When you emphasize your hygiene, the most neglected part of the body has been the navel, referred to as the belly button. It is a part we hardly think about when taking care of personal hygiene. Like the rest of your body, they need cleaning.
According to a 2012 study, it was discovered that 67 different types of bacteria exist in the average belly button. To simply put, most belly buttons have housed crevices that have collected dirt and bred bacteria. It is therefore important that you clean it at least once a week.
Meanwhile, how you clean your belly button depend on what kind you have. But here are ways in which you can clean yours. Let’s start with the innie navel.
How to Clean Innie Belly Button
Use dip cotton: Before taking your next shower, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, rub it gently on the surfaces inside your belly button. Once you observe that the swab is dirty, throw it away and replace it with a new one.
Once the cotton swab comes out clean, dip a fresh in water to rinse the alcohol out of your belly button, so it doesn’t dry your skin.
After your shower, dry the inside of your belly button gently with another clean, dry swab or the corner of a towel or washcloth.
If you are a user of body lotion, avoid it getting to your innie belly button. Findings have shown that the lotion’s moisture could promote bacterial growth and make your bellybutton dirty again.
How to Clean Outie Belly Button
Meanwhile, an outie navel is more accessible than an innie. This offers a much easier cleaning process.
To clean it during your next shower, use a washcloth and gently scrub your belly button. After doing that, rinse off the soap.
After the shower, dry your bellybutton thoroughly and later apply some lotion onto it.
How to Clean Pierced Belly Button
The most important thing here is to follow the instructions your piercer gave you for the proper cleaning regimen to avoid infection, especially if your piercing is recent.
But if the piercing is fully healed, follow the cleaning instructions for the type of bellybutton you have.
But ensure you wash the pierced area gently with a cotton ball that has been soaked in a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in 8 ounces of boiled water that’s been cooled.
You should buy an isotonic saline solution at a drugstore or online to use as you might not be able to make the solution ourselves.
In conclusion, failure to clean your bellybutton could result in the following:
Yeast infection: Not cleaning your belly button can lead to bacteria infection since it’s a dark, moist area where the skin often rests against the skin.
Foul Smell: This is constant due to the accumulation of sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and lint.
Omphaloliths: As dead skin cells and sebum, the oil secreted by your skin can accumulate in your belly button and thereby form an omphalolith, also known as a navel stone.
Bottom Line
Now that you know spend some time on your next shower to clean your bellybuttons to avoid potential infections, smells, and other results of poor hygiene.
