your child to prevent body odor from appearing. Here are some things you and your child can do to prevent bad body odor.

1. Take a shower

Even though it sounds trivial, this self-care activity is very important for cleanliness. Moreover, if the child has just been doing physical activity or playing outside the house. The problem is, sometimes your child is too lazy to take a shower, so if he is beyond your supervision, your child may not bathe.

Unfortunately, even if you are not aware, other people, such as friends, teachers, or other family members will notice that your child is not showering. Therefore, it is your duty as a parent to ensure that your child bathes every day, twice a day.

If your child engages in physical activity such as playing sports or other activities that make him sweat a lot, you should make sure your child takes a shower afterward. In addition, accompany your child when they bathe, for example telling them which parts of the body are prone to smell.

Provide toiletries that support children's cleanliness, for example shampoo, bath soap, back cleanser, and various other products that make him excited about taking a bath.

2. Wash clothes

Not only bathing, washing clothes may sound trivial. You may also feel that you will wash all the clothes your child wears. But unfortunately, you often let your child wear the same clothes several times in succession without washing them first.

One of the times when body odor appears in children is when the child uses unwashed clothes. The clothes your child is wearing may look clean. But just imagine, that shirt has been used for hours, so that the sweat on his body has stuck to the garment.

So of course, if the clothes are put on again, there is a good chance that your child will produce an unpleasant odor. Especially if the clothes have been used outside the house to play in the hot sun.

Therefore, always wash the clothes your child has worn, and don't let him wear the same clothes before the clothes are washed first. For school uniforms, provide some spare uniforms so that children can immediately change the next day.

3. Wash the shoes

One of the sources of bad body odor is not only the body parts, but also the feet. Yes, children's feet can also smell bad. When does body odor come from the child's feet? Usually, children in their early teens often run with friends in sneakers.

If the child wears socks, maybe the unpleasant smell coming from the child's feet can still be suppressed. Unfortunately, not all children want to wear socks when wearing shoes, so the bad smell comes from their feet.

As parents, provide lots of socks for children, so that children can immediately change them if the socks they wear are already worn for some activities. That way, you have helped the child not to produce body odor that comes from his feet

When can children use deodorant when they have body odor?

If body odor occurs even though the child has not reached puberty, as a parent you can prevent and overcome it by teaching them how to bathe cleanly and regularly. Also pay attention to the cleanliness of the clothes and the type of food, for example limiting foods that contain onions, red meat, or cow's milk.

If that doesn't work, maybe using a deodorant can help. However, please note that there is an age limit when children can use deodorant. When can children use deodorant when they have body odor? New 10 or 11 year olds are allowed to use deodorant.

Apart from age, the choice of deodorant must also be right. Today, many deodorants are made especially for children. Do not choose deodorants that contain parabens, aluminum, or chemicals that are allergens and dangerous.

You can also use natural ingredients instead of factory-made deodorants. Don't forget to always consult your plan for the right recommendations and suggestions for dealing with body odor.