株式会社FoR/FoRINC. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Tomoki Takahashi) disseminates information on aesthetic medicine through "Medimee," a media platform with the vision of "making aesthetic clinics more accessible." This time, we conducted an "Awareness Survey on Body Odor, Sweat, and Bad Breath Countermeasures" targeting 100 men and women aged 20 and over (researched by Medimee).

<< TOPICS >> ■ 98.0% Experienced Summer Odor Concerns; "Underarms," "Scalp," and "Bad Breath" are the Top Three Problem Areas ■ "Prone to Sweating" is the Most Common Cause of Odor; Awareness of Lifestyle Habits such as "Aging" and "Stress" Revealed ■ "Antiperspirants" and "Wet Wipes" are Mainstream Odor Countermeasures; "Deodorant Products" and "Antiperspirants" Show High Effectiveness ■ Approximately 80% Experience Daily Stress; Over Half Sleep "5-6 Hours," Suggesting a Link to Lifestyle Habits ■ Only 1.0% Have Received Aesthetic Medicine for Odor Concerns; However, Interest in "Hyperhidrosis Treatment" and "Underarm Botox" is Rising ■ While Awareness of Aesthetic Medicine Reaches About 70%, Experience is Limited; Unmet Needs for Professional Care Beyond Self-Care Highlighted

Survey Overview

Survey Method: Questionnaire Survey

Survey Period: June 22, 2026 - June 23, 2026

Target Audience: Men and women aged 20 and over

Number of Respondents: 100

Survey Items: Awareness survey on "body odor, sweat, and bad breath countermeasures"

Survey Organizer: Medimee

Survey Results

Summer, with its high temperatures and humidity, is a season when sweat and sebum secretion increase, making body odor, bad breath, and scalp odor more noticeable. While it can be difficult to notice oneself, odor concerns are a theme that can easily cause anxiety in daily life, as they affect impressions on others.

Medimee surveyed 100 men and women aged 20 to 60 on the body parts that cause concern in summer, the causes, the countermeasures they usually take, those that were effective, and their interest in aesthetic medicine.

The age and gender distribution of the 100 respondents who cooperated with this survey is as follows:

<Ages>

20s: 7 people

30s: 35 people

40s: 39 people

50s: 15 people

60s and over: 4 people

<Gender>

Female: 55 people

Male: 45 people

[Have you ever suffered from body odor, scalp odor, foot odor, etc. in the summer? What are your particular concerns?]

Regarding summer odors, 98.0% responded that they have experienced concerns, with "sometimes" (59.0%) and "often" (39.0%) combined. This indicates that summer odor concerns are a common issue for many people.

The most frequently cited body part for odor concerns was "underarms" (25.5%), followed by "scalp" (18.2%), "bad breath" (13.9%), "feet" (13.9%), and "genital area" (12.8%).

Looking at gender differences, men's top concerns were "underarms" (28.4%), "bad breath" (17.2%), and "feet" (14.7%), showing a high interest in areas easily affected by sweat and lifestyle habits. On the other hand, women's top concerns were "underarms" (23.4%), "scalp" (21.5%), and "genital area" (13.9%), indicating concerns not only about odor but also about cleanliness and appearance.

These results reveal that summer odor concerns are widespread regardless of gender, with a high demand for countermeasures, particularly for areas prone to sweating.

While underarms were the most common concern, areas that are difficult to check oneself, such as the scalp, mouth, and genital area, were also ranked high. This suggests that summer odor concerns may be linked not only to the discomfort of noticing it oneself after sweating but also to social anxiety about how others perceive them.

Differences between genders show that men have a relatively high awareness of bad breath and foot odor, while women are more conscious of scalp and genital area odors, reflecting differences in lifestyle habits and grooming awareness. Summer odor countermeasures may require a combination of approaches, not only for underarm sweat but also for the scalp, mouth, clothing, and feet.

[What do you think are the causes of odor? Also, please tell us what you do for summer odor countermeasures and what has been effective.]

The most frequently cited cause of odor was "prone to sweating" (23.3%), followed by "aging" (15.1%), "stress" (13.1%), "stuffy shoes" (8.2%), and "body odor constitution" (7.9%).

This indicates that many people believe that not only their constitution but also multiple factors such as stress, living environment, and aging are related to odor concerns.

By gender, men's top causes were "prone to sweating" (27.7%) and "aging" (16.9%), showing a tendency to be aware of physical factors. Women, on the other hand, ranked "stress" (14.9%) and "aging" (13.7%) high, in addition to "prone to sweating" (20.0%), suggesting an awareness of the connection with lifestyle habits and physical and mental conditions.

Furthermore, the most common odor countermeasures taken were "antiperspirants" (18.5%), "wet wipes" (15.7%), and "deodorant sprays" (12.6%). This shows that many people are routinely practicing easily accessible self-care measures.

Additionally, for effective countermeasures, "deodorant products" (31.5%) and "antiperspirants" (30.9%) ranked highest, aligning with current practices. "Morning showers" (12.1%) and "dietary improvements" (6.7%) followed, indicating that a certain number of people also feel the effects of reviewing their lifestyle habits.

It was found that while self-care, mainly through antiperspirants and deodorant products, is the mainstream approach to odor countermeasures, reviewing lifestyle habits is also considered important for fundamental improvement.

Although "stress" and "aging" were ranked high as causes, actual countermeasures are primarily external care, such as antiperspirants and wet wipes, which are easy to implement. This gap suggests that even if people feel that lifestyle habits and physical/mental conditions are related to odor, they tend to rely on immediate measures to suppress sweat and odor.

Moreover, while deodorant products and antiperspirants were highly rated as "effective countermeasures," a certain number of people also mentioned dietary and sleep improvements. This suggests that odor countermeasures not only provide immediate effects through products but also gradually lead to noticeable results by improving lifestyle habits.

[Have you ever received aesthetic medicine for odor concerns? Also, are there any aesthetic medical treatments you are interested in for odor countermeasures?]

Only 1.0% of respondents had actually received aesthetic medicine for odor concerns. On the other hand, 50.0% answered "I know about it but have never received it," and 18.0% "I have considered it," indicating that while awareness of aesthetic medicine is increasing, many people have not actually used it.

These results suggest that aesthetic medicine for odor concerns is not yet a common practice, and a certain number of people are considering professional care as an option while primarily relying on self-care.

However, regarding aesthetic medical treatments of interest for odor countermeasures, "hyperhidrosis treatment" (13.5%) was the most popular, followed by "dental whitening" (13.0%), "underarm Botox" (12.5%), "bad breath clinic" (12.5%), and "bromhidrosis surgery" (12.0%).

In addition to countermeasures for sweat and underarm odor, many people are interested in improving oral freshness, indicating a growing awareness of overall grooming, not just odor improvement.

By gender, men's top interests were "dental whitening" (15.3%), "hyperhidrosis treatment" (14.1%), and "bromhidrosis surgery" (12.9%). Women's top interests were "underarm Botox" (14.0%), "hyperhidrosis treatment" (13.1%), and "bromhidrosis surgery" (11.2%), showing a high interest in sweat countermeasures.

While the rate of aesthetic medicine procedures is low, it is notable that the treatments of interest are dispersed across multiple areas, including "sweat," "underarms," "bad breath," and "teeth." This is thought to indicate that odor concerns are perceived as a broad theme encompassing not only body odor but also interpersonal impressions, cleanliness, and the appearance of the mouth.

Furthermore, the high number of respondents who answered "I know about it but have never received it" or "I have considered it" suggests that people are still in the information gathering and comparison stage for professional care for odor concerns, rather than having experience. As information on treatment effects, costs, downtime, and consultation accessibility becomes clearer, more people may shift their interest from self-care to professional care in the future.

[What is your average sleep duration? Please tell us about your current stress levels.]

Regarding sleep duration, "5-6 hours" was the most common at 52.0%, followed by "6-7 hours" (33.0%). Only 15.0% of respondents secured 7 hours or more of sleep, indicating that many people are not getting enough sleep.

Regarding current stress levels, 56.0% answered "somewhat stressed" and 23.0% "very stressed," resulting in approximately 80% experiencing daily stress.

Furthermore, among the 59 respondents who sleep less than 5 hours or 5-6 hours, "underarms" were the most common concern at 69.5%, followed by "scalp" at 54.2% and "bad breath" at 40.7%.

The most frequently cited cause of odor was "prone to sweating" at 74.6%, followed by "aging" at 45.8% and "stress" at 44.1%. In the short sleep group, while sweat-related concerns were central, as in the overall trend, factors related to lifestyle habits such as stress, lack of sleep, insufficient scalp care, and insufficient oral care were also prominent.

The fact that "stress" was ranked high as a cause of odor indicates that many people are aware of the relationship between their living environment, physical, and mental condition and odor.

Sleep deprivation and stress can lead to increased sweating and disruption of lifestyle habits, suggesting that many people believe that factors other than constitution, such as daily living environment, influence odor concerns.

The fact that "scalp" and "bad breath" were ranked high, especially in the short sleep group, indicates the breadth of odor concerns that cannot be fully addressed by sweat countermeasures alone. Prolonged sleep deprivation and stress can disrupt daily rhythms, affecting habits such as eating, bathing, and oral care, potentially leading to concerns about multiple areas.

This survey revealed that while external care such as antiperspirants and deodorant products is emphasized for odor countermeasures, internal factors such as sleep and stress also exist in the background. To fundamentally improve odor concerns, it is important to review lifestyle habits in addition to self-care.

Summary and Discussion

In this survey, 98.0% of respondents reported experiencing summer odor concerns, with "underarms," "scalp," and "bad breath" being the main problem areas. Summer odor concerns are not limited to a few individuals but are a common issue that many people are aware of during the sweaty season.

On the other hand, causes of odor include not only "prone to sweating" but also "aging," "stress," "lack of sleep," "insufficient oral care," and "insufficient scalp care," suggesting complex concerns that cannot be explained solely by constitution or seasonal factors. In particular, the short sleep group showed notable concerns about underarms, scalp, and bad breath, highlighting the importance of considering the link between lifestyle habits and odor concerns.

Countermeasures were mainly self-care such as antiperspirants, wet wipes, and deodorant products. However, while many cited lifestyle habits and stress as causes, actual countermeasures tend to be biased towards external care. In the future, interest may grow in comprehensive countermeasures that include sleep, stress, diet, oral care, and scalp care, not just temporary suppression of sweat and odor.

Regarding aesthetic medicine, while awareness is increasing, only 1.0% have actually received treatment. On the other hand, there is a certain level of interest in hyperhidrosis treatment, underarm Botox, bad breath clinics, and dental whitening, revealing latent needs for professional care for concerns that cannot be resolved by self-care.

Request for Citation

When reprinting or using this survey analysis, please include "Researched by Medimee" as the source and a link to (https://medimee.com/).

About Us

【Medimee】

Medimee is a platform specializing in aesthetic medicine, providing information on aesthetic clinics and treatments more clearly than anywhere else. We aim to make aesthetic medicine as common as visiting a hair salon and remove the perceived hurdles. Under the policy of "We do not create value that is not exciting," we focus on providing value that users truly seek. We do not introduce clinics that are only about dubious money-making, nor do we exploit users' complexes. Thus, our service development is characterized by its focus on users' emotional well-being.

【Company Profile】

Company Name: FoR Inc. / FoRINC.

Location: Futaba Bldg. 8b, Dogenzaka 1-16-6, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Tomoki Takahashi, Representative Director & CEO

URL: https://f-o-r.co.jp

Business Activities: Media Platform Business

Medimee: https://medimee.com/

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 意識Survey
  • Organizations: Medimee