Topics: Skincare, TikTok, Life Hacks, Health
A dermatologist has revealed the reason you need to clean your belly button every day.
Easily overlooked, how often do you really go inside your belly button to clean it out?
Well, a doctor on TikTok has stressed the importance of doing so, to avoid developing an unwanted condition.
But the doctor has also warned that a condition is not the only thing you want to avoid.
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According to Dr Geeta Yadav, it is easy for substances to build up inside the belly button and cause an unwanted stench.
And that is probably one of the last things you want to be dealing with…
In a video, she said: “Does your belly button smell?
“Well, you could have an umbolith or navel stone.
“Want to prevent this?
“Please wash your belly buttons.”
But what exactly is a navel stone?
According to WebMD, "A navel stone is sometimes called an omphalolith or umbolith.
“It is a condition where substances like sebum, skin oil, hair, dead skin cells, and dirt can accumulate and form a hardball.
“The stone is usually a dark colour and firm to the touch.
“They may resemble a large blackhead in the opening of the navel.”
Dr Geeta Yadav recommends cleaning your belly button with an earbud, soap, and water, every single day in the shower as part of your daily routine.
If you fail to do so, Dr Ajayi-Sotubo told Boots that it ‘can lead to rashes, inflammation and infections’.
The doctor added: “Like any part of the body, the belly button also needs to be cleaned as bacteria, sebum and dead skin cells can become trapped in and around it.”
She also warned: “It’s important to thoroughly dry the area after washing with a towel, as areas left wet and moist can breed infection.”
Speaking on TikTok, Dr Geeta Yadav added: “You should also aim to do a specific clean, focused on the belly button once a week.
"If the belly button is particularly deep, you can use a wet cotton bud as that’s what I do when cleaning people's belly buttons before surgery.”
People took to the comments to agree with the doctor, one said: “I have always cleaned mine and my kids, as they got older I made them clean theirs daily and always thought I was crazy lol.”
