Most people don’t think much about the smell of their hands – until it’s noticeable. Hands pick up odors constantly because they touch everything, but sometimes the smell isn’t just from garlic or onions. A persistent or unusual hand odor can signal something more than just poor hygiene. Here’s a breakdown of six potential causes, as explained by dermatologists and medical professionals.
1. Recent Contact with Strong Odors
The most common reason for smelly hands is simple: you touched something pungent. Foods like garlic, onion, and strong spices leave behind sulfur compounds that cling to skin.
While the smell fades on its own, rubbing your hands on stainless steel (a fork, faucet, or specialized odor-removing bar) may help speed up the process. The theory is that odor molecules bind to the steel, pulling them away from your skin.
2. Dietary Influence: What You Eat Impacts Sweat
Strong-smelling foods don’t just affect breath. Compounds from garlic, curry, alcohol, and even certain meats can be excreted through sweat glands in the palms. When this sweat mixes with skin bacteria, an odor develops.
The smell lessens as the food is digested, but washing with soap, baking soda, lemon juice, or white vinegar can help neutralize it in the meantime. Avoid excessive scrubbing, which can irritate the skin.
3. Medication Side Effects: Sweating and Excretion
Certain medications can cause increased sweating, making odor more noticeable. This includes drugs for Alzheimer’s (Aricept, Exelon), pain (opioids like OxyContin), depression (SSRIs like Lexapro), and even penicillin.
Some drugs don’t just increase sweat but also excrete compounds through it. If medication is the cause, discuss dosage adjustments or alternatives with your doctor.
4. Bromhidrosis: Excessive Sweat and Odor
Persistent sweaty or smelly palms may indicate bromhidrosis, a condition of excessive sweating. The odor arises when sweat mixes with skin bacteria.
Frequent washing helps, but using antiperspirants on palms can also manage the sweating. More severe cases may require treatments like iontophoresis (electric currents to reduce sweating) or Botox injections, prescribed by a dermatologist.
5. Nail Fungus: The “Rotten Cheese” Smell
A footlike odor coming from your hands, especially around the nails, could be nail fungus (onychomycosis). Doctors describe the smell as similar to rotten cheese.
Fungus-infected nails may also appear thick, yellow, brittle, or distorted. Over-the-counter antifungals can work, but stubborn infections often need prescription treatment from a dermatologist. Soaking in white vinegar is a common home remedy.
6. Underlying Health Conditions: When Smell Signals Deeper Problems
Unusual odors can sometimes point to health issues. A sweet smell might suggest diabetes, while a bleach-like odor could indicate liver or kidney disease.
Trimethylaminuria, a metabolic disorder, causes a fishy or garbage-like smell due to the body’s inability to break down trimethylamine. Pitted keratolysis, a bacterial infection, also causes foul odors, often on the feet but sometimes on hands.
If you suspect a medical condition is behind persistent hand odor, see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
In most cases, a strange hand smell is temporary and harmless. However, unexplained or persistent odors warrant medical attention. Ignoring these signals can delay diagnosis of treatable conditions.
