Have you ever been in that awkward position where a particular friend of yours always announces his/her presence with body odour? You feel the need to let him know but you don’t want to hurt his feelings. After all, friendships have been severed [severe] because words were not rightly put.
The problem is that if you do not inform your friend, he/she could go about making other people uncomfortable, losing interviews and favours. Or worst still, someone eventually does embarrass him/her with it and they find out you knew all along.
What dicey situation you are in. So, what do you do then?
1. Try to find out why he/she smells
Everyone has a smell unique to them, which is why dogs can sniff you out, once they come in contact with something that has your smell. But not all smells are pleasant. Body odour occurs when bacteria that live on the skin break down sweat into acids. It could come from the feet, armpits, hair (including pubic), navel, anus, etc. It could also be a medical condition in which you do nothing about.
2. Have the solution handy
Since you are not a doctor and tackle the medical aspect, you can boycott that for the time being. Do you think it’s the feet? Then, he/she needs to keep socks and shoes clean and properly dried out in the sun to kill bacteria and also wash feet with warm water. The point is, you do not want to present the problem without a solution. If you can’t tell where the odour is coming from, you can buy deodorants and perfumes as a gift.[ the whole statement is not clear]
3. Play your words in your head
How will you start the conversation? It is a sensitive subject so you do not want to be brutal with it. Rehearsing beforehand will help you choose your words wisely.
4. Do it privately
The reason you are reading this article is that you do not want to be heartless or degrading about it. So, speaking to them with an audience will have that exact effect. Take him/her to a private corner and make them feel comfortable first.
5. Let them know It’s an awkward conversation
Another way of making someone feel at ease is by letting them know that it is going to be awkward. That way, they would have prepared themselves for the awkwardness of the situation and not be too surprised by it.
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6. Don’t talk about those who have complained
Do not bring up those who complained about your friend’s odour. That will not help the conversation go down well. It will look or sound like you’ve been gossiping about him and you do not want him feeling betrayed, or a need to cut off from those that complained.
7. Give a compliment
Find out something they’ve been doing right. Nice shoes, nice hair cut and the like. Compliment and make him/her feel loved.
8. Do not argue
Once you have said the problem and your friend picks an offence and says his/her smell is pleasant, let the matter rest. You have done your best.
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