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Why Does The Belly Button Smell, And How To Clean It?

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Belly Button Smell

The belly button is home to many bacteria but will be overlooked when it is washed. Most of the time, the bacteria in the belly button are harmless, but sometimes they cause infection. Here we will find the cause of the belly button and ways to clean it. But before this, let us understand what the belly button is. The belly button is the dip in the middle of the belly.

The belly button marks the place where the umbilical cord of a person is attached in the womb. No matter how they appear, Belly buttons are infected sometimes.

Common Causes Of Belly Button Smells – Things You Must Know!

Most belly buttons are indented, so they act like traps for dead, dirt, and sweaty skin. Some people wash their belly buttons with soap regularly to avoid developing germs. The common cause of why the belly button smells is poor hygiene. All body areas are required to wash periodically to stay healthy and clean.

Skin becomes home to bacteria if it does not clean properly. The belly button also folds some portion of the skin, allowing bacteria to be developed. Some bacteria develop at a low level and do not cause the smell.

If the bacteria occur at a high level, they will cause an offensive and unpleasant smell. If you feel any type of infection, you must be checked by a doctor, keep some good changes in your lifestyle, and proper medication is required.

Why Does The Belly Button Smell

Reasons For Foul Smell From Belly Button

  • Candida

Candida is the yeast that is kept on the skin. Usually, it does not cause trouble, but when it is present on the skin, it becomes moist and warm for a long time. And with time, it also becomes the worst infection. Commonly, candida affects the throat and mouth, called the thrush.

When candida affects the vagina, it is known as a yeast infection. This infection version, also known as candidal intertrigo, affects the folds of skin, like the groin, armpits, and belly button.

After this, the skin will look scaly and red, forming blisters. This infection version is treated with lifestyle changes and antifungal medication. These changes keep your skin dry, clean, and cool, preventing tight clothing. People who suffer from diabetes and obese conditions are more chances to face such types of infections.

  • Cysts

Another reason for the belly button smell is an infected cyst. A cyst is a small lump under the skin. They are common and do not cause pain until they are infected. The infected cyst will be sore, inflamed, red, and tender when touched.

  • Piercings

Piercings of the belly button are infected. An infection can cause the pus of fluid, called the discharge, that smells bad. Discharge may be yellow, thick, or green and may harden to crust around the belly button piercing.

The other infection signs include swelling and redness around the piercing, a warm feeling in pain, area, and bleeding. A person might also feel not well or have a high temperature. You should consult with a doctor if you also face such signs. Kept jewelry in piercing helps to discharge to drain and avoid the abscess forming.

If you do a belly button piercing, you should take advice from a professional body piercer, who will tell you how to clean the belly button after piercing and avoid the infection at any time.

Belly Button Piercing

Belly Button Smell – What Are The Risk Factors?

A person may be at a high risk of belly button smells in the conditions given below.

Should you see a doctor?

Yes, you should consult with a doctor if you observe that your belly button is infected. It is essential to see the doctor and get the proper description from your doctor to prevent the infection cause more to your belly button.

The infection symptoms are itching, swelling, and redness. Sometimes, they are also pus or fluid, which is hard to form crust near the area. So, whenever you see this symptom, you should see the doctor.

A person needs to check with a doctor if they think the cyst is infected. Popping or bursting the cyst is not suggested, as this creates more problems.

How to clean your belly button? Steps To Follow!

It is easy to overlook the belly button, but it must be required to clean regularly as the other parts of the body. Usually, you should clean your belly button with some soap and water.

If your belly button has an unpleasant smell that does not go away with regular washing, then you should check the symptoms of infection. Here are the different ways to clear the bad odor and clean your belly buttons.

Cleaning Routine Steps

Belly Button Cleaning

1) Wash your belly button when it needs

The best time for belly button cleaning is during the shower or regular bath. You should involve the belly button in your regular cleansing routine.

  • You must regularly wash your belly button if you are sweating a lot( during hot weather or after exercise.

2) Use water and plain soap for regular washing

To wash your belly button, gentle soap and warm weather will simply do this work. Apply water and soap to your washcloth and fingers and rub it gently into the belly button to remove all dirt, dust, lint, and grime. When you do this, you should carefully rinse away all suds.

  •  Generally, the cleanser or soap you use for the rest of your body must work fine for your navel. Use the body wash gently if scented soap causes irritation or drying.
  • Mix 6g of salt with 1 cup of warm water and dip the solution with a washcloth. You have to massage your carefully with saltwater to your navel and rinse it with plain water.
  • The importance of using salt water is that it helps to loosen the dirt or kill the germs, and you find less drying or irritation after using this cleaning method.

3) Deep clean your innie with a cotton swab and  washcloth

It is easy for lint or dirt to build up in the belly button, and it becomes challenging to come out of it. If you also have an innie, then you have to use the cotton swab and washcloth to get inside or do the complete cleaning.

Swab the inside of the belly button gently with water and soap, and ensure to rinse it well afterward.

  •  Do not hard scrub; you can irritate the delicate skin in or near your belly button.

4) Pat the belly button dry when you are done

You should keep your belly button dry to avoid the infection and growth of bacteria. Once you are done washing, you have to use a dry or clean towel to dry the area around the belly button gently.

  •  You have to avoid keeping moisture developing in or around your belly button. For this, you are dressed up in loose or relaxed clothes during warm weather.

5) Avoid using cream, oils, and lotions on your belly buttons

Never use any cream or lotion inside your belly buttons until your doctor suggests it. Keeping so much moisture in your belly button increase the chance of developing a lot of virus and bacteria around your belly button. So, you should stop using any type of moisturizer.

Belly Button Smell – Expert advice

Cleaning the belly button is essential to solve the lousy smell problem of the belly button. The cleaning process of the belly button is helpful if the smell develops due to the germs and dirt buildup. According to experts, You should always remember to clean your belly buttons and dry them thoroughly after cleaning. It will really help you to keep your belly button away from bad odor.

Once you treat the belly button infection, it will stop smelling and get back to normal. In order to prevent future infections of belly buttons, the belly button must be cleaned and dried every time. It is also a great idea to avoid tight clothes because it will raise the risk of belly button smell or occurring infection. So, if you follow this expert advice, you can stay away from the bad smell or infection of the belly button.

Frequently Asked Questions

1] Why is there a smell that occurs in your belly button?

Sometimes, your belly button smells due to infection required or infection caused by fungus and bacteria.

2] Should you be worried if your belly buttons smell?

Yes, you should be worried if your belly buttons smell because they will accumulate inside the hole, along with dirt, sweat, and debris.

3] How to clean if your belly button is stinky?

If your belly button is stinky, dip your finger or soft washcloth in a saltwater solution and gently massage the inside of your navel.

4] What are the risk factors of smelly belly buttons?

The risk factors why your belly button is smelly are piercing, overweight, and diabetes.

5] Is it essential to see your doctor when your belly button smells?

Yes, you should see your doctor if your belly button smells. If you do not see your doctor, then this smell will also cause the infection.

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