A doctor has issued a reminder about a frequently overlooked area of personal hygiene that, if ignored, can lead to months of buildup and potentially complicated medical procedures.
While brushing teeth, washing hair, and showering daily are all standard parts of personal care, many people overlook cleaning their belly button properly, according to Dr. Jen Caudle, a Board-Certified Family Physician, on-air health expert, and video creator.
Dr. Jen, who shares medical insights online, explained in a video for her YouTube channel that belly buttons are remnants of the umbilical cord, which is clipped at birth.
"Now, look, this is the thing," Dr. Jen says, "that belly button needs to be cleaned because if it's not, some crazy, yucky things can happen."
Firstly, an unclean belly button can cause bacterial infections, with Dr. Jen saying that "moisture and debris can kind of set" within the folds of "innie" belly buttons. This can cause serious bacterial infections which could require antibiotics to get rid of. A telltale sign you have a bacterial infection is a foul-smelling belly button, she says.
Another issue with having an unclean belly button is that it could lead to a yeast infection, which can cause similar yet slightly different symptoms to a regular bacterial infection. "You can get some redness, some itching, some pain and also some discharge," she stated.
Finally, Dr. Jen says you can also get "belly button stones" from having an unclean belly button. "It's basically a build up of debris and skin cells and stuff that have been building up," she explained. "If you don't wash down there for a long period of time, you can get these hard nodules.
"They look like blackheads, almost. Kinda yucky – your doctor can help remove them."
Her video prompted a wave of responses from viewers, many of whom admitted they had never considered their belly button as part of their regular wash routine. One viewer commented: “Oh god, never thought about that before,” while others said they routinely scrub the area during showers. “I treat it like any other smelly place on my body,” another wrote.
Dr. Jen's advice is simple: include the navel in your daily hygiene routine to prevent build-up of sweat, dead skin cells, oils, and lint, particularly for those with "innie" belly buttons, which are more prone to trapping debris.
For “innie” (indented) belly buttons she recommends moistening a cotton swab/washcloth with warm, soapy water and gently cleaning in small circular motions. Then, using a clean, damp swab or cloth, remove any soap residue. Finally, she advises to pat the area dry with a towel to prevent moisture buildup, which can encourage bacterial or fungal growth.
For “outie” (protruding) belly buttons she suggests washing in the shower by lathering the area with mild soap using your fingers or a cloth, making sure all soap is rinsed away and the area is thoroughly dried after showering.
While it might seem like a minor detail, regular belly button cleaning can help support both everyday hygiene and make things easier for healthcare professionals should surgery ever be required.