What to Know About Navel Stones (2024)

A navel stone, medically known as an omphalolith, appears as a hard stone in your belly button. Navel stones are rare, but anyone can get them.They are more common in people with deep-set navels. Most of the time, there are no symptoms until the stone is quite large.

This article explores navel stones, what they look like, and when it is time to get medical attention. Also, learn what causes them, how you can treat them, and how you can prevent them.

A navel stone is a collection of material in the belly button that forms a hard ball. A navel stone can be a collection of keratin and sebum Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source.

Keratin is a protein in skin, hair, and nails.Sebum is oil that the skin produces.

Over time, sometimes years without proper cleaning, the collection forms into a stone. Navel stones are typically dark in color, smooth, and firm to the touch.

The dark color most likely comes from melanin, the pigment in the skin.Some navel stones protrude from the belly button and are easy to see, while others form deep inside the navel.

A person may not know they have a navel stone until it becomes large enough to see or feel.

Navel stones are very rare Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source.

They are most common in people who have deep belly buttons and those who may have a difficult time washing their belly buttons regularly.

People who have difficulty cleaning their belly buttons may be able to keep them clean with assistance thoroughly cleansing the navel as part of a hygiene routine.

Navel stones are not a serious medical condition.

Many times, you may not notice them Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source until they are large enough to see or feel.

Navel stones are generally dark in color. Sometimes they appear to be black or brown. The dark color may come from the pigment of dead skin cells.

It also may come from the oxidation of oils from your skin.

On rare occasions, they may cause an infection. If this is the case, symptoms may include:

• pain
• redness or discoloration around the navel
• foul smell
• discharge
• area bleeding
• fever

If you notice something firm and stone-like in your belly button, get medical attention.

Contact your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an infection or navel abscess.

Navel abscesses are not a common complication of navel stones. However, they can be painful and require medical treatment like antibiotics or a minor procedure to remove the abscess contents.

Your belly button, also called your umbilicus, is the scar where your umbilical cord attaches.

Some people have protruding belly buttons, whereas other people have deep belly buttons.

Sometimes you may overlook Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source the umbilical area while bathing, or it may be difficult to clean. The lack of cleaning may allow for a buildup of sebum and keratin Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source.

Medical professionals can remove navel stones.

Typically, they soften the stone first by using a cotton swab soaked in sterile saline held to the stone.Using gentle manipulation, they remove the stone from the belly button.

On rare occasions, if an infection forms from the navel stone, a doctor may need to remove the stone and drain the abscess.

Avoid removing a navel stone yourself. Instead, get your doctor’s advice. If they believe it is safe for you to remove the stone, they can give you directions for safe removal to prevent complications, such as bleeding or infection.

Navel stones involve a collection of natural debris present on everyone’s skin.

The biggest risk factor for developing a navel stone is improperly cleansing the belly button.

Regular cleaning removes the buildup of substances like sebum and keratin. Without regularly cleaning them out, these substances can result in the formation of a hard stone.

A person experiencing obesity may find it difficult to access and clean their belly button due to an increased buildup of sweat and oils in the abdominal area. This may increase their likelihood of experiencing navel stones.

For a navel stone to form, your belly button needs to be deep enough to collect keratin and sebum. People who have deep belly buttons may more likely develop an accumulation that will eventually form a stone.

You can prevent navel stones from forming by washing the navel regularly.

To support people who may need assistance cleaning their belly buttons regularly, experts recommend that caregivers Trusted Source National Institute on Aging Governmental authority Go to source give a full bath two or three times a week.Between full bath days, a sponge bath of the face, hands, feet, underarms, and genitals is usually enough.

Experts also recommend that caregivers wash the navel on full bath days.If the umbilicus is deep, using a moist cotton swab can help. It is important to thoroughly rinse out all the soap. If drying the belly button is difficult with a towel, using a dry cotton swab can help.

Medically known as an omphalolith, navel stones are hard stones that form in the belly button. This is a rare condition that can be more common in people who experience deep-set navels, obesity, or who may need assistance cleaning their belly buttons regularly.

The stones have oils and cells from the skin that harden over time. It is not a serious health condition, and most of the time a person only knows they have a stone when it is large enough to see or feel.

A medical professional can easily remove the stone, and it usually does not require an invasive procedure.Washing the navel prevents a navel stone from forming.