Feminine odor

[MaggieB]

Lately, I have noticed a distinct feminine odor "down there" each day before I shower in the morning. It smells exactly like a women's crotch. I wear unscented mini-pads in my panties. I am wondering if this odor is normal and will it get stronger such that I have to use some deodorant there. I'd ask my SO but we are not sharing this kind of thing anymore. Also, if we ever got intimate again, it would be a huge surprise to her to smell me as I am now. I'm not complaining, I like the odor as I identify as a lesbian but I want to treat the situation properly. I certainly don't want dogs following me as I walk down the street!

How is this normally dealt with?

Maggie

[NicholeW.]

I've found that was the case with me as well, Maggie. I don't know if it's usual, but it's usual for me.

Nichole

[Sandy]

Welcome to womanhood, hon!

Since you've been on hormones for a while, your body is feminizing.  You are probably starting to secrete female pheromones and your sweat is also changing to be more feminine.

I noticed that I developed that as well.  Usually daily cleaning is sufficient, but if you excercise a lot or are particulary sweaty, you may want to use baby powder or a medicated talc like Gold Bond as well.  There used to be a product call FDS which was supposed to help control odors as well, but I thought it was just baby powder in a spray.  In any case don't use anything harsh like antibacterial soap.  It will irritate your skin and just make it worse.

If you find you have a lot more canine friends then you may want to take some more aggressive action.   

Also remember that as your body feminizes your sense of smell will become much more acute.  That could be why you are starting to notice it as well.

-Sandy

[MaggieB]

Sandy,
Yes, Ive been on hormones for some years but I always used a cream or gel and applied some of it "down there". I suspect that the cream or alcohol in the gel acted as an antibiotic.  I switched to Estrace dissolved under the tongue about two months ago and there has been new growth up top again including this new problem. My sense of smell is very acute as you mentioned. I'm almost "nasty nice clean" in my house. All those years when my SO was saying "Can't you smell that?" are now making sense. Now, I say that to her. She is post menopausal so I'm the one with the raging hormones. What a stitch!

Maggie

[Jeannette]

I dunno.  I find these sort of topics too personal & insulting to women in general.  I'm still pre operative but I dont smell anything.  My perspective is that if something smells, do something to fix it, wash it, douche it or something like it.  Don't be bragging about it on some forum.  Nothing good's gonna come out from any forum.  maybe giggles and mockery but nothing good. Talk to your endo & find things you can do to prevent it from happening again.

[MaggieB]

Jeanette,
Where else am I to ask this question? I said that I couldn't ask my SO and I'm not a going to go to my doctor about it because it is not a medical issue. Isn't this a forum for discussing problems associated with hormone therapy? Of course, I wash and it isn't a problem most of the time. Women have feminine odors and they clearly discuss how to handle these things between themselves. AM I not supposed to ask others on HRT if they have this issue? Bragging. You have got to be kidding! Are we in some kind of competition here? If so, then I'm not interested. I left  maleness to get away from that stuff. Talk about insulted!  I ask a personal question on a forum dedicated to the ONLY place where transwomen can compare notes and I am accused of being inappropriate. Giggles and mockery! Do you think I was out for that? You make it sound like I said "Fart" in church.

And IF you read the responses, you would see that others say it is normal and won't GO AWAY.

Sorry for the rant but if we start dissing people who ask pertinent questions, this forum is worthless. It already has a reputation among some that the folks here are pretty rough sometimes. I will say that in the other forums that I have participated in, I have never had as many negative comments as I have had here.There are some wonderful people here which is why I keep coming back but this kind of totally response really ticks me off.

[Purple Pimp]

The smell change was, for me, the most unexpected result of HRT.  It's a pretty radical change, yet it seems lists regarding the changes after hormones fail to mention it.  It was really strong for me at first, though I'm not certain whether it ever actually lessened or I just became desensitized to it.  Funny, now that you mention it; I noticed it big time when I first started HRT, which was sublingual estradiol.  I switched to injections nearly a year ago now, and I haven't noticed it so much.  Hmm.

Lia

[trapthavok]

Born Female -- so I know what smell she's talking about. Yes, sometimes you do smell down there. It's fine to wonder what's going on down there, and yes we all come here for support so I'm going to try to be as helpful as possible.

Unfortunately, the only time I have those types of smells is during that time of the month... And a good washing usually makes it go away. My mom, on the other hand, has that down under smell month round. So there are creams and things you can use to help make it go away... I wouldn't suggest cover ups, rather I'd suggest some kind of cream that will get to the root of the problem and eliminate the odor all together. What Kassandra said sounds correct. I don't have any personal experience from it, but I can tell you what my mother uses if that helps. Try Vagisil, or just begin researching various creams to see if any of them will eradicate the problem without antibiotics.

Hope I was useful! Sorry I don't know more.

[Jamie-o]

Just one caveat:  Be careful with douches and the like.  Most doctors recommend staying away from them, because they upset natural PH balance and in the long run can make matters worse.

[April221]

The smell change was, for me, the most unexpected result of HRT.  It's a pretty radical change, yet it seems lists regarding the changes after hormones fail to mention it.  It was really strong for me at first, though I'm not certain whether it ever actually lessened or I just became desensitized to it.  Funny, now that you mention it; I noticed it big time when I first started HRT, which was sublingual estradiol.  I switched to injections nearly a year ago now, and I haven't noticed it so much.  Hmm.

Lia

I noticed the same thing; when I started on HRT I was using the patch and the scent was quite noticeable, but when I switched to injections, the scent became much more subtle.

[Northern Jane]

Well general 'body odor' changes with hormones. Mine changed as a teenager. It isn't very noticeable but I know animals perceived me as female even then, horses and dogs in particular.

After surgery, 'personal odor' has a lot to do with cleanliness though it will be a lot stronger while you are healing. There is a certain family of bacteria that live in the vagina and labia that actually help keep you healthy and will cause a slight "fishy" odor. Just keep yourself clean (externally) with mild soap and frequent washing. If the odor is unusually strong, a mild vinegar and water douche is usually the best. If that doesn't clear it up, see your gynecologist since odor can indicate other problems.

[TamTam]

I don't feel the question is too personal or insulting in the slightest. It's fun to bond about all the icky stuff that happens to us, IMO, instead of pretending it doesn't exist.

[I'm born female, too, so here's my two cents.]

As long as you're not itching or feeling pain down there, the smell is normal and you shouldn't be overly bothered. [If you are itching or feeling pain, however, it could be a yeast infection.] It shouldn't ever be so strong that anyone [other than you] can smell it from a couple of feet away, so I wouldn't worry about dogs following you, it's not like that.

A simple washing every day should be enough.  If where you live is warm, or you sweat a lot, you also may want to stop wearing the pads when you go to sleep, as they actually make the cloth of the panties less 'breathable.'  Cotton panties are best, they'll air everything out and perhaps help with the smell.

[Keira]

The scent is much much sweeter, I'd call it sickly sweet
but it takes more time to be noticeable unless
you exercise a lot and don't shower.
Its the most noticeable when going to pee,
I feel like I'm peeing sugar since it smells so sweet
(but I'm not diabetic, my blood sugar is AOK).

The male odor goes from OK to horrible in a few hours
without a shower, not so with the female odor unless
you've sweated a boatload (say done aerobics).

[LynnER]

This topic was posted before LoL, a few years ago by Melissa actualy...  Interesting how things come and go in cycles around here...

[Gabrielle]

I think I remember that post LynnER

[Just Mandy]

The change in body odor was one of the first things I noticed after starting HRT. I went from needing
deodorant sometimes twice a day to not needing it at all after the first month or so, although I still wear
it I switched to a lightly scented womans brand.

Amanda

[Janet_Girl]

I too have notice a change in body odor.  I have always have a strong odor before HRT.  But now it is sweeter some how, and I am now use Lady Speed Stick instead of the old Mens Speed Stick.  It has a better scent to match my persona.

As for the animals,  I run into alot of dogs in my business, and customers are always telling me that they usually don't like men, there must be something about you.  When I am with Mark, he just smiles and shakes his head.  I just tell them that dogs just like me.

And I'm sorry Jeannette, but I agree. Where else but here can we ask personal questions to get answers.  Natal girls talk amongst themselves.

Janet

[Northern Jane]

how did you know that?

I worked a lot with horses back then and anyone who works with stallions can tell you that they most certainly DO behave differently for a female trainer than a male trainer.

In years of raising and showing dogs one also comes to see the ways dogs behave differently for a male handler v.s. a female handler.

[umop ap!sdn]

It's a natural part of womanhood - how can that be that icky?

I noticed the change in scent early on, but wasn't really surprised since scent is chemical in nature and hormones are part of the body's chemistry. But what was really great was not getting that BO reek at the end of the day. Hmm, maybe that's why after my first few days on spiro I had such a definite clean-all-over feeling.

[le_joli_papillon]

o wow, interesting!

hope everything gets better!!