For most people, showering is a part of the daily routine. It is vital when it comes to staying clean, removing dead skin from the body and preventing unwanted odours.
But how thorough a job are we actually doing? One doctor has revealed a specific part of the body needs a little more attention than others to ensure it is actually clean.
Simply allowing the water and soap to run down your body is not good enough, according to award-winning UK medic Dr Sermed Mezher.
In a TikTok video he warned that not cleaning the belly button could lead to an unwanted surprise growing inside. This is because “tons of debris” could build up in the opening if you aren’t deep cleaning it regularly.
Followers were left “feeling sick,” after finding out what could be in their belly buttons if they aren’t washed properly. To really hammer the point home he provided graphic images of the consequences of not cleaning their tummy.
Speaking to his 184,000 followers, Dr Mezher, said: “Have you ever intentionally cleaned your belly button?
“If not, this could be you. You see, most of us just do a cursory clean with our finger in the shower, and maybe take a bit of fluff out.”
He explained that what lay beneath the belly button was “tons of debris,” “compacted in this hole,” including “bits of clothing, hairs, just random bits of skin get stuck in there.”
He said while it’s “very satisfying to remove” the debris, “knowing it’s in there is pretty grim.”
The medical name for this clump of debris is an umbolith, the doctor said.
It is also known as omphalolith or a naval stone. A navel stone looks and feels like a hard, smooth stone that appears in the navel.
But they consist of hair, bacteria, and natural proteins. Doctors can often remove naval stones with non-invasive procedures.
Dr Mezher said that while they don’t usually cause any problems they can start to smell and eventually lead to an infection.
“Generally, they don’t really cause many problems,” he said. But if you leave them for a while, they can actually start to smell pretty bad.
“They may also cause navel irritation and sometimes even a little bit of an infection in the area.
“And cause the skin surrounding to actually start leaking some pus.”
To avoid this happening Dr Mezher said that people should start “intentionally cleaning” their belly buttons and he recommended using a cotton bud.
Viewers were left disgusted by the clip. One user commented, “Good thing I clean mine.”
Another added, “I remember when I discovered some in my belly button.”
Someone else who has been implementing the advice the doctor gave for a while now said, “I have a super deep belly button and have cut it with my nail a few times, so clean with a cotton bud regularly.”
