Can you smell yourself if you have BO?

[DrSally]

Now that it's getting hot/sweaty around here, I find myself showering in the morning and before bed. Mostly to get the stickiness/sunscreen off me. I was hugging someone the other day (a woman) and she had BO. I never thought I had BO. I don't sweat hardly at all (mostly just my feet and my nose for some reason), and have never really worn deodorant (I just don't really sweat under my arms). No one close to me has ever complained of BO on me.

I'm just wondering, if you yourself have BO, can you smell it? Maybe I should start asking DH, but he would just make some sort of joke and not answer me seriously. I guess I'm just feeling paranoid, as I'm sure most people with BO can't smell it on themselves, KWIM?

[boltfam]

I've only smelled BO on myself a couple of times, and I'm hoping those are the only times I've had it. Sometimes, I'll smell BO and suspect myself, but when I do the sniff check, I'm clear (at least, I think so). If I can still smell my deoderant, I probably don't have BO, right?

[Clarity]

Hmmm...I don't think so. Not unless you pull a Mary Katherine Gallagher. :tongue5:

[BabyBearsMom]

I don't know. One of my staff can be....a bit ripe and I have had to talk to him about it before (seriously, worst conversation of my life, I want to stab myself in the eye repeatedly rather than ever have to talk about that again) and he looks at me like I am nuts and has NO IDEA what I am talking about. I honestly think he doesn't smell it.

[lhafer]

By the time I smell it...I know I'm RIPE. As in - don't come near me, I'm nasty.

DrSally - can I trade bodies with you??? I seriously sweat everywhere, all the time. Like I oversweat. It's so nasty. I am SOO paranoid about having BO, that I apply deodorant at least 3 times a day. Liberally.

[Edensmum]

I smell it. Right now I'm pregnant and I can't stand to be with myself nude. Just the normal female parts smell with no BO bugs the crap out of me right now. I keep asking dh if I smell and he says no, so I'm sure. He's the honest sort. I smell me though and I don't like it. If I got the the point of BO, I'd be in the shower or gagging at this point. So I do my best to prevent it for my sake if not everyone else at this point.

[Edensmum]

Also I think smokers really can't smell themselves. I have a friend, he's a close one I can be honest with, but he had been wearing the same t shirt without washing and holy crap he can stink up of room. Seriously ripe, sharp awful BO. He had no idea. None. I'm talking the BO stays on the couch if he sits there Etc. He's had to take some extra precautions in washing himself and clothes and it's much better now. That was a tough conversation, but I had to do it. He was staying with us and Ugh.

[Jo..]

I exercise and walk and garden and it's 100+ degrees here right now. Sometimes I know I need a shower in a big way.

I use Certain-Dri 3 nights per week which almost eliminates the underarm sweating (I use regular anti-perspirant every morning).

However, my feet sweat, my groin sweats, my breasts sweat, and my butt sweats in this weather. :ROTFLMAO:

I don't go anywhere without showering first, otherwise grown women would run away screaming.

[firemama]

Jo, you are hilarious!

OP, yes I have smelled my BO before, and I sweat all over pretty bad. I really wish anti-perspirants were ok, I dread summers. Do you have a good sense of smell in general? If so, I am sure you would smell it if you had BO. Otherwise, you are just one lucky lady!

[g-mama]

I can smell myself if I have BO. And like some of the other pp's, I am a big time sweat-er. My husband gives me a hard time b/c he rarely sweats and I walk outside on a hot day and am wet within ten minutes. One of my more attractive qualities. ;)

I use a rx antiperspirant at nighttime in the summer months called Hypercare. It does reduce the amount of sweating but does not eliminate it.

Even with that, plus daily clinical strength deodorant, I can get stinky if I'm sweating and sometimes shower 3x a day if I feel the need. I am VERY jealous of you women who rarely break a sweat!

[crayonblue]

One word: Botox. For those of you who sweat more than normal, go get Botox! Insurance will cover it and you will be thrilled.

[g-mama]

One word: Botox. For those of you who sweat more than normal, go get Botox! Insurance will cover it and you will be thrilled.

Hold on a second. Insurance WILL cover it?!?!?! I am getting on the phone today to make sure mine will and then, Botox, here I come!

Now, if only insurance would cover the lines between my eyebrows, too!

[crayonblue]

Hold on a second. Insurance WILL cover it?!?!?! I am getting on the phone today to make sure mine will and then, Botox, here I come!

Now, if only insurance would cover the lines between my eyebrows, too!

Yep, your dermatologist has to submit a letter of medical necessity. Takes a few weeks for prior authorization. If you want to find an experienced dermatologist, go here http://www.sweathelp.org/English/ and scroll down the right side and enter your area in the Physician Finder. Other dermatologists can effectively administer Botox for excessive sweating but starting here might be a good idea.

I used a rx antiperspirant for years but after DD was born, it didn't work. I've been getting Botox injections since 2006. About every 8 months or so. I really cannot even explain how relieving it is to have something that works 100%. If you have any specific questions, pm me. DH's company was in charge of Allergan's Botox account for a long time so I'm pretty familiar with the ins and outs of the insurance stuff too. :)

[Snow mom]

I think if you smell ripe once in a while you would notice. If you had constant BO you might not? I'm just trying to think of how those people who always stink don't know. I imagine they live with the smell for long enough that they don't detect it. I used to work with a french woman and it seems she never showered. Our offices were next door to each other (connected by a wide hallway and about 8 feet between the doors) and I could smell her from my office. I never understood how her husband could put up with it.

[KpbS]

I think if you smell ripe once in a while you would notice. If you had constant BO you might not?

ITA. I definitely sweat but most of the time it is manageable--not stinky!

[robinsmommy]

I can smell it when I have BO. And as crunchy and granola-y as I am, I have gone back to wearing real anti-perspirant instead of the health food store stuff. :bag I was having to wash my armpits, put more crunchy deo on, and change shirts, sometimes twice a day. I could not cope with that much laundry.

Now I can wear the same shirt for two days (so long as I do no heavy work in the garden or really hard walks) with no smell. And yes, I do regularly do that - I'm quite sure that a few of you are now horrified. :p

There was a mom in the uber-crunchy town we used to live in who used only baking soda, as she was nursing, and while I get that and understand it, I swore to myself that I never wanted to smell that way.....it was worse because she nearly always wore tank tops or other sleeveless shirts. And when I was pregnant... :barf: the smell of unwashed hippies in the summer at our organic coop meant that DH did all the grocery shopping for awhile.

[DrSally]

Jo, you are so funny!
I generally have a good sense of smell, but I get what you all are saying--by the time you smell it on yourself, you're prob pretty ripe. I've honestly never smelled it on myself. I'm going to start wearing antiperspant this summer b/c I can get a little damp under the arms if it's really hot. Mostly to protect my clothes, although I don't ever see any visible stains.

It's really not that great to sweat on your feet and nose. My feet get stinky and I can't go sockless unless I'm wearing flip flops. It's also embarrassing to sweat on your face.

[Jo..]

One word: Botox. For those of you who sweat more than normal, go get Botox! Insurance will cover it and you will be thrilled.

What what what???

Can I get butt botox????

[lhafer]

One word: Botox. For those of you who sweat more than normal, go get Botox! Insurance will cover it and you will be thrilled.

Thought about it seriously. But I've heard that the armpit ones HURT.

But I need it. I get permanent sweat rings in the arm pit area of my shirts. It's gross. And living in Houston where the humidity is awful doesn't help. Ugh.

[Jo..]

Thought about it seriously. But I've heard that the armpit ones HURT.

But I need it. I get permanent sweat rings in the arm pit area of my shirts. It's gross. And living in Houston where the humidity is awful doesn't help. Ugh.

Try Certain-Dri at night. It's in the regular pharmacy/Walmart/etc.

It has eliminated my underarm sweat 100%, but it itches when I put it on.

[firemama]

One word: Botox. For those of you who sweat more than normal, go get Botox! Insurance will cover it and you will be thrilled.

Yes! I have heard this too. I had a sample laser hair removal on one of my armpits years ago, and the medical spa offered this too. But I am kind of weirded out by having this injected in my body, especially by lymph nodes.

What are the dangers?
What about long-term use, since you have to go every 8 months?
Does it hurt in the armpit?
Any recovery time?

:47: I cannot believe it is covered by insurance, awesome!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I do a sniff test when I get sweat if I have any doubt that my deoderant is working. I always wear deodorant/ antiperspirant. BO is yucky and I want to make sure I don't have it

Beth

[ChristinaLucia]

I shower three times I day. I can pick up any of my own BO pretty quickly (I think).

[BabbyO]

By the time I smell it...I know I'm RIPE. As in - don't come near me, I'm nasty.


Me, too. This leads to liberal applications of deoderant several times a day esp in the summer. I keep it in the drawer of my desk at work. In the car I have baby powder (deoderant melts in the car)...I'm a bit paranoid about it.

[bubbaray]

I sweat a lot when I exercise, but its usually not horribly stinky. BUT, I will say that when I tried to switch to a natural deodorant a couple of years back, my normal daily sweat (which is pretty normal), WAS stinky and horrible. Stupid natural deodorants and crystal sticks gave me a horrible yeast infection in my armpits, too, which was sooooo not fun. Imagine me in hearings saying "I'm sorry, can everyone just shut up for a minute while I claw at my underarms like a monkey??". NOT FUN. I switched back to regular antiperspirant (Secret, Dove, etc) and its all good now.

[crayonblue]

Thought about it seriously. But I've heard that the armpit ones HURT.

But I need it. I get permanent sweat rings in the arm pit area of my shirts. It's gross. And living in Houston where the humidity is awful doesn't help. Ugh.

Does not hurt. Maybe a pinch or two but on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being horrible pain I would say about a 1. :)

[crayonblue]

What what what???

Can I get butt botox????

Uhhhhhh, don't know about that one Jo. You would have one smooth butt though. :)

[crayonblue]

Yes! I have heard this too. I had a sample laser hair removal on one of my armpits years ago, and the medical spa offered this too. But I am kind of weirded out by having this injected in my body, especially by lymph nodes.

What are the dangers?
What about long-term use, since you have to go every 8 months?
Does it hurt in the armpit?
Any recovery time?

:47: I cannot believe it is covered by insurance, awesome!

Long term studies have shown it is safe. Of course, Botox is like any other med and so there is a whole list of possible side effects.

Long-term use- again studies have shown it is safe.

Nope, doesn't hurt.

No recovery time. Maybe a little sore for a day but that's it.

Yes, awesome on the insurance! Botox is expensive!!!!!

[DebbieJ]

However, my feet sweat, my groin sweats, my breasts sweat, and my butt sweats in this weather. :ROTFLMAO:



:yeahthat: I think I need some anti-monkey butt powder. Right now I have a nice spot on my abdomen from the chafing from my bra. ouch!

[maestramommy]

I usually can't. I have to sniff my armpits to know if I have it. And I will ask Dh if he can smell it on me. We do the hug test on each other periodically. If I'm in a situation where I KNOW I will start sweating I always wear deodorant.

[hillview]

I can easily smell it. I can also smell other things that you don't want to hear about. My family calls me "the nose"