"How not to smell" and other health tips for boys in puberty

He used to smell like baby powder, your little boy. These days, he passes you by the hallway and “eew!” he smells like sweat, week-old socks and something quite foreign. Looking closer at your young man, you even notice – gasp(!) -stubble on his once-smooth face. Get a clue – he is entering the adolescent years and with it come chemical and physical changes to his body.

Here are some ways of helping the young boy develop proper hygiene with puberty.

He really should wash. If he’s not taking daily showers, this is certainly the time to start. Pimples and “zits” will begin appearing soon so getting him to wash his face twice a day will help keep them under control. He also needs to wash his genitals daily to keep infections low.

Buy him deodorant. Sweat under his arms will begin to smell and more so if he doesn’t use deodorants. Antiperspirant may also help reduce his sweat. 

To shave or not to shave. Some boys like to keep the facial hair, some want to shave or pluck every little bit away. Have an older adult, or dad teach him to shave, if he so likes.

Build up the muscles. Encourage him to exercise if he isn’t doing it yet. He’ll probably be happy to be more active now, because his muscles will start to show.

Eating more? Proper diet is also important at this age. He is probably eating a lot more these days, so having a healthy diet will be good for his growing body. If he is overweight, ask the pediatrician about ways to keep his weight under control. Obesity in adolescence is a high risk for disease in later life.

“So, let’s talk”. Wet dreams and erections may be confusing, scary, embarrassing or exciting for him. Have an adult male talk to him about these changes and how to cope with them. They are normal part of growing up and he will eventually learn to control them. Your boy may also begin looking at girls now, and talking to him about sex, girls and relationships will save him trouble later. Teaching him how to be a gentleman will also certainly earn him points with the girls later. Along with his body changes, his emotions are on a roller coaster, and moods will swing like crazy. Help him build a positive self-image. He may not admit it, but he needs his parents now more than ever.