Why do some people's armpits not smell?

According to a group of researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK, 2 percent of people (at least in their survey) carry a rare version of the gene ABCC11 that prevents their armpits from producing an offensive odor.

Is it possible to not have armpit odor?

Two percent of people carry an unusual form of a specific gene (ABCC11) that means their armpits never smell. The finding came from new research involving 6,495 women who are enrolled in the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol, England, and was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Why does some sweat not smell?

Eccrine glands secrete sweat directly to the surface of your skin. As the sweat evaporates, it helps cool your skin and regulate your body temperature. It doesn't produce a smell. When your body temperature rises due to physical exertion or being hot, the evaporation of sweat from your skin produces a cooling effect.

Why do some people's armpits stink more than others?

Smelly armpits occur when bacteria break down the otherwise odorless sweat on your skin. Some people sweat more than others and have a condition called hyperhidrosis. This excess sweating can lead to body odor.

How do you know if you have ABCC11 gene?

What causes body odor? - Mel Rosenberg

Which race has the most ABCC11?

The white men in the study had greater amounts of 11 of the VOCs than the East Asian men in the study. East Asian and Native American people were already known to have a form of the ABCC11 gene that causes the dry type of earwax and produces less underarm body order, compared with other ethnicities.

Who has the most ABCC11 gene?

ABCC11: the “no body odor gene”

Genetic variants that cause a loss of function of the ABCC11 gene are very common among East Asian populations (80-90% of the population). In other population groups, it is rare to have no body odor.

Which race has the strongest body odor?

Although there is some controversy on the subject of "racial" variation in body odor, it is determined that African blacks probably produce the greatest amount of apocrine sweat, which is the known substrate for axillary odor.

Does shaving armpits reduce smell?

Less body odor

Underarm sweat has a direct link to body odor (BO) since it's the result of bacteria breaking sweat down. When you remove hair under the armpits, it reduces trapped odor. A 2016 study involving men found that removing armpit hair by shaving significantly reduced axillary odor for the following 24 hours.

Why do women's armpits smell like onions?

It turns out that when this sulfur compound is mixed with bacteria under the arm, it creates a chemical called thiol — and this chemical is known for smelling like onions. Men on the other hand, had increased levels of an odorless fatty acid, which gives off a cheesy smell once it mixes with the armpit bacteria.

Do Koreans smell armpits?

Smelly genes

"This key gene is basically the single determinant of whether you do produce underarm odor or not," Day said. While only 2 percent of Europeans lack the genes for smelly armpits, most East Asians and almost all Koreans lack this gene, Day told LiveScience.

Why do I not get BO?

According to a group of researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK, 2 percent of people (at least in their survey) carry a rare version of the gene ABCC11 that prevents their armpits from producing an offensive odor.

How do you sweat without it smelling?

Are hairy armpits more stinky?

Armpit hair makes your pits smell bad.

This is probably the most popular pit myth. Not so, folks. Bacteria intermingling with your sweat is actually what produces the odor; however, I think some people believe that your hair makes a more fertile pad for said bacteria.

Does pubic hair make you smell?

Long pubic hair

Pubic hair holds on to residual urine, vaginal discharge, blood and semen. Bacteria line up all along the hair shaft just lunching it up and creating odor. (Very appetizing, I know.) Trimming your pubic hair reduces that surface area for bacteria, thus reducing odor.

Why do I have pubes but not armpit hair?

For most girls, armpit hair starts to grow a little while after they get pubic hair. So, if you have some pubic hair (even if it's scanty and soft) and you have your period, armpit hair may still be on its way. Then again, you may never have much armpit hair (and that's not a bad thing).

Which ethnicity has the least BO?

Ethnic background also comes into play: People of East Asian descent tend to sweat less and have less body odor than those of African and European descent. Nakano, M., Nobutomo, M., Akiyoshi, H., et al.

Can you smell your own body odor?

It would be amazing if you could sniff yourself and immediately pick up on any emanating odors, but alas, life isn't so simple. According to Lifehacker, it can be quite difficult to detect your own body odors because the receptors in your nose shut down after smelling the same scent for too long.

What your body odor says about you?

"Most of the time, body odor is just a pesky and unpleasant part of life. In some cases, though, consistent or sudden body odor can indicate a chronic problem, like a metabolic condition or a more serious illness like yellow fever and typhoid fever, which can have distinct scents," says Dr. Dietz.

Is ABCC11 gene important?

A Functional ABCC11 Allele Is Essential in the Biochemical Formation of Human Axillary Odor. The characteristic human axillary odor is formed by bacterial action on odor precursors that originate from apocrine sweat glands.

Is ABCC11 dominant or recessive?

A SNP in the ABCC11 gene on chromosome 16 at base position 538 of either a guanine or adenine determines two distinct groups of phenotypes. These respectively code for glycine and arginine in the gene's protein product. Dominant inheritance of the GG or GA genotype is observed while the AA genotype is recessive.

What does the ABCC11 gene do?

ABCC11, also known as multidrug resistance associated protein 8 (MRP8), is a member of the human ABC transporter gene family. It is expressed in apocrine glands, and may have a key function in the secretion of odorants and their precursors^8,9.

Who has the abc11 gene?

Today most East Asians and nearly all Koreans lack a chemical in their armpits that bacteria munch on to make body odor, because they carry this variant of the ABCC11 gene. About 98 percent of Europeans have the smelly-armpit version of the gene, and along with it comes stickier and smellier earwax.

How do I know if I stink?

"It's almost like a white-noise reset to the olfactory system," says Dalton. Try this: sniff coffee or charcoal for a full minute. Then go back and take a whiff of your underarm or other potentially offending area. In a pinch, you could even smell the crook of your elbow, which contains few sweat glands.