You should clean your belly button to prevent trapped sweat, dead skin, dirt, and lint from causing odors, irritation, or infections (like yeast infections) because its dark, moist folds create a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Regular cleaning, especially with mild soap and water, helps maintain hygiene, removes debris, and keeps the area healthy, preventing issues like omphaloliths (navel stones) or skin inflammation, notes Healthline and the Cleveland Clinic.
Like other body parts, the belly button requires regular and proper cleaning to stay healthy and odor-free. Most belly buttons are recessed, resembling a pocket that collects dirt, sweat, and dead skin cells. The deeper the navel, the greater the risk of accumulating bacteria and debris.
Most bellybuttons have crevices that can collect dirt and breed bacteria. Aim to clean yours about once a week. ``
What causes a belly button to smell? Most belly buttons are indented and act as a trap for sweat, dead skin, and dirt. Few people wash their belly button with soap, so germs can develop. The presence of dirt and bacteria in the belly button is the most common cause of a belly button smell.
It's important to be gentle, as vigorous scrubbing can irritate the skin, which may increase your risk of infection. If your belly button is particularly dirty, dip your finger into some table salt and gently massage your belly button before rinsing it thoroughly.
Luckily, all that unwanted stuff inside the navel can be safely removed through regular cleanings. To minimize bacteria and extract anything else that may become trapped in there, experts recommend a weekly hygiene routine.
Simply cleaning your belly button with H2O and soap is just an accessible, and safer bet. "Alcohol can irritate and dry the skin," notes Dr. Goldberg. This can cause your skin to crack and, in turn, increase the odds of developing an infection.
Grab a Q-tip and mild soap.
Before going in, swab the Q-tip with soap and water; Dr. Chacon says it's best to use “mild, fragrance-free soap” to avoid irritating the navel's sensitive skin.
Anosmia is when you can't detect odors. It's usually a temporary side effect from a cold or sinus infection that goes away when your cold or sinus infection clears. But sometimes anosmia may be symptom of other, more serious medical issues like diabetes or traumatic brain injury.
Study Finds the 3 Dirtiest Body Parts You're Forgetting to Wash in the Shower
Your hands – regularly (not just after the loo or handling food) 'If people wash their hands properly and more often, they could cut their risk of infectious diseases significantly,' says Primrose. Post-covid, as our hygiene habits relax, food poisoning rates are rising.
Overview of Belly Button Problems
If you've noticed discharge, a strong smell, pain, or another change in your belly button, you may need to see a doctor. If your belly button leaks discharge or blood, you may have a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection.
What does the navel do? After your umbilical cord stump heals closed and falls off, your navel doesn't do much of anything for the rest of your life. While it doesn't do anything itself, it's still important for aesthetic (beauty and appearance) reasons.
Navel stones are usually dark brown or black. They are also dry and hard to the touch. When doctors examine them under the microscope, they can whether the stone is made up of dead skin, hair, sebum, or other debris that has built up in the navel. Navel stones aren't usually painful.
Avoid rigorously scrubbing the inside of your belly button. If you cause small tears in that sensitive skin, the bacteria can easily get inside and cause an infection. Instead, you should: Lather soapy water on a cotton swab or the corner of a washcloth.
Your belly button may also contain dirt, sebum (oil), and dead skin cells. All together, this can cause comedones, which are like blackheads, to develop in your belly button; this buildup can potentially lead to a naval stone, a brownish-black bump.
DIY Belly Button Cleaning: Step-by-Step Guide
Poor hygiene can cause a brown belly button discharge from built-up skin cells, sweat, and bacteria. You can properly clean your belly button to help remove discharge caused by poor hygiene.
Accumulation of Dirt, Sweat, Lint, or Debris
This often-overlooked area also acts as a catchall for dead skin cells and lint from clothing. And between trapped moisture and accumulated debris, it's an ideal environment for odor to develop. This combination also creates the perfect condition for a navel stone to form.
Weight Fluctuations: Significant fluctuations in weight, whether due to weight gain or weight loss, can affect the appearance of the belly button.