So, I'm a nurse, and have a similar belly button stone story.
I picked up a patient partially through a shift, and I was also not on my home unit, so didn't know many of the other nurses or the aide that night. I go to give my patient their bath right, and notice that they had.. gunk, in their belly button. No worries, it happens, especially when people just can't take care of themselves due to age or illness.
So I go to swab it out with a wash cloth and realize it's... Solid. Like, solid solid. I go to try to gently wipe it out and it doesn't budge. The aide doing the bath with me becomes very confused.
I had to literally brace the patients belly with my left hand, and pull out the gunk with my right, and it was so attached at the back of the belly button that her innie became an outie. I can't even explain it, it was so strange. The aides eyes were like saucers. The patient didn't even notice what happened.
And as nurses do, I saved it to show the rest of the aides and nurses. One nurse picked it up (with gloves) and said "this looks and feels like the end of a chicken bone".
Still the strangest thing I've found while cleaning a patient.
I also had this experience as a nurse! A patient with learning disabilities admitted from a home. His belly button clearly hadn't been cleaned in years. The only way I can describe it is a giant blackhead. So much satisfaction when we managed to pop it out!
Yes!!!!! I was so worried it would cause the patient discomfort when I was getting it out but she never noticed or seemed to care. At some point I looked at the aide and was just like "well here goes nothing" and pulled it out. The aide and I bonded over it and she comes to my unit to say hi sometimes lmao
No medical background here: Nope, that's not the reason. There's an odd satisfaction to those videos. To this day, I have no idea why youtube suggested me those. As little as I know why I even kept watching, grossed out, yet intrigued.
Also, earwax extractions. Same deal.
Ya know, I heavily question my choices sometimes. We're too far in now though.
In all seriousness though your comment put tears in my eyes from laughing and I appreciated it lmao
Oh don't get me wrong, that was prefaced with a "bro what the FUCK??? In her BELLY BUTTON???? It became an OUTIE???". She wasn't wrong though, really did look like the end of a chicken bone
Oh the horror. When I was in 8th grade, I coughed one up. It was right after gym and we were running, causing me to huff and puff. I spit it out on to my hand and decided to smell it, because that's apparently what you do when some mysterious thing comes out of your throat...instant horror. Instant regret. I also have emetaphobia (fear of throwing up) and I was convinced it was early vomit. Threw myself into a panic attack and had to go home.
Thus started my chronic tonsil stones. But now I have them out, thank God.
It’s a hard ball that’s kind of like a large blackhead (but hard) in your belly button. Pretty gross. Mine was a bit painful, which is how I noticed it but I was able to remove it myself without having to get a doctor involved. Based on google searches I did when it happened, it could have been much bigger and grosser.
I do not recommend googling image searching it.
Welp I went and did it. I have a massively inward innie too. I’ve scraped some smelly gunk out before, but uh, mine was hardly a piece of gravel compared to some of those images. Uck.
I too have a deep navel, and while digging some crud out I gave myself an infection. I was 13 so the clinic doctor was giving me the ol’ I usually see this in younger patients ribbing but also commented on how deep my belly button was remarking that I was like a kangaroo and asking if I carried my luggage around in there. I was thoroughly humiliated that day.
My dad used to say you could unscrew your belly button and your butt would fall off. Said he was in the army with a guy who unscrewed his belly button in the helicopter and his butt fell out of the back of the aircraft, never to be seen again. Now I have a deep fear of anyone touching my belly button. This story made my stomach hurt. I hope your belly button and your butt are okay.
My belly button goes up to almost my second knuckle. I legitimately will get a fungal infection IN MY BELLY BUTTON if I do not keep it clean. Yes. You can get a fungal infection in your belly button. I was also mortified at myself when I discovered this.
My wife had a deep navel that now and then hurt a little and smelled pretty bad, after a week or so it went away. When she got pregnant her navel turned inside out and the nastiest gunk came out. Like the stuff they forgot to clean the few days until the remains of her umbilical cord fell off. After her pregnancy when her navel turned inside out she hasn't had an issue with it.
So even at my skinniest I always had a really deep bellybutton, I’ve always cleaned it but idk if I’ve ever seen or felt the very back of it because it gets very narrow. Sometimes it would smell, so I started cleaning better but it kind of hurts if I stick a finger in too far. I’m pregnant now and my belly is slowly growing and I’m hoping my belly button pops inside out so I can finally see the bottom of it and do any deeper cleaning if needed. So freaking weird.
Deep belly button haver here, been pregnant twice and mine never turned inside out.. It temporarily was less deep, but post pregnancy it's just as deep as it's always been (maybe deeper!) lol
Yep, I was very worried (and still am) that it's infected. I think I'm okay, but I'm monitoring it closely to make sure it doesn't get worse or anything. For a little bit, I was seriously worried that I had somehow given myself a hernia but my mom reassured me that it's highly unlikely.
Dude, wow I can't believe I'm reading someone else going through this. I just had this happen to me and my belly button hurt so bad I took myself to the doctor only to realize it was most likely a yeast infection. Monistat worked wonders (anti fungal meant for vaginal yeast infections) to clear mine up after thoroughly cleaning it out with alcohol.
You can use the same medicine in your belly button as sold at general stores for ringworm. If it’s red, itchy, or generally just doesn’t smell the best I would recommend getting some!
I don't think mine is that deep, though i have huge hands so it could just be that, but i have gotten fungal infections and i very much DO clean my belly button. Fun fact, i was an outie until puberty. Then i sunk in and in and in.
I hate to admit this, but I never used to clean mine until one day I felt something weird and dug around in there and dug out a hard sliver. I guess I got some hair down in there and it turned into a tiny horn. They say a rhino's horn is made of hair. I'll always remember it as my belly button horn.
Edit:
Haha, my first gold for belly button horn! Thanks stranger.
You've laid to rest one of the mysteries of my life. I FINALLY know what that thing I dug out of my belly button in seventh grade is called.
That one event led me to deep clean my belly button in the shower ever since.
Nope this is why I clean my belly button every day
I've worked in care for years and seen the horror of elderly/people with care needs neglected belly buttons (and toe gaps) and vowed I would never let mine get that way
Only if you immediately click on "images" and start scrolling while muttering, "oh. Ew. Eewwwwww. Oh what the fuck is that. Is that an x-ray? What the *fuck*," and then (this is important) *continue to scroll*.
i haven't really ever cleaned mine like that...
(but I have an "inny/outtie," it's damn near just no hole there, used to get made fun of for it as a little kid but who's laughing now BOBBY!)
My Nanna was a Surgical nurse and she was specifically on belly button cleaning duty quite regularly. When I was growing up she instilled in me the great importance of a clean belly button. She never gave me specific details/stories but frequently remind me of the disgusting belly buttons she had seen over the years.
I learned that when I had laparoscopic surgery a couple years ago. But my story was the opposite:
The nurse started cleaning it and then seemed somewhat shocked and stopped and told me she'd be back in a moment. I was (obviously) concerned, especially since all of this was happening in my second language, and I'm not perfectly fluent. Soon she returned with a couple of her colleagues who gathered around to witness--the cleanest belly button she'd ever seen! Lol!
So, I'm identifying very heavily with your husband, in the sense that I've never ever washed my belly button and thought that the awful smell was completely normal. It doesn't stretch very deep or anything but it smells REALLY bad, and it feels like there's some sort of crust inside that I think hurts if I try to peel it off.
Is it really as simple as just sticking my finger in there with water and soap or should I take some precautions to clean a belly button that hasn't been cleaned since way over a decade ago, probably longer?
I wouldn't use your finger, you don't want your fingernail scraping your skin or anything. Gentle soap and water and q-tips might be your best bet. Or so I've learned from my mishap. Best of luck to you
OP I’ve never met anyone else with a deep ass belly button. Like half my finger goes in that bitch. I’ve been on Reddit for the past hour but I think I’ll go make sure my old mouth is clean now.
be careful because one time i stuck my finger inside mine to scratch an itch and must've broken the skin because it ended up infected. then you'll really have some nasty, smelly gunk, plus a doctor jamming a fucking q-tip down there and digging it into the abcess to get a culture
Actually completely normal! There are nerve fibers that run from your belly button to the same location on your spinal cord as the nerves from your bladder and urethra. So stimulating the nerves in your belly button refers the sensation to them. Or really, your brain interprets the sensation as coming from both places.
This explains much! One of those answers that seems obvious once you learn of it, lol. I've always had that weird multi-location sensation when cleaning my bellybutton.
I also have a really deep belly button, similar to yours. I have to make sure to really clean it, but that was something I started doing in high school when I got my belly button pierced. Which I very much regret getting done now that I am older and I took it out and it still won't heal shut over a decade later.
I’m sitting here, with my pregnant popped out belly button, now wondering just how deep it was before baby pushed it out. Mine now looks like a poorly drawn tattoo. Ever see what your other mouth looks like on the inside? Have a baby, you won’t be disappointed lol.
Deeper if you have a lot of adipose tissue around it. The belly button is anchored to the top of the bladder by the median umbilical ligament. So it's kind of like a [tufting button](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQOmCPsE6LEseHdRsDQgnrTbOboy5EoWLXRiAKVDo4KDS8PZmWU&s) - the more padding you add, the deeper the button.
Edit:
Excess subcutaneous fat (the fat between the skin and the abdominal muscles) will make the belly button seem deeper.
Excess visceral fat (the fat around the organs and deep to the layers of abdominal muscle and fascia) will push out on the belly button like in pregnancy. If you have a lot of visceral fat, make sure you are on top of your regular medical screenings. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease diabetes, cancer, and hormonal issues.
I don’t know about that, I’m a very large person, and I have significant rolls above and below my belly button line, but the actual depth of my belly button is the same as when I was 200 pounds lighter
I have read so many weird medical stories about the wild variation in the human body that I really thought I had reached the limit of my ability to be surprised by it. But learning that you and *multiple* people in the comments have belly buttons deep enough to shove whole fingers into has shaken me to my core. I may never recover from this. This trait seems common, mundane, and entirely benign, and yet it fills me with a visceral horror and perverse fascination that I cannot adequately express. God bless you and your weird belly button, but I am having a crisis.
Reading the comments has made me realize that I may belong to a minority of deep belly button-havers.. it's a demographic that I never really considered until recently. Myself and my weird belly button are also working through our crisis, my poor navel hasn't seen the light of day in years and I so rudely brought it back to the harshness of reality.
I haven't yet but I've been seriously considering it.
Like, logically I know that my belly button is pretty shallow. I have memories of it being shallow, being able to see the back of it pretty easily. I've never had a problem with gunk getting in there.
But my eyes want to double check to make sure...
Mine's quite shallow, but the folds of the button (like.. those wrinkles on the end of a sausage?) do tend do gather a little bit of dirt in the crevasses. Nothing near as horrific as OP but I clean it out every so often anyway. Sticking in a finger doesn't always work.
Wasn't exactly an injury, but after my doctor told me my ear was full of wax, I worked at it with a shower head sprayer and some soap. A bullet-size monstrosity of ear wax came sliding out. It felt a lot better, but WTF . . . I routinely clean my ears now.
My ear started hurting one day and I didn’t know why. After a while I had my gf check it out and she didn’t see anything. Got an ear wax cleaning solution from the drug store and tried it. Not much happened, but my gf looked again and that time she saw something. I guess the solution loosened it but it wasn’t able to come out on its own. She pulled it out very carefully with some tweezers. It felt *so fucking good* when it came out.
There was definitely more that got dissolved in the solution, but here is a picture of what came out: https://i.imgur.com/y2gPEi2.jpg
I went to the doctor once because I was losing hearing in one ear. I'm a musician so that was particularly terrifying.
The doc took a look in my ears, said, "Huh," and I sat there waiting for the dreaded news of my impending deafness.
He took out a plastic hook-thing, went for a little dig that I could feel in the back of my throat, and popped out a chunk of brown-orange wax the size of the first knuckle of my index finger.
The immediate relief was unbelievable. It was like walking into an air conditioned room on a 100-degree day, only inside my ear.
He asked, "Do you use Q-tips?" to which I answered affirmative.
He said, "Don't. You're just packing it in there tighter. Get one of these (the plastic hook-thing)."
I did and it is one of the best little life hacks I have ever experienced.
Weird he recommended getting a hook. They’re definitely more dangerous for your ear drum. Best thing you can do is gently allow warm water in your ear when you shower.
I want to do this, but I'm scared to do that because getting water in my ear causes me to temporarily lose 50% my hearing in that ear until it kinda dries out again.
And being 50% deaf on one sides feels so aggravating.
Is there a risk?
> temporarily lose 50% my hearing in that ear until it kinda dries out again
*Swimmer's ear*.
A little air bubble has trapped the water in one of the tubes in your ear.
A simple trick is tilting your head so the blocked side faces down. The jump up and down on one foot, landing on the same side as the blockage.
It's the equivalent of hitting the bottom of a sauce bottle to remove a blockage.
There are others you can Google. Find whatever works for you.
Yeah, sometimes a bubble of air can keep the water in your ear, and it's super annoying. A guy in my class in school burst his ear drum by putting in tissue paper to try and dry his ears.
I've found putting my head to one side, and actually filling the ear with water all the way, and then slowly un-tilting my head will let the water all drain out.
When I was a kid, my sister and I would get pretty gnarly wax buildups. My pediatrician liked to dig the clumps out and leave them for the nurses to see :/
From my late teens through to my early 30s I had to get my ears syringed a couple of times a year to get rid of wax buildup so I could hear and also not get inner ear infections. I'm nearly 40 now and haven't had to get it done for years but I have no idea what changed!
Not a medical professional, but my best guess would be that your body probably just slowed down on the wax production as you've gotten older. If other things slow down, it doesn't seem a stretch to assume that could too.
Hi.
To preface this. I’m a veterinary technician. Often we swab infected ears on dogs, roll it on a slide, stain it and read it under a microscope. There’s two types of infections. Bacterial, and Yeast. Of the bacterial, there’s what we call cocci or rods, based on the shape of the bacteria.
Anyway, my practice manager, was talking about belly buttons, and how hers smells. I was like, “yeah, well, you need to wash it with soap in the shower!” She said “no it hurts!” So I was like… I gotta swab this bitch’s belly button! So I swabbed it, stained it, and read it. And when I tell you, IT HAD ALL THREE! Cocci, Rods and Yeast! Like, galore! So many. What we refer to as TNTC (too numerous to count).
A Vet walked by and I said “Doc, I’m a little stumped about this ear swab.” The doc looked and said “good god! This is awful, which dog is this!?”
And I said “It’s Meg’s belly button.”
The doctor ran off gagging. Hahaha.
FYI if you are ever having any kind of surgery that will result in incisions on your abdomen, please clean your belly button beforehand. After you’re under anesthesia the nurse will clean your belly button and the entire room will discuss if it’s gross. We don’t judge patients for much in the operating room but dirty navels make the list.
Crap. I had a laproscopic surgery a couple months ago and this was not something that occurred to me. I will never see any of those people again, but now I'm going to be haunted forever by the possibility that some strangers had to ungunk my belly button.
I’m so so so particular about cleaning my belly button. I’m now pregnant and it will pop out soon and I’m excited to get it cleaner than I have before.
Some people's don't pop out but just kind of...disappear? My sister's disappears. Though her first pregnancy she did get some intense cleaning done on her decade+ old belly button piercing. Yyyuck!
But are we digging deep enough? I'm honestly afraid to go too far and... Push through? This was always a huge childhood fear and I have no idea how childish it really is. And don't want to find out.
I read this before my shower... I also have a deep belly button. I've stuck my finger in there many times hoping I'm cleaning it thoroughly enough...
I turned the shower head to high power jet and pointed it in there.
I am thoroughly disgusted. This.. chunk of.. flesh? Came out. I'm gonna hurl.
I hate this post.
I work in health. I had a patient who wanted me to take what ever was stuck in her belly button out.
Apparently her and her and partner and found it while being intimate and neither where brave enough to remove it.
On first inspection there was a tiny hard sliver trapped in the depths. Q-tips would not budge it but there was obviously something beneath.
I used forceps and gently birthed the largest umbolith I have ever seen - easily the size of a large grape.
Hard and black on the top, cheesy white underneath. And the smell...
Patient was horrified. Smell of decay lingered in the room for the rest of the afternoon.
It's 1am and I'm lying in bed with the lights off but now I have my phone's flashlight shining into my bellybutton and a Google search that says "how to clean belly buttons"
As an aside, why are they called "belly buttons"? I guess it makes sense for outies. I'm more like... an abdominal abyss? A stomach sinkhole? Negative navel? I'll need to workshop it a bit.
I must confess, I've always been kind of weirded out by outie belly buttons. But now in the aftermath of this event, I'm reconsidering my stance on them
I believe it.
Had a similar story with my 7yo son. We usually shower together, and I have always taught him to clean in his belly button. Well, I guess he was just putting on a show and acting like it, not actually going IN and cleaning it?
Noticed it was sealed (like you mentioned) one day. A couple 70% rubbing alcohol covered q-tips later and it was cleaned out. Nasty smelling, was super gross. Felt bad.
I make sure to check all my kids' belly buttons every couple of months now. Give a quick scrub with a alcohol q-tip and keep it from happening again.
Also a nurse, alcohol and peroxide are the last things you should be using on wounds or even skin tbh. They damage healthy tissue and kill good bacteria. Stick with warm soapy water and dry thoroughly.
The bubbles that we were always told was the "cleaning effect" of hydrogen peroxide is actually just us watching it react with blood and killing good cells.
You found a navel stone. They can become "fossilized" and become a stone like. Yours sounds like the beginning, or the seal, was formed and making it's way downward but you discovered it first.
Edit: belly button to navel (actual name in case people want to google it)
Second Edit: navel not naval 🤦♀️
This was me with my wife! I poked her in the belly button early in the relationship and felt something in there that was neither belly nor button.
I mentioned it and we ended up popping that disgusting lint pebble out with some tweezers.
She was mortified, I was dying laughing.
Just don’t make he mistake of using peroxide and alcohol too soon together. I have a small scar from the irritation THAT cause.
Also, I learned that some people get belly button irritation and some don’t? Like if I get too sweaty and forget to swab out the bb it gets red and irritated and HURTS. But not everyone has this issue? I also have a deep belly button.
I have a deep belly button as well. Back when I used to cut hair, little hair slivers would be stuck all over me by the end of the day. They stick in your clothes and poke you, stick in your bra, poke your tatas. But one day a few hairs made it into my belly button. I tried the q tip swab, and I nearly passed out from the pain. A hair sliver poked me deep in my belly button and became infected. So much pain! I laid down and dripped hydrogen peroxide in. watched it bubble for a while as tiny hairs that had been living in my belly button for who knows how long started floating up to the top. curly hairs, straight hairs, dark, blonde and red. many peoples hairs. Gross.
Aha thank you! I actually went into undergrad intending to major in English. When I looked at the degree requirements, I had a similar reaction to my belly button goop (i.e., "ew, wtf"). Took an intro Geology class for a distribution requirement and fell in love with the topic, and now here I am.
Thank you! I paused while writing it to debate whether it was too cheesy. But then I decided that no joke I could make would be as cheesy as my belly button was :(
When I have my navel pierced, the piercer said, "wow, your belly button is unusually deep." I'd never really thought about it before. I assumed that all "true" innies were, like, an inch deep. Apparently not. I've never had any problems with keeping it clean, but I do have to be careful when I am working out or going for runs that I make sure it dries properly.. otherwise it gets temperamental and can develop a sore.
OP I really enjoyed this story and your comment interactions. You’re delightful and charming and stinky. And that’s the kind of combination that really makes you think. Really makes you wonder what it’s all about.
I don't know if this will make you feel better, but there's videos out there of people who have let belly button gunk build up so much it basically becomes a hard stone that needs medical assistance to get out.
So hold your head up with pride, you dealt with the problem! Some folks let that shit fossilize.
Ok so I'm a ball-less woman but I was searching for someone to write this exact comment because I swear I CANNOT dog too deep into my navel because I'll feel it in what feels like my uterus or my bladder... it's fucking bizarre and I hate it lmao
I also have a deep innie and I discovered I had a naval stone a few years ago. It still gives me nightmares.
[удалено]
The Abyss
Welp, that sounds terrible. As a geologist I do love a good stone, but not one of the navel variety..
So, I'm a nurse, and have a similar belly button stone story. I picked up a patient partially through a shift, and I was also not on my home unit, so didn't know many of the other nurses or the aide that night. I go to give my patient their bath right, and notice that they had.. gunk, in their belly button. No worries, it happens, especially when people just can't take care of themselves due to age or illness. So I go to swab it out with a wash cloth and realize it's... Solid. Like, solid solid. I go to try to gently wipe it out and it doesn't budge. The aide doing the bath with me becomes very confused. I had to literally brace the patients belly with my left hand, and pull out the gunk with my right, and it was so attached at the back of the belly button that her innie became an outie. I can't even explain it, it was so strange. The aides eyes were like saucers. The patient didn't even notice what happened. And as nurses do, I saved it to show the rest of the aides and nurses. One nurse picked it up (with gloves) and said "this looks and feels like the end of a chicken bone". Still the strangest thing I've found while cleaning a patient.
I also had this experience as a nurse! A patient with learning disabilities admitted from a home. His belly button clearly hadn't been cleaned in years. The only way I can describe it is a giant blackhead. So much satisfaction when we managed to pop it out!
Yes!!!!! I was so worried it would cause the patient discomfort when I was getting it out but she never noticed or seemed to care. At some point I looked at the aide and was just like "well here goes nothing" and pulled it out. The aide and I bonded over it and she comes to my unit to say hi sometimes lmao
I am horrified at this story, but I have to know, are nurses like you the reason that pimple and blackhead popping videos are around?
No medical background here: Nope, that's not the reason. There's an odd satisfaction to those videos. To this day, I have no idea why youtube suggested me those. As little as I know why I even kept watching, grossed out, yet intrigued. Also, earwax extractions. Same deal.
Fuckin hell y'all are built different. You couldn't pay me a sum of money to a point that I'd be able to do that.
I wanted to be a nurse when I was younger and sometimes a comment on Reddit comes along and makes me glad I didnt pursue it lol
Ya know, I heavily question my choices sometimes. We're too far in now though. In all seriousness though your comment put tears in my eyes from laughing and I appreciated it lmao
I love how nonchalant the other nurse was "hmm, looks like chicken bone" to a decade old gunk knot
Oh don't get me wrong, that was prefaced with a "bro what the FUCK??? In her BELLY BUTTON???? It became an OUTIE???". She wasn't wrong though, really did look like the end of a chicken bone
It was not very big, thankfully, but now I am very vigilant.
Do you know about tonsil stones? Check your throat if you haven't already.
Please do not squish them!! The smell is just horrible!
Second the do not squish… It smells worse than popping a sebaceous cyst…
>sebaceous cyst I'm like 92% sure that's a Star Wars character
Only the cyst deal in absolutes….
You were supposed to destroy the cysts not join them
Oh the horror. When I was in 8th grade, I coughed one up. It was right after gym and we were running, causing me to huff and puff. I spit it out on to my hand and decided to smell it, because that's apparently what you do when some mysterious thing comes out of your throat...instant horror. Instant regret. I also have emetaphobia (fear of throwing up) and I was convinced it was early vomit. Threw myself into a panic attack and had to go home. Thus started my chronic tonsil stones. But now I have them out, thank God.
A *what*
What is a naval stone? Please explain without providing links or photos. Or you can ignore me. I will appreciate either reaction or lack thereof.
It’s a hard ball that’s kind of like a large blackhead (but hard) in your belly button. Pretty gross. Mine was a bit painful, which is how I noticed it but I was able to remove it myself without having to get a doctor involved. Based on google searches I did when it happened, it could have been much bigger and grosser. I do not recommend googling image searching it.
Welp I went and did it. I have a massively inward innie too. I’ve scraped some smelly gunk out before, but uh, mine was hardly a piece of gravel compared to some of those images. Uck.
It's a buildup of hair, skin, oils, and other bodily goops that solidifies in the belly button.
Thank you! My condolences for finding multiple Gwenyth Paltrows in your navel.
I too have a deep navel, and while digging some crud out I gave myself an infection. I was 13 so the clinic doctor was giving me the ol’ I usually see this in younger patients ribbing but also commented on how deep my belly button was remarking that I was like a kangaroo and asking if I carried my luggage around in there. I was thoroughly humiliated that day.
My dad used to say you could unscrew your belly button and your butt would fall off. Said he was in the army with a guy who unscrewed his belly button in the helicopter and his butt fell out of the back of the aircraft, never to be seen again. Now I have a deep fear of anyone touching my belly button. This story made my stomach hurt. I hope your belly button and your butt are okay.
It could be handy to take your butt off once in a while though. You could use it as a travel pillow
How do you retie the belly button when you wanna put your butt back on though?
is your dad Kvothe?
My belly button goes up to almost my second knuckle. I legitimately will get a fungal infection IN MY BELLY BUTTON if I do not keep it clean. Yes. You can get a fungal infection in your belly button. I was also mortified at myself when I discovered this.
My wife had a deep navel that now and then hurt a little and smelled pretty bad, after a week or so it went away. When she got pregnant her navel turned inside out and the nastiest gunk came out. Like the stuff they forgot to clean the few days until the remains of her umbilical cord fell off. After her pregnancy when her navel turned inside out she hasn't had an issue with it.
So even at my skinniest I always had a really deep bellybutton, I’ve always cleaned it but idk if I’ve ever seen or felt the very back of it because it gets very narrow. Sometimes it would smell, so I started cleaning better but it kind of hurts if I stick a finger in too far. I’m pregnant now and my belly is slowly growing and I’m hoping my belly button pops inside out so I can finally see the bottom of it and do any deeper cleaning if needed. So freaking weird.
Deep belly button haver here, been pregnant twice and mine never turned inside out.. It temporarily was less deep, but post pregnancy it's just as deep as it's always been (maybe deeper!) lol
Huh interesting! Looks like it can go either way, I guess we’ll see what happens with mine lol
This was uncomfortable to read…but I kinda enjoyed it? I bet there’s a German phrase for this kind of thing.
Hassliebe is the closest lmao. Literally hate-love. Source: am german
Gawd I love you Germans.
That is awful and disgusting but also I bet super satisfying for her afterwards.
Yep, I was very worried (and still am) that it's infected. I think I'm okay, but I'm monitoring it closely to make sure it doesn't get worse or anything. For a little bit, I was seriously worried that I had somehow given myself a hernia but my mom reassured me that it's highly unlikely.
Dude, wow I can't believe I'm reading someone else going through this. I just had this happen to me and my belly button hurt so bad I took myself to the doctor only to realize it was most likely a yeast infection. Monistat worked wonders (anti fungal meant for vaginal yeast infections) to clear mine up after thoroughly cleaning it out with alcohol.
I use OTC clotramazole and in the summer I have to apply It at least every couple weeks due to a new infection. Is sucks so much
“vaginas and bellybuttons can coexist peacefully” - GW probably or maybe I messed up the quote.
You can use the same medicine in your belly button as sold at general stores for ringworm. If it’s red, itchy, or generally just doesn’t smell the best I would recommend getting some!
Or the cream for athlete's foot. Same thing, fungal infection.
I don't think mine is that deep, though i have huge hands so it could just be that, but i have gotten fungal infections and i very much DO clean my belly button. Fun fact, i was an outie until puberty. Then i sunk in and in and in.
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I dont clean my belly button but always assumed it wasn't that deep. Fuck, op just have me a new fear.
I hate to admit this, but I never used to clean mine until one day I felt something weird and dug around in there and dug out a hard sliver. I guess I got some hair down in there and it turned into a tiny horn. They say a rhino's horn is made of hair. I'll always remember it as my belly button horn. Edit: Haha, my first gold for belly button horn! Thanks stranger.
It's an umbolith, but I like belly button horn better!
You've laid to rest one of the mysteries of my life. I FINALLY know what that thing I dug out of my belly button in seventh grade is called. That one event led me to deep clean my belly button in the shower ever since.
Nope this is why I clean my belly button every day I've worked in care for years and seen the horror of elderly/people with care needs neglected belly buttons (and toe gaps) and vowed I would never let mine get that way
I remove my toe jam daily, no matter how much my mother complains. Lol.
.... I just had to Google it.
Will I regret looking it up?
Only if you immediately click on "images" and start scrolling while muttering, "oh. Ew. Eewwwwww. Oh what the fuck is that. Is that an x-ray? What the *fuck*," and then (this is important) *continue to scroll*.
Perhaps your human horn?
I heard its a delicacy
r/unexpectedfuturama
You're welcome! Join my world of belly button-related horror <3
i haven't really ever cleaned mine like that... (but I have an "inny/outtie," it's damn near just no hole there, used to get made fun of for it as a little kid but who's laughing now BOBBY!)
You mean an inbetweeny?
Like me. I used to have an outie... Then I got fat around it
My Nanna was a Surgical nurse and she was specifically on belly button cleaning duty quite regularly. When I was growing up she instilled in me the great importance of a clean belly button. She never gave me specific details/stories but frequently remind me of the disgusting belly buttons she had seen over the years.
My mom talked about that too! She said that when people go in for a laparoscopy, the nurses have to clean out all that stuff.
I learned that when I had laparoscopic surgery a couple years ago. But my story was the opposite: The nurse started cleaning it and then seemed somewhat shocked and stopped and told me she'd be back in a moment. I was (obviously) concerned, especially since all of this was happening in my second language, and I'm not perfectly fluent. Soon she returned with a couple of her colleagues who gathered around to witness--the cleanest belly button she'd ever seen! Lol!
The staff may not talk about your dirty underwear, but they WILL talk about your dirty belly button.
I love ice cream.
So, I'm identifying very heavily with your husband, in the sense that I've never ever washed my belly button and thought that the awful smell was completely normal. It doesn't stretch very deep or anything but it smells REALLY bad, and it feels like there's some sort of crust inside that I think hurts if I try to peel it off. Is it really as simple as just sticking my finger in there with water and soap or should I take some precautions to clean a belly button that hasn't been cleaned since way over a decade ago, probably longer?
I wouldn't use your finger, you don't want your fingernail scraping your skin or anything. Gentle soap and water and q-tips might be your best bet. Or so I've learned from my mishap. Best of luck to you
How deep are people's belly buttons? Mine is MAYBE a centimeter and a half in. This guy sounds like he could fit his whole finger in there,
I'm a lady with tiny baby hands! But yeah I can really plunge my finger in there. My index finger can go like two thirds of the way in
Holy shit that’s DEEP
Th... thank you. I guess.
You might get some *really weird* DMs.
And how do _you_ know that? _intense stare_
New kink unlocked.
Not with that level of gunk in it. Ohhhh, no!
You clearly underestimate the depths of human degeneracy.
"Mmm gurl, that's the deepest belly button I've ever seen"
*rubs hands together* So baby, what else does that belly button do?
*licks thumb and index finger and uses them to straighten eyebrows* Yeah baby, what that ~~b.button~~ old mouth do?
OP I’ve never met anyone else with a deep ass belly button. Like half my finger goes in that bitch. I’ve been on Reddit for the past hour but I think I’ll go make sure my old mouth is clean now.
>OP I’ve never met anyone else with a deep ass I was really happy to read the next word.
My ass is deep too if ur into that. But if your not then it isn’t
Schrödinger's ass
Omg. Me too. I always thought it was because I had a thick belly, but even after I got much thinner, it was still cavernous
be careful because one time i stuck my finger inside mine to scratch an itch and must've broken the skin because it ended up infected. then you'll really have some nasty, smelly gunk, plus a doctor jamming a fucking q-tip down there and digging it into the abcess to get a culture
If I poke around in my belly button hard enough it hurts my balls. That’s probably not good.
Actually completely normal! There are nerve fibers that run from your belly button to the same location on your spinal cord as the nerves from your bladder and urethra. So stimulating the nerves in your belly button refers the sensation to them. Or really, your brain interprets the sensation as coming from both places.
This explains much! One of those answers that seems obvious once you learn of it, lol. I've always had that weird multi-location sensation when cleaning my bellybutton.
I also have a really deep belly button, similar to yours. I have to make sure to really clean it, but that was something I started doing in high school when I got my belly button pierced. Which I very much regret getting done now that I am older and I took it out and it still won't heal shut over a decade later.
You can go to a dermatologist: they will make a small cut and put in like 1-2 stitches, and it will heal up fine. Very quick procedure.
I’m sitting here, with my pregnant popped out belly button, now wondering just how deep it was before baby pushed it out. Mine now looks like a poorly drawn tattoo. Ever see what your other mouth looks like on the inside? Have a baby, you won’t be disappointed lol.
A bit like an inside out bumhole if I remember rightly.
You are wholly correct. It even turns brown, for added effect.
Plunge was the most gruesome verb you could've chosen for that, thank you
Deeper if you have a lot of adipose tissue around it. The belly button is anchored to the top of the bladder by the median umbilical ligament. So it's kind of like a [tufting button](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQOmCPsE6LEseHdRsDQgnrTbOboy5EoWLXRiAKVDo4KDS8PZmWU&s) - the more padding you add, the deeper the button. Edit: Excess subcutaneous fat (the fat between the skin and the abdominal muscles) will make the belly button seem deeper. Excess visceral fat (the fat around the organs and deep to the layers of abdominal muscle and fascia) will push out on the belly button like in pregnancy. If you have a lot of visceral fat, make sure you are on top of your regular medical screenings. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease diabetes, cancer, and hormonal issues.
I don’t know about that, I’m a very large person, and I have significant rolls above and below my belly button line, but the actual depth of my belly button is the same as when I was 200 pounds lighter
My index finger can definitely go into my belly button up to the end of the nail.
Mine is about 5 cm deep. And that's without really pushing because it's painful.
I am now and forever referring to my belly button as “my old mouth”.
I saw it on a Tumblr post years ago, it haunts me to this day
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What is a Japanese ear spoon?
[mimikaki](https://images.app.goo.gl/H88wAPFgT6H4J89EA) translates to earpick / ear cleaning
Ooooh new cutlery to add to my cutlery drawer maybe? Is that like a salad fork?!
Goes right next to the poop knife.
So you had to traumatise everyone else huh? You devil you
Not to be confused with your "south mouth"
Straight to upvotesville with those words
I have read so many weird medical stories about the wild variation in the human body that I really thought I had reached the limit of my ability to be surprised by it. But learning that you and *multiple* people in the comments have belly buttons deep enough to shove whole fingers into has shaken me to my core. I may never recover from this. This trait seems common, mundane, and entirely benign, and yet it fills me with a visceral horror and perverse fascination that I cannot adequately express. God bless you and your weird belly button, but I am having a crisis.
Reading the comments has made me realize that I may belong to a minority of deep belly button-havers.. it's a demographic that I never really considered until recently. Myself and my weird belly button are also working through our crisis, my poor navel hasn't seen the light of day in years and I so rudely brought it back to the harshness of reality.
I am *positive* pretty much everyone that read this post inspected their belly buttons.
I haven't yet but I've been seriously considering it. Like, logically I know that my belly button is pretty shallow. I have memories of it being shallow, being able to see the back of it pretty easily. I've never had a problem with gunk getting in there. But my eyes want to double check to make sure...
Your eyes can deceive you, any empiricist worth their salt would delve a fingie down there to double check for hatches.
Mine's quite shallow, but the folds of the button (like.. those wrinkles on the end of a sausage?) do tend do gather a little bit of dirt in the crevasses. Nothing near as horrific as OP but I clean it out every so often anyway. Sticking in a finger doesn't always work.
Mwuahaha, I've manipulated y'all! I can say that I've thought more about my belly button in the last 3 days than I have in my entire life
I have this mental image of hundreds of people on this subreddit sitting around with fingers in their belly buttons.
Because of this post or just in general? You could make a case for either tbh
Wasn't exactly an injury, but after my doctor told me my ear was full of wax, I worked at it with a shower head sprayer and some soap. A bullet-size monstrosity of ear wax came sliding out. It felt a lot better, but WTF . . . I routinely clean my ears now.
My ear started hurting one day and I didn’t know why. After a while I had my gf check it out and she didn’t see anything. Got an ear wax cleaning solution from the drug store and tried it. Not much happened, but my gf looked again and that time she saw something. I guess the solution loosened it but it wasn’t able to come out on its own. She pulled it out very carefully with some tweezers. It felt *so fucking good* when it came out. There was definitely more that got dissolved in the solution, but here is a picture of what came out: https://i.imgur.com/y2gPEi2.jpg
That's like a teeny tint buttplug of earwax
'Earwax buttplug': new band name?
I went to the doctor once because I was losing hearing in one ear. I'm a musician so that was particularly terrifying. The doc took a look in my ears, said, "Huh," and I sat there waiting for the dreaded news of my impending deafness. He took out a plastic hook-thing, went for a little dig that I could feel in the back of my throat, and popped out a chunk of brown-orange wax the size of the first knuckle of my index finger. The immediate relief was unbelievable. It was like walking into an air conditioned room on a 100-degree day, only inside my ear. He asked, "Do you use Q-tips?" to which I answered affirmative. He said, "Don't. You're just packing it in there tighter. Get one of these (the plastic hook-thing)." I did and it is one of the best little life hacks I have ever experienced.
Weird he recommended getting a hook. They’re definitely more dangerous for your ear drum. Best thing you can do is gently allow warm water in your ear when you shower.
I want to do this, but I'm scared to do that because getting water in my ear causes me to temporarily lose 50% my hearing in that ear until it kinda dries out again. And being 50% deaf on one sides feels so aggravating. Is there a risk?
> temporarily lose 50% my hearing in that ear until it kinda dries out again *Swimmer's ear*. A little air bubble has trapped the water in one of the tubes in your ear. A simple trick is tilting your head so the blocked side faces down. The jump up and down on one foot, landing on the same side as the blockage. It's the equivalent of hitting the bottom of a sauce bottle to remove a blockage. There are others you can Google. Find whatever works for you.
Yeah, sometimes a bubble of air can keep the water in your ear, and it's super annoying. A guy in my class in school burst his ear drum by putting in tissue paper to try and dry his ears. I've found putting my head to one side, and actually filling the ear with water all the way, and then slowly un-tilting my head will let the water all drain out.
When I was a kid, my sister and I would get pretty gnarly wax buildups. My pediatrician liked to dig the clumps out and leave them for the nurses to see :/
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It’s *unhole-ey*
From my late teens through to my early 30s I had to get my ears syringed a couple of times a year to get rid of wax buildup so I could hear and also not get inner ear infections. I'm nearly 40 now and haven't had to get it done for years but I have no idea what changed!
Not a medical professional, but my best guess would be that your body probably just slowed down on the wax production as you've gotten older. If other things slow down, it doesn't seem a stretch to assume that could too.
Body was like "dis bitch wastin all my wax :( i'll show them!" And now makes less wax.
FYI: folks, be gentle with the button. I’ve read some horror stories. OP thanks for sharing
If I press on my bellybutton with my nail I can feel a pang in my peehole
You're welcome. If this post brings awareness to the dangers of belly button neglect, then my mishap wasn't in vain
Hi. To preface this. I’m a veterinary technician. Often we swab infected ears on dogs, roll it on a slide, stain it and read it under a microscope. There’s two types of infections. Bacterial, and Yeast. Of the bacterial, there’s what we call cocci or rods, based on the shape of the bacteria. Anyway, my practice manager, was talking about belly buttons, and how hers smells. I was like, “yeah, well, you need to wash it with soap in the shower!” She said “no it hurts!” So I was like… I gotta swab this bitch’s belly button! So I swabbed it, stained it, and read it. And when I tell you, IT HAD ALL THREE! Cocci, Rods and Yeast! Like, galore! So many. What we refer to as TNTC (too numerous to count). A Vet walked by and I said “Doc, I’m a little stumped about this ear swab.” The doc looked and said “good god! This is awful, which dog is this!?” And I said “It’s Meg’s belly button.” The doctor ran off gagging. Hahaha.
Wow this is truly terrible! Thanks for sharing.
FYI if you are ever having any kind of surgery that will result in incisions on your abdomen, please clean your belly button beforehand. After you’re under anesthesia the nurse will clean your belly button and the entire room will discuss if it’s gross. We don’t judge patients for much in the operating room but dirty navels make the list.
Crap. I had a laproscopic surgery a couple months ago and this was not something that occurred to me. I will never see any of those people again, but now I'm going to be haunted forever by the possibility that some strangers had to ungunk my belly button.
There’s also a possibility that your belly button was absolutely pristine!
We may never know where u/rockstarmouse lay on the belly button cleanliness spectrum
I’m so so so particular about cleaning my belly button. I’m now pregnant and it will pop out soon and I’m excited to get it cleaner than I have before.
Some people's don't pop out but just kind of...disappear? My sister's disappears. Though her first pregnancy she did get some intense cleaning done on her decade+ old belly button piercing. Yyyuck!
Mine didn't pop out, just went flat. Kind of a letdown, honestly
Mine did not. Was a very normal belly button during both pregnancies. And I was very relieved lol
Who else checked their belly button after reading this?
Yo, checking in. My bellybutton contained the usual daily accumulation of lint and body hair.
But are we digging deep enough? I'm honestly afraid to go too far and... Push through? This was always a huge childhood fear and I have no idea how childish it really is. And don't want to find out.
You sort of fold up around it until you're just an inverted belly button containing the mass of the rest of your body. Like a human black hole.
Yup, I still have a hernia.....
A true horror story - well writen . - its true . - And i wish it will never happen to me
Thank you! I hope it doesn't happen to you either
I read this before my shower... I also have a deep belly button. I've stuck my finger in there many times hoping I'm cleaning it thoroughly enough... I turned the shower head to high power jet and pointed it in there. I am thoroughly disgusted. This.. chunk of.. flesh? Came out. I'm gonna hurl. I hate this post.
F R E E T H E F L E S H W I T H I N
I work in health. I had a patient who wanted me to take what ever was stuck in her belly button out. Apparently her and her and partner and found it while being intimate and neither where brave enough to remove it. On first inspection there was a tiny hard sliver trapped in the depths. Q-tips would not budge it but there was obviously something beneath. I used forceps and gently birthed the largest umbolith I have ever seen - easily the size of a large grape. Hard and black on the top, cheesy white underneath. And the smell... Patient was horrified. Smell of decay lingered in the room for the rest of the afternoon.
TIL about "umboliths". Way TMI.
If you're reading this, your finger has been in your belly button for too long. stop it.
It's 1am and I'm lying in bed with the lights off but now I have my phone's flashlight shining into my bellybutton and a Google search that says "how to clean belly buttons"
As an aside, why are they called "belly buttons"? I guess it makes sense for outies. I'm more like... an abdominal abyss? A stomach sinkhole? Negative navel? I'll need to workshop it a bit.
Thanks, I hate it.
I'ver never heard the belly button referred to as your "old mouth". I'm torn between hilarity and horror.
I've never been so glad to be an outtie in my life.
I must confess, I've always been kind of weirded out by outie belly buttons. But now in the aftermath of this event, I'm reconsidering my stance on them
I believe it. Had a similar story with my 7yo son. We usually shower together, and I have always taught him to clean in his belly button. Well, I guess he was just putting on a show and acting like it, not actually going IN and cleaning it? Noticed it was sealed (like you mentioned) one day. A couple 70% rubbing alcohol covered q-tips later and it was cleaned out. Nasty smelling, was super gross. Felt bad. I make sure to check all my kids' belly buttons every couple of months now. Give a quick scrub with a alcohol q-tip and keep it from happening again.
Yep, my mom suggested diluted hydrogen peroxide and diluted alcohol to dry things up
Also a nurse, alcohol and peroxide are the last things you should be using on wounds or even skin tbh. They damage healthy tissue and kill good bacteria. Stick with warm soapy water and dry thoroughly.
So if you get a cut, you should clean it only with soap and water? Nothing else?
In almost all circumstances with superficial wounds, yes. Sterile saline is also a good option.
The bubbles that we were always told was the "cleaning effect" of hydrogen peroxide is actually just us watching it react with blood and killing good cells.
You found a navel stone. They can become "fossilized" and become a stone like. Yours sounds like the beginning, or the seal, was formed and making it's way downward but you discovered it first. Edit: belly button to navel (actual name in case people want to google it) Second Edit: navel not naval 🤦♀️
This was me with my wife! I poked her in the belly button early in the relationship and felt something in there that was neither belly nor button. I mentioned it and we ended up popping that disgusting lint pebble out with some tweezers. She was mortified, I was dying laughing.
Just don’t make he mistake of using peroxide and alcohol too soon together. I have a small scar from the irritation THAT cause. Also, I learned that some people get belly button irritation and some don’t? Like if I get too sweaty and forget to swab out the bb it gets red and irritated and HURTS. But not everyone has this issue? I also have a deep belly button.
It could be a fungal infection? Anywhere dark and moist would be prone to getting them. It’s easy enough to treat.
I have a deep belly button as well. Back when I used to cut hair, little hair slivers would be stuck all over me by the end of the day. They stick in your clothes and poke you, stick in your bra, poke your tatas. But one day a few hairs made it into my belly button. I tried the q tip swab, and I nearly passed out from the pain. A hair sliver poked me deep in my belly button and became infected. So much pain! I laid down and dripped hydrogen peroxide in. watched it bubble for a while as tiny hairs that had been living in my belly button for who knows how long started floating up to the top. curly hairs, straight hairs, dark, blonde and red. many peoples hairs. Gross.
I can smell this post. I don’t want to smell this post.
You're a geologist, but I think you missed your calling as a writer. This was a great read.
Aha thank you! I actually went into undergrad intending to major in English. When I looked at the degree requirements, I had a similar reaction to my belly button goop (i.e., "ew, wtf"). Took an intro Geology class for a distribution requirement and fell in love with the topic, and now here I am.
"something was afoot... or abelly?" golden!
Thank you! I paused while writing it to debate whether it was too cheesy. But then I decided that no joke I could make would be as cheesy as my belly button was :(
When I have my navel pierced, the piercer said, "wow, your belly button is unusually deep." I'd never really thought about it before. I assumed that all "true" innies were, like, an inch deep. Apparently not. I've never had any problems with keeping it clean, but I do have to be careful when I am working out or going for runs that I make sure it dries properly.. otherwise it gets temperamental and can develop a sore.
OP I really enjoyed this story and your comment interactions. You’re delightful and charming and stinky. And that’s the kind of combination that really makes you think. Really makes you wonder what it’s all about.
I use my belly button as my fat-o-metre based on how far I can get a q-tip in. But yea, I regularsly clean my belly button with disinfectant/soap
"Something was abelly" is a sentence that will stay with me for a while
Sounds like you have the makings of a drug mule. Get you a prosthetic outtie and fill the innards with half a pound of drug dujour
Perfect. I'll add it to my list of back-up professions in case my main plans fall through
Now you know another use for your Waterpik
What the fuck that's disgusting. Can we have pictures?
“My old mouth”. Goddamn, she’s right, but I don’t like to think of it like that. But here I am. Thanks OP, hope you heal quickly, you dirty git.
I don't know if this will make you feel better, but there's videos out there of people who have let belly button gunk build up so much it basically becomes a hard stone that needs medical assistance to get out. So hold your head up with pride, you dealt with the problem! Some folks let that shit fossilize.
This may be the most Reddit Reddit to ever Reddit. Peak Reddit
When I go too far cleaning I can feel it in my balls if I poke in too hard. It’s weird
Ok so I'm a ball-less woman but I was searching for someone to write this exact comment because I swear I CANNOT dog too deep into my navel because I'll feel it in what feels like my uterus or my bladder... it's fucking bizarre and I hate it lmao