How Does Sweat Change as We Age?
A One-Minute Read
For anyone who has noticed that your gym clothes are more pungent than when you were in high school, Columbia endocrinologist Salila Kurra, MD, explains why aging affects perspiration and how to manage changes in your body odor.
What is it about sweat and sweating that produces an odor?
Sweat itself is odorless. When sweat mixes with skin bacteria, this can cause body odor. There are parts of the body (like armpits) that contain a denser concentration of these bacteria and therefore are more likely to produce an odor.
As we age, can hormonal changes make body odor stronger or different?
As a person ages, the levels of sex hormones—when does testosterone drop in men and estrogen and progesterone in women—decrease. Other hormones, such as growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor, also go down.
Hormonal changes can have a direct effect on body odor through biochemical changes in skin secretions. Hormonal changes can also have indirect effects on skin microbiome composition, which can lead to changes in body odor.
Are there differences between men and women in how aging affects sweating and body odor?
Sweating decreases with age in both men and women, but the mechanisms of change are different. In men, age-related reductions in sweating are mostly due to decreased sweat gland output. In women, both sweat gland density and sweat gland output decline.
Are there hygiene or lifestyle habits you can recommend to reduce body odor?
Regular bathing with soap and water, which reduces odor-causing bacteria, is the first line of defense. Beyond that, one can use a deodorant and/or an antiperspirant.
Are there any changes in sweating or body odor that should prompt a call to one's doctor?
Yes. If you have new, drenching night sweats; or sweats accompanied by a fast heart rate, headaches, or high blood pressure; or a sudden change in body odor, reach out to your healthcare provider. These symptoms could indicate hyperthyroidism, a treatable condition in which the thyroid gland (a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck) produces too much thyroid hormone. There are effective medications that help most hyperthyroidism patients.