After additional (and arguably glorious) research on friends, family and colleagues, he found that abdominal hair was a prerequisite for navel lint build-up, and that old t-shirts and dress shirts had more pilling than new clothes. concluded that it is unlikely to occur.
This scientist even shaved his abdomen to confirm the belly hair hypothesis.
Steinhauser believes that people who collect belly button lint may find it more hygienic than people who don’t, because excess debris is swept up by the lint instead of sticking to the skin. guessed that there is However, regarding the cleaning part of the question, it is recommended that you clean your belly button as you would any other part of your skin.
Besides belly hair and new clothing, there are other factors that shape how and why debris accumulates in your belly button.
Karl Krzelnicki of the University of Sydney, Australia, conducted a study of 4,799 people and found that being male, being an “innie” rather than an “outie”, and being older were associated with higher levels of lint buildup. observed to be associated with an increase in his work is 2002 Ig Nobel Prizeawarded for humorous scientific achievements.
And as further proof that the true selfless pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds, in 2018 a mechanical engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Patna he decided he was going to ask a really hard question: What is the physics behind belly button lint production? Can it be modeled mathematically?
He microscopically observes that body hair acts like a saw tooth to remove lint fibers from fabric during the periodic movements of the respiratory cycle (inhaling and exhaling) in which the shirt constantly rubs against the abdomen. found in The hairs in this area tend to slouch toward the navel, so any lint fibers caught there travel all the way to the navel and eventually lose contact with the fabric.
As the influx of lint continues, the lint mixes with sweat and skin cells, resulting in the formation of beautiful, compact clumps of fluff that accumulate with mathematical precision. As you should know, it starts linearly and increases quadratically over time.
You may not find lint in your belly button, but you may find some dirt on it from time to time. That’s also normal, especially for “innies,” because the navel is, after all, a tiny crevice with multiple tiny skin folds that are perfect for trapping sebum and sweat. Infection is rare, but if you have pain or discharge in the area, see your doctor.
Several studies have investigated microbes that are present both in the navel and on the body. Navel stains, mostly just dead skin cells. The most common genera for umbilical stains are: Corynebacteriumusually harmless microorganisms, abundant in other moist areas of the body, such as in the nose and underarms.
What we want our patients to know
Each of us has a different self-cleaning ritual that we consider to be the most “hygienic”. From a medical point of view, we can all agree on certain habits, such as washing away visible dirt and grime, washing our hands while preparing food and after using the toilet. However, how often you shower or bathe is more subjective. If in doubt, consult your doctor.
Physician Profile: Trisha S. Pasricha is a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, a medical lecturer at Harvard Medical School, and a medical journalist.
