Belly Buttons

A couple of weeks ago while at a graduation party, one of my friends started asking people what type of belly button they had. She claimed that this question would be a great getting-to-know-you activity that would reveal something you probably didn't already know about your closest friends. She was right. I definitely had never checked out my friends' belly buttons before that night.

But then I got to thinking, what determines whether a person gets an innie or an outie belly button? From what I recall, all of my friends that were present that night, including myself, revealed that they have innie belly buttons. Is one type any better than the other? Does the type of belly button mean anything?

A belly button is one characteristic that indentifies humans as placental mammals, or mammals that grow in the wombs of their mothers. The belly button is the spot where the umbilical cord, which connected us to our mothers and brought us the oxygen and nutrition we needed to survive those first nine months of life, was attached to us. I think it's safe to say that without belly buttons, we would not be here today. Everybody has one, with the exception of Kyle XY, of course, but that's another story.

According to Wisegeek.com, 90% of the human population has an innie belly button, while the remaining 10% have outies. This means that if you have an outie belly button, you are as rare as a left-handed person. Obviously, you're pretty darn special.

From what I found in my research, it seems that scientists have not come up with an exact conclusion as to why some people have outies and others have innies. According to Wisegeek.com, it's random. The belly button is the scar left over from the umbilical cord, and the scar tissue determines the shape of the belly button.There are other theories -- such as that innie belly buttons are the norm, and outies are a genetic abnormality; it depends on how the doctor/nurse cuts the cord; or that a muscle hernia in the abdomen causes the belly button to pop out-- but according to Wisegeek.com, these theories are possible but not probable.

Interestingly, the belly button can change during pregnancy. According to Bermant Plastic Surgery's Web site, the walls of the abdomen push out as the baby grows, which changes the position of the scar tissue and the shape of the belly button. For some women, their innie becomes more exaggerated, while for others, their outie pops out even more, according to the site. But no worries, girls. The Web site assures that these changes are usually temporary and typically go back to normal after giving birth.

Some people like to decorate their belly buttons with piercings. Hey, if you've got it, you may as well flaunt it. For those of you who choose to do it, more power to you! I don't think I could go through with that. It looks a bit too painful for my liking.

Even with your decorations, if you're still not happy with your belly button, fear not. With today's modern technology, there are options for reshaping your belly button with plastic surgery. However, this does not mean that you should feel self-conscious of your belly button. If you've ever been around a baby, you've probably gushed or at least heard others gush about how adorable his/her belly button is. Channel some of that good energy and love the one you've got. :-D