If you don’t clean your bellybutton, a number of problems could occur. These can include:
- Yeast infection. Most bellybuttons are a breeding ground for bacteria since they’re a dark, moist area where skin often rests against skin. As a result, you could get a yeast infection in your bellybutton.
- Smell. Even if you don’t develop a yeast infection, the accumulation of sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and lint can cause your bellybutton to smell.
- Omphaloliths. As dead skin cells and sebum — the oil secreted by your skin — accumulate in your bellybutton, they can form an omphalolith over time. Also known as a navel stone, they’re made of the same materials that form blackheads. The surface of a navel stone will turn black from oxidation. Naval stones aren’t typically pressured out like a blackhead, but removed with tweezers.
The takeaway
Although most people don’t spend much time thinking about their bellybuttons, it’s not a bad idea to clean yours every week or so. Cleaning your bellybutton can help you avoid potential infections, smells, and other results of poor hygiene.
