My boyfriend does not care about hygiene

The act could have been better if my boyfriend cared about personal hygiene. He doesn't seem to understand the necessity of being clean and I don't know how to approach him without hurting his self-esteem. How do I bring up the topic with him?
- Jaeela

Illustration/ Satish Acharya

Dear Jaeela,
He is your guy and you have to tell him. Be frank and forthright because it is you alone who is at the receiving end of his sweaty armpits, body odour and what not! You are not being unreasonable. It might hurt him now but in the long run it will be beneficial to both of you. Tell him it is unhealthy and unattractive to you for him to not take care of himself. You need to tell him specifically what he needs to do. Also, next time when you go shopping, buy deos, body sprays, perfumes and mouth washes. Tell him the importance of brushing his teeth and having a bath at least two times a day. Tell him if he does a clean up act, you can satisfy him better. Hopefully this will knock sense and hygiene into his head.u00a0