Important hygiene area that most people don't understand - sweat from rear area

 

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a doctor or medical professional of any kind, and nothing here is medical advice.  

Hi, about 20 years ago I solved my problem through a diet that I recently posted about on this forum [Reddit]. Once I entered into the long term phase of the diet, I reached a point where I was able to make decisions about whether I wanted to do an extremely pure, clean diet where deodorant was not even needed, or a more moderate one. I learned some important things through this that most people are not aware of.

One of the areas that you have apocrine sweat glands is in your anal area. There is one popular source claiming this is not the case (I forget which) but the real medical sources make clear that there are indeed aprocine sweat glands there. It is the apocrine glands that release sweat that will smell because there are some animal products in there, that are acted on by bacteria. What I have learned is that the smell of the sweat in the anal area does indeed vary based on the quality/cleaness of your sweat. The point is that if your underarm sweat smells bad, then the sweat in your anal area may be following a similar pattern, and you need a more rigorous hygiene routine that just wiping blindly with dry toilet paper.

*** At the end of this post I make clear that shaving/removing hair in this area is a bad idea, don't skip that section.

I learned this by doing some tests to see just how pure I could make my sweat, by having a good number of vegan days in a row. When I was sweaty, I went to the bathroom and put some toilet paper down there and got it wet and smelled it, and it was just like smelling water, with no scent. To be clear, IT IS NORMAL for this sweat to have a nasty, anal smell to it - I have to have a consistent vegan diet to get it to the point where it just smells like water.

The point is that the smell fluctuates based on your sweat in general, so if your underarm sweat is bad, the sweat in your anal area may be unusually bad as well. If this sweat mixes with even a tiny amount of fecal material you failed to wipe off, it could cause a problem. I may have had a couple experiences with this myself in the past, which is part of the inspiration for this post. Perhaps some of these fecal odor complaints people have could be due to this. If you have rare complaints about a fecal smell, this might be the issue. I would be more skeptical if the complaints are more consistent. Also, there is a huge difference between generic comments like 'it smells like shit in here' and actual specific, explicit complaints about a fecal smell.

Here is what I do, and recommend: Use your shower head to clean the anal area during your shower, with a jet of water. If this is your first time, get a bar of soap to clean the area first, and then either dispose of the soap or designate it for this area only (don't continue to use it for general use after this). I have already solved my problem and don't really need to do this anymore, but it is just something that makes me more comfortable, and I really think everyone in the world should probably do this, not just people with this condition.

You want some heat to get a good clean, but NOT enough so there is any risk of burning yourself. Don't try and clean internally or do anything crazy. Put one foot up on the tub, and use one hand to spread a cheek open for easy access. Make sure you spray all areas to get the best cleaning. This whole process should likely take 10-30 seconds. If a bad smell hits your nose, keep going until that stops.

For the best results, use the toilet right before your shower (wipe normally before the shower as well). By trying to only use the toilet right before your shower, you get the maximum benefits from this.

The idea here is that simply wiping with dry toilet paper may not be enough for people with this condition. Fecal matter is left behind, and may interact badly with sweat in the area. Getting a bidget is another idea. I have never used one, but I think a shower head will get the best clean.

Here is what NOT to do: do NOT attempt to shave any hair in this area if you are not already doing so. Reading online comments reveals this will cause massive discomfort and significantly increased sweating, as the hair keeps the two cheeks separate, and without this there is no space between them and sweating goes way up. The increased sweatiness would probably outweigh the benefits of removing the hair (which will hold onto sweat). So do not make any changes to shaving/waxing in that area from whatever you already do or do not do.

On the subject of removing hair: if you have underarm hair it really is worth removing that to see what happens, as the purpose of the hair is to amplify the scent. Shaving the hair did nothing for me for whatever reason (based on reactions), causing me to try out the vegan diet that worked for me instead. Waxing the hair removes it more deeply, and electrolysis (laser hair removal) is the most effective option of all. The idea is that sweat can exist in the hair follicle under the skin and be acted on by bacteria even there. I learned this a long time ago in the context of learning about electrolysis of underarm hair as a treatment for this condition.

Just remember that it is perfectly normal for the sweat in this area to smell bad, the only reason to smell the sweat here (get sweaty and use toilet paper and sniff) is to try and see how your sweat is changing in response to something, like a diet, that you are trying. Good luck everyone!