' If you're already applying an antiperspirant twice a day and washing your armpits regularly, the next best way to stop underarm odor is to shave your armpits — with less hair, smelly bacteria won't have as much room to grow. You can also try applying baking soda to your armpits every morning to help reduce sweating and odors. Make sure to avoid eating foods that can cause bad body odor, like garlic, onions, fish, and hot peppers. ' From wikiHow.
Fahim and Charlotte,
I appreciate very much decoration of the skin. That allows expression to be according to the feel of the moment. Its fun and allows one to flaunt some fantasy.
However, I personally adore folk as they are without alteration to god-given skin by any kind of permanent change not required for health or really needed cosmetic imperative.
So I support surgeries required for cleft lip but shudder at the idea of a Jew, Arab or Iranian having surgeons transform an ethnically recognizable curve, or wider native West African nose to become Roman or French. I also decry the rite of passage breast enhancement of young women. Gwyneth Paltrow, with, (self-admitted), flat "fried egg"-sized breasts, achieved international stardom without Hollywood silicon!
In India, especially, the use of Henna, a tradition going all the way back 300,000 years to the earlier man, is used for beautiful but temporary skin decoration.
Why not have temporary tattoos. As a child, I flinched as the site of cattle, in cowboy movies, being burnt with a red hot iron to brand the cattle. I know it was used for slaves too. but the sight of numbers on the arms of concentration camp survivors, horrified me.
I see good reason for drug users to cover their track lines. Tattoos are also used marks od street gang membership and works for cohesion when the members are in jail.
But the popularity of tattooing in the general public escapes me. The changes are permanent and the artwork often common and trivial, really not elevating the person, except making them "belong" to a set of the population that is similarly marked.
The skin decoration that IS the most lively are the several bold strokes of color for soccer fans I have seen in world matches in Munich. That was really celebratory and fabulous. It showed a sense of joy and pride and there are no consequences the next day!
Asher
