If you are worried about the smell from your armpits or yellow spots on your white clothes, you probably suffer from bromhidrosis. Bromhidrosis refers to an abnormality of the apocrine sweat glands – the reason for an unpleasant underarm odor. It often occurs in young adults and causes stress and discomfort in daily life.

The main cause of armpit odor is the abnormal activity of the apocrine sweat glands. Apocrine glands are located in the armpits, and they produce the ferment which later will be decomposed by gram-positive bacteria on the surface of the skin into substances such as ammonia that causes the bad smell.

Another cause is the sebaceous glands located around hair follicles. The secret from the sebaceous glands contains a lot of fat, where bacteria multiply and make the armpits smell. The symptoms of bromhidrosis usually worsen in summer or after exercise, and they are often accompanied by hyperhidrosis of the armpits.

There are two major surgical methods for bromhidrosis: Resection and Ultrasound-assisted liposuction of the axillary region.

Resection has the advantage of being inexpensive. However, it is not so popular because leaves a large scar on the skin and requires a long recovery period because the apocrine sweat glands are cut out.

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction of the axillary region removes the apocrine sweat glands and takes around one hour. After making a small incision about 5 mm in the armpit, an ultrasound inhaler is inserted into the subcutaneous fat to suck the apocrine sweat glands and surrounding adipose tissue out. Since the cut part is not sharp, the pain and scarring are minimal. The fine marks left after the procedure are hidden in the folds of the skin remaining almost invisible, and the patient can be discharged on the same day.

In addition, bromhidrosis surgery through ultrasound-assisted liposuction has the advantage of preserving blood vessels and nerves around the armpit, thus reducing side effects of traditional surgery such as hematoma and sensory loss. After the surgery, a compression bandage should be worn for 1 or 2 days. The recovery period is very short and no hospitalization is required.

      About bromhidrosis surgery

• Duration: about 1 hour.
• Anesthesia method: partial anesthesia (local anesthesia).
• Stitch removal: 7 days after.
• Recovery period: Wear a compression bandage for about 2 days, and take shower after stitches are removed.

    Bromhidrosis surgery is recommended in the following cases:

• Smelly armpits.
• Yellow spots in the srmpit areas on the clothes.
• Sticky earwax (while normally earwax is dry, 70% of those suffering from bromhidrosis have sticky earwax).
• Someone in your family has smelly armpits.

  Precautions before bromhidrosis surgery in Korea

Since the results of bromhidrosis surgery depend on the experience and know-how of the medical staff, it is necessary to find out whether the possibility of recurrence of bromhidrosis as well as the scarring after the surgery is minimized.

Therefore, it is helpful to proceed with the most appropriate treatment after a detailed consultation at the clinic and take measures to reduce side effects. Checking out the above-mentioned is more important than relying on advertising reviews and the low cost of the surgery.

  How to prevent armpits from smelling

Green and yellow vegetables contain a lot of vitamins A and E, which increase bacterial resistance, therefore frequent consumption can reduce the secretion of odor-causing peroxide. On the other hand, high calorie foods containing a lot of fat, such as milk, meat, eggs, and butter, make the smell stronger. For this reason, replacing high calorie foods with fruits and vegetables helps prevent the bad smell from armpits.