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Health

09th Aug 2023

Grim reality of what happens when you don’t wash your belly button

Joseph Loftus

“Wait, you have to clean it?!”

Ladies and gentlemen, TikTok users worldwide have been left absolutely dumbfounded upon the discovery that they do indeed need to clean their belly buttons.

For whatever reason, countless individuals thought that leaving that weird little hole on your belly completely unsanitized was completely fine, but no, it is not.

If you’re reading these words thinking no, not me, my umbilical-less knot is perfectly okay without a bit of water and soap, then please keep reading, as a TikTok doctor has explained just how bad things can get if you continue to go about your medieval ways.

Dr Karan Raj, who has built a strong following on TikTok for sharing short little videos about all the nastiness the human body can conjure up, posted a video not so long ago about all the gross stuff that can build up in an unwashed belly button.

As you can probably expect, if you don’t give your belly button a quick rinse, this strange and seemingly now-purposeless orifice, can accumulate a build up of all sorts of foulness.

Dr Raj explained that oils, dead skin cells, fluff, and pretty much anything else, can all build an unwanted home in your umbilicus.

More specifically, the doctor said: “All flesh holes can build up with sweat, dead skin cells, oils, clothing fabric, bacteria and forbidden cheese.”

Never say flesh holes again.

Getty Images

The doctor continued that this is typically fine so long as you give it a quick wash on the regular. Though if you don’t, you better be warned.

Raj added: “If not washed out on a regular basis, this material can accumulate and harden into an omphalolith – a belly button stone. Belly button stones come in a wide array of colours, it’s usually black but can be a light brown.”

Now admittedly, you have to leave things for a pretty long time in order for them to get this bad, but still, just give it a rinse.

And if it’s already too late? If you’ve already developed a stoney build up of cells and skin, then consult your doctor immediately.

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