Without getting in there and cleaning your belly button on the regular, the lingering gunk — e.g. dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, clothing fabric, and bacteria — can collect and "cause odor or even an infection," says Dr. Goldberg.
A navel stone is sometimes called an omphalolith or umbolith. It is a condition where substances like sebum, or skin oil, hair, dead skin cells, and dirt can accumulate and form a hardball. The stone is usually a dark color and firm to the touch. They may resemble a large blackhead in the opening of the navel.
Dip your finger or a soft washcloth in a solution of saltwater (about a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water) and gently massage the inside of your navel. This should loosen stubborn germs that can cause odor. Then rinse with plain water and pat it dry.
The best way to prevent belly button odor is to keep the area clean. To do that, you can apply antibacterial soap to a washcloth or your finger and gently clean your belly button when you take a shower or bath.
The sebaceous glands release oil in the skin. If one of these glands in or near the belly button gets backed up or clogged with dirt and oil, a cyst may form under the skin. If the cyst is infected and leaking, a thick off-white to yellow discharge will often come from it.
“If you stick a fingernail in there and really scrape to get the fluff out, that can break the skin and could lead to an infection,” he explains. Some people also clean their belly buttons with cotton swabs soaked in alcohol, which he says can cause dryness and irritation.
Bellybutton pain can occur for many reasons, such as an infection, an umbilical hernia, pregnancy, or a problem with the digestive system. A doctor can help resolve any underlying issues. Anyone experiencing bellybutton pain, or periumbilical pain, should talk with their doctor to determine the cause.
The most common symptom of a belly button yeast infection is a bright red rash in the skin folds of your navel. The rash is typically extremely itchy. It may burn. You may also see scaling, swelling or a white discharge.
What is the cleanest part of the human body? According to Reference, the eye is considered to be the cleanest part of the body due to its natural cleaning and protective functions. Each time you blink, you keep the eye moist, and tears help to protect the eye by washing away dirt and germs.
Experts generally agree that all you need to do is soap up a washcloth and gently scrub your navel. Soap and a washcloth can work for innies, too, but you may need slightly more specialized tools—namely, as Healthline explains, a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol.
Most belly buttons are indented so act as a trap for sweat, dead skin, and dirt. Few people wash the belly button with soap so germs can develop. The most common cause for a belly button smell is poor hygiene. All areas of the body need to be washed regularly to stay clean and healthy.
Complications can occur when the protruding abdominal tissue becomes trapped (incarcerated) and can no longer be pushed back into the abdominal cavity. This reduces the blood supply to the section of trapped intestine and can lead to abdominal pain and tissue damage.
It usually forms when the surface skin is folded in on itself, which is often the case in a belly button. As skin grows, dead skin cells can't be shed like it can elsewhere on the body. It can leak a cheese-like substance and have a foul-smelling odor, but it is typically not dangerous and does not require treatment.
An omphalolith is a stone-like umbilical mass made of keratin and sebum. Patients usually present with a hard black nodule that may mimic a melanoma in appearance. Omphaloliths often go unnoticed for many years until abscesses, infection, inflammation or ulceration occur.
The shape and dent of your navel essentially determines how the umbilical cord heals. Belly buttons don't necessarily mean anything in particular about your health, however some people would argue that your belly button says a lot about you as a person.” Belly buttons are low-key gross.
Apparently this happens because the spinal cord relays signals to the bladder and which can be mistaken for the same bladder discomfort that we feel when we need to the toilet. So, there you have it – you aren't weird, your body is!
“It is largely inaccessible, so it remains dirty even after showering.” The shape of your navel makes it easy to collect dirt, which can even cause a strong smell. Dr. Richardson cautions against touching your belly button with your germy fingers, as it can lead to serious infections.
Belly buttons are barely a few millimetres deep at a young age. At a young age, belly buttons have an elongated shape. The diameter of the navel varies from fifteen to twenty millimetres. The body weight, pregnancies and abdominal wall hernia can influence the appearance.
Your belly button, also called the navel or umbilicus, has no function after birth and is simply a scar or remnant of the umbilical cord that connected you to your mother. The umbilical cord provides oxygen and nutrition to a baby during pregnancy, and it is cut and removed after birth, leaving a scar.