You smell bad during puberty primarily because your sweat glands become more active and produce sweat with a different, stronger-smelling chemical composition.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
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Sweat Glands Become More Active: You've always had sweat glands, but puberty kicks them into high gear. These glands, especially the apocrine glands (found mainly in your armpits and groin area), become much more active.
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Change in Sweat Composition: Puberty causes these glands to release different chemicals into your sweat than before. This new cocktail of chemicals is what creates a stronger, more noticeable odor.
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Bacteria's Role: The sweat itself isn't what smells. It's when the sweat mixes with bacteria on your skin that the odor is produced. The chemicals released during puberty provide more "food" for these bacteria, leading to increased odor.
In summary, the combination of increased sweat production and altered sweat composition, when combined with bacteria on your skin, is responsible for the body odor associated with puberty.
