Newsletter

July 2009

When does my preteen need to start using deodorant? Is it safe?

Teens and preteens are most likely to develop body odor at the beginning of puberty.  For most children puberty has its onset between the ages of 8 and 13.  You will notice a small tuft of soft straight hair in the genital area and under the arms when your child begins puberty.  You will also notice breast buds in females and testicular enlargement in boys at the onset of puberty.  Once you notice these changes your child will likely start to have some degree of body odor.

It is important to be sensitive to your child’s changing body and possible embarrassment with regards to body odor.  The best way to approach this topic is to prepare your child ahead of time.  Let him/her know that body odor signals the change from childhood to adolescence and that it is a normal process.  Let him/her know that hygiene (ie. Daily showers, deodorant/antiperspirant, and fresh undergarments and clothes daily) are important.  Many adolescents are resistant to personal hygiene.  Why has always been a mystery to me.  Be patient and let your child know that this important.  Others will notice if they have poor hygiene.  Encourage him/her to be an active participant in his/her personal care. 

There are 2 types of sweat glands.  One is called the eccrine gland.  It stores water and secretes the water when you become overheated to cool you down.  The other type of gland is called the apocrine gland.  This gland stores sweat and releases it when you are overheated as well.  There are countless usually harmless bacteria that live on healthy skin especially in the moist parts of your body like your mouth, genital area, armpits, etc.  When the bacteria begin to digest the sweat the result is a malodor.  The more you sweat, the more sweat you produce and the more sweat is digested by the bacteria.

Deodorant neutralizes and masks the smell in the armpit.  Antiperspirant forms a layer over the sweat gland to prevent it from releasing liquid.  It is a myth that the antiperspirant causes a blockage in the ducts of the armpit and therefore cysts.  Cysts can form here but for other reasons.  If you notice a cyst see your healthcare provider.  Many people choose antiperspirant/deodorant combination products.  These seem to work the best. 

Some people have raised concern regarding dementia and Alzheimer’s and other diseases related to antiperspirant usage.  The concern centers on aluminum absorption from the antiperspirant.  However, many studies have been done on the safety of antiperspirants.  The major concern is regarding the absorption of aluminum.  The quantity of aluminum absorbed from antiperspirant is minimal and not enough to cause damage over a lifetime. You can purchase preteen products that have lower concentrations of aluminum hydroxide (the most active ingredient) if you are concerned about aluminum exposure. 

Can I drink when I am breastfeeding? How many alcoholic drinks are safe when breastfeeding?

Alcohol stays in your system for 90 minutes after 1 drink.  The metabolism (breakdown) of alcohol is dependent upon your body weight and ethnic background (ethnicity influences the amount of enzyme present in your system that breaks down alcohol).  Alcohol is processed in the liver and in many of the cells of the body (including the cells in the breast).  This breaks down the alcohol molecule and allows it to be excreted.

There is little storage space in the breast.  Therefore, breast milk is mostly produced as the infant nurses.  For this reason the amount of alcohol in your system (and therefore bloodstream) is similar to the amount of alcohol that will be in the breast milk.  However, the alcohol is probably only excreted at about 5-10% of what the blood alcohol level is at the time the child feeds.  This is why pumping and dumping is not necessary.