Why are some navels

So what types of bacteria inhabit our belly buttons? We asked Hulcr and other experts to tell us everything you never knew about your navel. Here, the top seven fascinating finds:. The ultimate shape of the belly button depends on a number of factors, according to Indianapolis plastic surgeon Barry Eppley, MD, including how the scar attaches to underlying muscles, the looseness of surrounding skin, the fat under the skin, and how flat or protruding your belly is.

According to the most recent data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 8, umbilicoplasty procedures were performed between and ; 92 percent in women. The second is that navel fluff forms more often in middle-aged, hairy men, especially ones who have recently put on weight.

These are the findings of a University of Sydney researcher named Karl Kruszelnicki. Dr Karl, as his fans know him, has an Australian science radio show, and one of his listeners wrote in asking where navel fluff comes from and how it forms. That inspired Kruszelnicki to distribute a survey online, which led him to the conclusion that BBL is an affliction mainly of middle-aged men with sufficient body hair.

For his research, Kruszelnicki received an Ig Nobel Prize in , an accolade given for research that "first makes you laugh, and then makes you think. Fluff may help make bellybuttons cleaner by collecting bacteria as it forms Credit: Getty Images. In addition to the online survey, Kruszelnicki and his colleagues collected samples from willing volunteers and also asked some to shave the hair from around their belly buttons.

It turned out that shaving belly hair indeed prevented the accumulation of lint. While perhaps not the world's leading experts on the topic, Dr Karl and his colleagues arrived at an explanation for the formation of navel fluff that, at least, makes intuitive sense. Hairs around the belly button, they think, operate as a "one-way ratchet mechanism", stealing tiny fibres from inside your clothes and depositing them into your navel. Older clothes, less lint Kruszelnicki wasn't the only person to take a stab at what forms the fluff that fills belly buttons around the world.

In , a Vienna University of Technology researcher named Georg Steinhauser published his hypothesis in the eyebrow-raising journal Medical Hypotheses. For reasons known only to himself, Steinhauser collected his own navel fluff each evening for three years. Though he insists that he maintains good personal hygiene, including a shower each morning, his navel invariably becomes filled with fluff by the day's end. In all Steinhauser collected samples from his own belly button.

Can you untie it and see inside my tummy? All great guesses, but no. But a popular hangout spot for them is in your belly button. Toggle navigation Menu. Explore Videos Games. Explore All. Is it right for you? Can colloidal silver help treat acne? Here's what to know before giving this remedy a try. Not sure how to tell these two cosmetic procedures apart? We've got all the details. Interested in adding art to your teeth? If you're considering getting a tattoo to cover varicose or spider veins, read this first for details on complications, aftercare, and more.

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Belly button formation Outie vs. How are belly buttons formed? Share on Pinterest There are many different types of belly buttons. The type of belly button you have is not due to how your umbilical cord was cut or cared for or how much you weigh.