Why does your navel stink

The skin near a belly button piercing can also develop an infection. Any time you create a hole in your skin, bacteria can get inside. Here are some tips for managing a belly button piercing with an infection.

If you develop a skin infection , you might see pus leaking from your belly button. Sometimes the pus will smell. Other symptoms include not only pain, but also redness or discoloration, and swelling in the area. An epidermoid cyst is a bump that starts in your top layer of skin, and a pilar cyst starts near a hair follicle. Both cysts contain cells inside a membrane.

They produce and secrete a thick sludge of keratin. Your doctor can diagnose and provide treatment for these types of cysts. Epidermoid cysts and pilar cysts are sometimes mistakenly referred to as sebaceous cysts. However, sebaceous cysts are much less common than epidermoid cysts and pilar cysts.

Sebaceous cysts originate in your sebaceous glands. These glands normally produce sebum , a waxy and oily lipid mixture, for skin lubrication and protective properties.

Sebaceous cysts fill up with sebum and can develop infections. Once you clean your belly button, the smell should improve. Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice a discharge from your belly button, though. It could be a symptom of infection. The sample will go to a lab, where a technician will check it under a microscope or perform other sample testing to see what components are in the discharge.

Keep your belly button clean and dry if you develop an infection. Also avoid wearing tight clothes. Sweat and dirt can build up under clothes that cling to your skin. Your doctor might recommend using an antifungal or antibiotic cream, depending on which type of germ caused the infection.

They might also prescribe oral antibiotics instead. Shop for antifungal cream and antibiotic cream online. A dermatologist can get rid of the cyst by:. The easiest way to prevent bacteria and dirt from collecting in your belly button is to clean it every day. And when that happens, you know something funky is going on.

For the most part, there's no need to be concerned if you have a smelly belly button. According to Healthline, our belly buttons smell from time to time if we're not keeping up with our hygiene. However, sometimes belly button odour can be a sign of something more serious that needs medical attention, such as an infection or a cyst. There are several reasons why your belly button may smell, from poor hygiene or an infection, having an "innie," to having your belly button pierced.

If you have poor hygiene, fungi and germs can get trapped in the belly button , according to Healthline. Bacteria and other germs create the foul smell, just as they make your armpits smell when you sweat.

The deeper your belly button is, the more dirt and germs can build up inside it. Sometimes though, the smell is caused by an infection. People who have undergone surgery to their abdomen are at a higher risk of infection, as are people who have had their belly button pierced. Although rare, people can develop masses inside their belly button , called omphaliths or umboliths, notes UPMC.

These growths can lead to infection and inflammation of the skin. Less common are cysts in the area , such as an epidermoid cyst, a pilar cyst and a sebaceous cyst. These can burst, releasing a discharge, or they can get infected, according to Healthline.

Other causes include diabetes , which can worsen the health of the skin and lead to a discharge resembling cottage cheese, and yeast infections, which can cause a foul odour that doesn't go away with regular cleaning, Healthrave notes. If you're certain you don't have an infection or cyst, all you need is some prevention via good ol' fashioned soap and water. She also notes that if it's stinky, you've got to dry up the area, so place a bit of alcohol a drying agent on a Q-tip and go over the area.

It lathers up and foams really, really nicely," Dr. Nazarian says. I don't mind a moisturizing cleanser because you're rinsing everything off and not allowing moisturizer to just sit in there. With that, I up my shower game and get to work. Day one is by far the grossest. I loofah over my belly button and use my pointer finger to increase the lather in the crevice.

I find some dead skin is lingering there, so I wash it out. Then, I towel off and go about my business, repeating the steps for a week. By day seven, I'm happy to report that I no longer pretend I don't have a belly button.

I'm fully aware that it exists because now I wash it once a day. You can wash your face with sparkling water and the weird way being tall increases your likelihood of varicose veins. Your official excuse to add "OOD" ahem, out of doors to your cal. Become an Insider. Enter Email Address. Facebook Pinterest Twitter Youtube Instagram.