What came out of my belly button?

[lovelyone17]

So, I was laying in bed and I took my bellybutton ring out. I was digging around in my bellybutton and found a hard, scab-like substance. I had noticed it before, but it was deep and I thought it was part of where my umbilical cord was cut when I was a baby, so I never messed with it. Well, it seemed to have gotten bigger, so I started scratching at it. Parts of it came off, like a scab. I couldn't get both fingers in there to pull it out. So I got tweezers. Gently, I started pulling at it, trying to pull of the scab part. It came out easily. But it wasn't what I expected. The top part was a brownish colored dry scab looking thing. It was attached to a white, black, and gray little tail looking thing. It reminded me of a tadpole. The outsides of the tail were whitish. It was soft and the inside was black. What was it that I pulled out? Do I have an infection or was that something I shouldn't have messed with. It wasn't painful or anything.

[Freedom17]

Hi the same thing has happened here - I was picking at my belly button after discovering some hard brown scab like substance coming out.

Does anyone have a scientific or medical explanation of what this substance is? Thanks!

Now that it has been completely removed and revolting i don't want it to come back again!

[Hamshack]

It is an umbolith, also known as a belly button plug. It is a combination of dirt, bacteria, and sebum (skin oil). It is caused by not cleaning the belly button regularly.

[auser2]

urachal cyst

[auser2]

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/criog/2015/791408/

[auser2]

i'd definitely use homeopathy and other safe approaches rather than surgery, tho

[penguin1912]

I had the same thing, my belly button started to hurt a few days ago, and I tried cleaning it, every once in a while I would notice little hairs, and I thought they got stuck there, but I was in the shower and I noticed more and I started to tug them out and out came this egg shaped yellow/white clump. I assume that it was just skin cells that got packed together, and my belly button is already feeling better. But i'd like to know if it is something that will come back or cause problems in the future.

[Jxnnxfxrz]

Oh I just pulled something like this out of my belly button last night- what is it?! For some reason I stuck my finger in my belly button nd noticed something that felt like a scap- immediately I went into the bathroom nd was digging around in there- I noticed little hairs that don't match the color of my hair -- I pulled on them and they came out relatively easy with no pain - I started using a q tip to squish around in my belly button -- it took a little while but I removed this thing with twizzers - when it came out it was instant relieve - and instant nausea -- this thing was gross looking - tan and white and black and had hairs on it - what is it ?? I took a picture of it

[199999999]

guys today i had the same experience. it was awful. something like an egg. it was white but the most interesting thing is that it had some hair on it. I am so disgusted right now that i Can't actually eat

[199999999]

is that smth dangerous? I'm so afraid

[VanessaMarie22]

Literally the weirdest most nasty experience ever. I've felt that little scab thing in my belly button for awhile. No pain tho. Tried before to get it out with tweezers but no go. So about twenty mins ago I took my belly ring out and went at it again. This time it came out it was a small little hard thing that looked like there was hair on it and it freaked me out. But then it gets nastier, after scabby thing came out so did a bunch of weird **** that was like grayish and smushy and the smell was absolutely disgusting. With that said and done I cleaned my button with q tips and diluted peroxide. It's weird as ****. I was actually about to freak out and tell my mom I'm an alien or some ****

[Kphed420]

this is completely normal. Honestly o wouldn't even bother the doc unless I felt pain while lying on it. Which has happened to me. My doctor said  peroxide and que tips are athe way to go, but peroxide is very hard on the layer of skin on your belly button. So dilute it with water. Never pull the scab off its ther for a reason lol even though it is interesting how it almost always seems like a hair or a string is attached to it, and no pain unless you have a real problem. Hey go away quick but dilute your peroxide, or it can actually be part of the problem. Seriousely don't fill entire belly button with peroxide laying in bed and let it bubble. It's a temporary fix but can mead to severe pain DILUTE the peroxide.


...kphed

[Kshea24]

I was just put on antibiotics too. Had you been picking at it allot too? How does it look now? How did you take care of it etc?

[moby123]

I have had the sorest belly button in the world to the point where ive been on antibiotics and tramadol for the pain as its an infection. Hardly able to walk, Ive had yellow discharge coming out of it and my belly button is normally tucked in like a hole and rite now its sticking out from my belly by about 5mm!!

looks revolting. i was just cleaning it and a white egg like thing popped out! it was like a little hard seed. I broke it open and it was like the same colour as cooked tuna. pretty yuck. may be the infection i think as i kinda feel instantly better... anyone had a similar experience?

[francine2233]

I just had the same thing. I'm amazed by how well you described it!

You posted almost 4 years ago but I wonder if this comment will reach you and if you could post an update.  Did you ever decide what it was?  Did it recur?  

I'm thinking mine either fungus or an infection, would appreciate a diagnosis or at least to know if it recurs.

[KaraMH]

So you posted this about 3 years ago, but I just found the same thing in my belly button and was trying to find out what it was as well. You may have already figured it out or just don't care anymore but I believe it is called an omphalolith(umbolith). You can look it up, but it's kindof gross looking in the pictures (and a lot worse than mine was because I guess found mine earlier than most people) so I would suggest not going to images. It says it's caused by not cleaning your belly button regularly.

[weirdnessbellybutton]

I thought mine was an old stitch from getting my apendix took out. I pulled on it and out came the same thing. Seems to be hair and dry skin built up in a pocket. Glad I'm not the only one.

[jbentley78]

So happy I found this message board since i was a little freaked out. I took out my belly ring in Dec 2012 and am now pregnant... Glad it was just dirt and mung from the belly cream.

[sandy465]

I had the same thing too. I found a hard little thing in my belly button since a few days. My boyfriend told me it could be my umbilical cord covered with dirt. While trying to clean it the thing started moving. Then in the shower I cleaned it more n I actually did not feel any pain and completely removed it. It was whitish inside like some little egg. It was hard n look disgusting. I am so happy it's out from there. I have very good personal hygiene normally. N was shocked at what had been formed there. Thank God it's out, and I clean my navel everyday now.

[teach4life82]

OMG thank God I came to your post!!!  I have been having a lot of tummy trouble lately and have had to drastically change my diet....my fiancee is convinced that there is more going on with my tummy than I am thinking and when I discovered this rock-like substance in my belly button tonight I was freaking out thinking she was right!!  Thank GOD you all had the same problem, here I am thinking I needed to give a 911 call to my PC!  It's exactly like what you guys are describing, thank you for assuaging my fears, you all rock!!!

[Esmeralda92lala]

I have that i was kinda freaking out thinking i was the only one..i noticed it when i was small but mine was grayish and all the way down to the bottom of my belly button i pulled it with some tweezers n it hurt like if i was pulling something from inside my stomache..when i finally got it out there was a small whole like were my umbilical cord was..i stopped messing with it n it still came back until i got a belly button pierceing it changed from grayish to white n i started getting more stomache pains outta no were....is it an infection i have had since i was little??

[memakayladoodoo]

I have that i put peroxide on it but now when i lay on my stomach it hurts

[sicdad]

wow, thank God for the internet. that's exactly what I did! This is like a belly button debris support group! I have no idea what that crud was made of but I do feel better that it's not just me! THANKS!

[MommyToBe916]

The Same Thing Happend To Me This Morning & iWas Freaking Out.
iWas Looking On The Internet To See If This Had Occured With SomeOne Else. Thank God iCame To Your Post. iFeel Much Better.

[alexkazam]

Yea thats totally normal, I've gotten the same thing too and it freaked me out also! It kind of looked like a scab and i got it out with tweezers and its just old skin and maybe dirt. You're ok! I've taken to cleaning out my belly button every once and a while just so it doesn't get too gross. If you take some diluted peroxide and put in your belly button and take a q tip and kind of gently scrub around in there a little bit, your belly button is all nice and squeeky clean afterwards!

[redheadaussie]

Sounds like a bit of old dried out skin that hasn't fallen off. Belly buttons are notorious for collecting bits of old skin, sweat, muck and grunge. We often forget to clean them out and we end up with a lump of gunk that can look pretty yuckky. Sometimes it can even smell disgusting! My male friend has a funny looking belly button and it often gets like what you have mentioned. Sometimes he gets a bit of pus and it turns red but with a bit of aloe on it, it goes away.
Don't worry, you aren't growing frogs in your belly button! Just clean there with a Q-tip a bit more often!