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The Female Body: An Owner's Manual: Underarms

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Underarms

They sweat. They smell. They''re hard to shave. It''s no wonder we call them The Pits.

We''re talking underarms here. And let''s face it: They''re just downright high-maintenance, at least for American women. In our overly sanitized, hairless-is-sexy society, underarms require a lot of attention.

Day in and day out, you wash them, dry them, dust them and crust them with the deodorant or antiperspirant of your choice. And somewhere in there, you manage to flick your Bic razor, all in the name of staying dry, sweet-smelling and smooth.

Not that it has to be that way. In Europe women sport hairy underarms all the time, and it''s no big deal. Washing is done with less frequency and body odor is less of a big deal. Here in the States, however, that fashion just hasn''t quite caught on.

Quelling the Smell

Armpits have glands that produce sweat, but they also have other glands that produce a milky kind of secretion that mixes with bacteria to cause body odor. If you''re enjoying the great outdoors, it doesn''t matter how much you sweat--the bears and bees are quite happy with how you smell. Indoors, of course, it''s a different matter. To keep your pits dry and sweet-smelling, here are some recommendations from Richard L. Dobson, M.D., professor of dermatology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Pick the right product. If your main objective is to discourage moisture, look for an antiperspirant. Antiperspirants contain aluminum chlorhydrate or aluminum zirconium complexes. These substances prevent sweating by clogging the superficial pores, says Dr. Dobson. They can help fight odor, too, since smell-producing bacteria can''t thrive on dry skin. If you buy a deodorant, on the other hand, it will fight off odor by killing bacteria, but it won''t prevent you from sweating.

Cool your pits. If you work out during the day, make sure that you take 10 to 15 minutes to cool down after your workout before putting on a deodorant, says Dr. Dobson.

Stay smooth. Underarm hair gives bacteria a place to hang out. So keeping your underarms shaved is one way to stay fresh, Dr. Dobson says.

Shaving for a Sweaty Day

If you''re used to shaving under your arms, you''re probably used to underarm rash. There are ways to avoid it, however. Here''s what Dr. Dobson recommends.

Go for a night shave. Every time a woman shaves her underarms, she removes some of the outer protective layer of skin. If deodorants or antiperspirants are applied right away, that can be irritating. So allow a little bit of recovery time, says Dr. Dobson. If you''re shaving under your arms, do so at night, and then wait until morning to apply your underarm product.

Make sure it''s moist. When you shave, use water along with shaving cream or a mild soap. That gives the hair a chance to soften, says Dr. Dobson.

See also Skin

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