What is this substance that adheres to my armpit hair?

September 26, 2006 8:08 AM

What is this substance that adheres to my armpit hair? Sebum? How do I get rid of it?

This substance is dry, whitish-yellow and translucent. It builds up on my armpit hair and occasionally genital hair, and makes the hair appear rough and bumpy. It can be scraped off the hair by a pinched fingernail.

I don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant, so that isn't it. I wash daily, and scrub heartily. I've changed soaps several times since I noticed this. I kind of sweat a lot. I have occasionally shaved my armpit hair (I'm male) and it'll take a while for this substance to build up again, but it comes back.

Any suggestions for what it is and how to be rid of it?

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (10 answers total)

Evaporated salt from sweat?
posted by orthogonality at 8:46 AM on September 26, 2006

bacterial colonies?
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 9:26 AM on September 26, 2006

Dried sweat.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 9:34 AM on September 26, 2006

I also don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant, and used to get this, too. It bothered me, so I'd cut of the offending hair (and this is why I own a pair of left-handed scissors, the only reason -- to trim my right pit). But I haven't noticed this phenomenon in over a decade, now. (I also sweat a lot, but maybe not as much now that I'm over 50 and a geezer?)
posted by Rash at 10:25 AM on September 26, 2006

Do you use a stick-style deodorant? When I do, the stuff builds up exactly as you describe. I cut the matted clumps off with scissors and went back to a roll-on.
posted by KRS at 11:05 AM on September 26, 2006

Google "Trichomycosis Axillaris"
posted by firstdrop at 1:36 PM on September 26, 2006

KRS writes "Do you use a stick-style deodorant? When I do, the stuff builds up exactly as you describe. I cut the matted clumps off with scissors and went back to a roll-on."


See above.

"I don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant, so that isn't it."
posted by chiababe at 1:37 PM on September 26, 2006

I agree that it's dried sweat. My boyfriend gets it on his (balding) forehead after he exercises. The best way to stop it is probably to wear antipersperant.
posted by shelleycat at 4:08 PM on September 26, 2006

Oh, note that sweat (particularly in those areas) carries both salt and sebum as well as water, and the build up will be a combination of all of them.
posted by shelleycat at 4:10 PM on September 26, 2006

Not just dried sweat, but I would also guess some skin cells that have been sloughed off during the day combining to make a paste.
posted by tomble at 10:57 PM on September 26, 2006