How to tell a friend they have B.O.
82Body Odour
What Causes B.O
Perspiration or sweat, is usualy blamed for odour, but the actual cause of body odour is dead skin cells and bacteria which is decomposing on your body, usualy under the arms or in the groin area. sweat just enhances the smell of them. sweat actually has no smell.
People who have body odour, don't have a clue about it, they cant smell it on their own body and go about their daily lives unaware of the unease that they are causing friends and colleagues.
Being a True Friend
If your best friend had a huge pimple on her nose that she hadn't noticed, would you tell her about it? Of course you would, you wouldn't let her go out in public without her knowing that the spot on her nose could erupt at any minute.
You would do the same if she had a dirty stain on her shirt, or even if there was a bit of fluff in her hair,
So why is it so difficult to tell a friend that she has body odour?
The answer is easy, you don't want to embarrass your friend, you don't want to hurt her and most of all you don't want to risk your friendship with her.
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Treating Body Odour
There are a few ways to treat body odour,
You can deal with the bacteria that cause the odour and you can deal with the amount of sweat that you produce.
Wash daily with soap, ensure that you include under your armpits, your pubic region, rear end, under your arms, and your feet washing cuts down the amount of bacteria that cause the offending smell as well as removing the sweat that has built up on your skin.
buy some anti-persrirant and deodorant.
Anti-persrirants help to reduce the amount of sweat that you produce.
Deodorants, mask the smell with their perfumed fragrance.
shave your armpits. Armpit hair provides a greater surface area for sweat to adhere to and gives the bacteria a fertile breeding ground.
Never wear yesterday's clothes. However clean your body is, the clothes will retain the smell of yesterday's sweat.
You can get an antibacterial and antiseptic solution called chlorhexidine 0.05% solution from pharmacies. Applied daily, it significantly reduces the number of bacteria, although it has no effect on sweating itself.
How to Tell Him/Her That They Smell
Hey jimmy you are absolutely revolting, you smell like a pigs a..............is not a good way to tell someone that they have a personal hygene problem.
Use a little tact and tell the truth, but be sympathetic without being patronising, sounds difficult and it is, but you are this persons best friend and this friend needs to be told that they have B.O before someone starts spreading the news around and her life is made hell by the nasty snide comments.
tell your friend that you have noticed recently that she is sweating alot, ask her if anything is wrong, sweating can be brought on by alot of factors, stress, puberty, heat, hormonal changes and many others, it could be that your friend is having personal problems and she has stopped caring for herself properly.
Then delicately inform your friend that because of the sweating, she has a little body odour and some of your other mutual friends have noticed it too.
Explain that you didn't want to tell her but because she is your friend you felt you had to for her own benefit, that you don't want to hurt her and you don't want her to become a target of ridicule.
She might get angry and lash out at you but she will soon calm down and realise that you have been a good friend.
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Comments
I saw this post on the requested list and my finger hoevered over the button awhile. I think you did a great job!
"Then delicately inform your friend that because of the sweating, she has a little body odour and some of your other mutual friends have noticed it too."
I think the term "little" would send me into hysterics though.
I agree--the best thing to do is tell your friend.
Well put! Jimmy! I had a similar problem with trying to tell a friend that he had terribly bad breath. I agonized over it for months; before I finally couldn't take it anymore and came right out with it. He was upset with me for weeks but I really had no choice...
Great HUB regards Zsuzsy
I'm at a bar last weekend and I meet this guy that has unbelievably bad body odor. I say, "dude you stink." He sniffs his pits and says "Really." I say, "Yes, really." and he leaves it at that. But he still wants to hang out with us. I tried to stay up-wind, but it was no use. Today I get on the train and I see this other guy we met that night who was very nice and he says "Your friend the other night was inappropriate with one of the girls I was out with." I'm a bit confused. Then he says, "You know, the one with the bad BO." Ugh. I tell him I don't even know him. He says, "Sure." And laughs.
Anyway, I was a bit rude to the guy, but he didn't care. Although. I felt a bit bad about it. But. It turns out, he was stinky and rude...
This has happened to, I guees everyone is in a spot like this. =D good hub.
I think the same tips may be used for bad breath. I have many friends who have that!
Thank you, Jimmy!
(By same tips, I don't mean shave your armpits; I meant tell them kindly!)
I hate telling anyone unpleasant things. That puts me at a disadvantage often. I'd make terrible management. Good hub, though. :)
Thanks for sharing a nice post
When telling someone about his/shes BO you are doing them a favour as well as to others and even to yourself :-))
Thumb up hub.
Great hub jimmy. Hillarious.
"...and her life is made hell by all the nasty snide remarks..." Before my life is made hell by the pung, i'll definitely tell my friend straight up!! Heck what are friends for Jimmy? Good times and bad right? Great hub buddy.
This looks great Jimmy.
Jimmy - I'm new here on hubpages, your good Jimmy, real good.....
In one of my previous incarnations as a Restaurant Manager I had to once sit down and have a delicate conversation with an employee who suffered from terrible B.O. The person was serving food and the customers didn't appreciate the odor. That was majorly awkward.
Telling a friend would be way easier than talking to an employee! Luckily I haven't been in that position again. Guess all my friends just naturally smell good. Hahahaha. Great Hub.
Jimmy,
This is good information. I didn't know that the smell was caused by bacteria. I learned something today!
Do you know of any methods through diet that can minimize the amount of bacteria that grows in the underarm area
Jonathan
working
MrMarmalade says:
7 months ago
Jimmy,
As per usual have hit the nail on the head.
Use a little tact and tell the truth, but be sympathetic without being patronizing,
I like the comment.
Val has no hesitation with me, she goes out and buys a great big bunch of Parsley. I like it and it taste great and really works.