innies or outies

I wonder what makes some people have an innie belly button and some have an outie. I once heard that it depends on the knot the doctor ties, but that doesn’t make sense because the umbilical cord is the outer shell of the belly button, so the belly button is independent of the cord when it falls off.

This question was raised on Ask Yahoo but they didn’t have an answer. They provided some theories and then recommended that those with outies flaunt them. Not much help there.

There is a special procedure for men (Umbilicoplasty) to convert outies to innies, but that just shows that people tend to prefer innies, not why people have one or the other to begin with.

Maybe it depends on how much the baby ate while it was in the womb.

As the old Tootsie Pops commercial used to say, “Crunch. The world may never know.”

Ah, without the crunch part.

Comments

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  1. Hey, Dan, I have another one for you. Why do some people have earlobes that are completely attached while others have earlobes that dangle? Maybe it’s genetic…

    Comment by Alicia on March 24, 2004 @ 11:24 pm
  2. Are you suggesting that innies and outies are determined by genes? I hadn’t thought of that before.

    Comment by dan on March 25, 2004 @ 9:58 am
  3. I’ve known some women with innies that became outies when they were pregnant.

    Comment by Mel on March 25, 2004 @ 1:55 pm
  4. From my understanding, the belly button is the knot from tying off the umbilical cord. The closer in they tie the not, the closer in the belly button. Therefore, a good close knot gives an innie, and a not-too-close knot gives an outtie.

    As for pregnancy, that makes total sense, since you have something pushing out on the belly. It’s like some airmattresses or beach balls and stuff that have valves you can pop in or out to blow them up. If you put pressure on the ball, you can often pop the valve to it’s outtie position.

    Comment by Cameron on March 25, 2004 @ 5:57 pm
  5. Cameron, I don’t think a pregnant woman would especially like being compared to a beach ball. But it does illustrate what you mean very well. Heh.

    Surgery can change an innie to an outie.

    Comment by Jan on March 26, 2004 @ 12:35 pm
  6. I think if a parent chooses to clean and dry the cord with 70% isopropyl alcohol closer to the skin than towards the clamped portion will determine if their infant will end up with an innie or an outie. It is a matter of HOW it dries up and falls off.

    Comment by anonymous on August 26, 2004 @ 12:08 pm
  7. I have 2 kids, and my son has an innie, and my daughter has an outie, her cord just fell off today.
    I had the same doctor and nurse at both deliveries, and the same kind of clamp was used on both cords (the hospital has a security device in the cord clamp, so if someone tries to steal a baby, an alarm goes off.)
    I cleaned the cord the same both times. It was actually obvious right away that hers would be an outie, like a little ring of skin at the base of the cord.
    My belly button is an innie, and stayed an innie through both full-term pregnancies.
    Their father’s is an innie too.

    Comment by Denelle on January 8, 2005 @ 10:13 pm
  8. Do you have an outie belly button well I do and have all my life for which I am not so sure I like it I have not made my choice maybe you can help me after you read my story

    Here some pictures from my older sisters photo album I have two olders so I am the youngest “which I got the ok from her to let me put on the web”

    1. First picture was when I was little I don’t remember this far back but my older sister is showing off my outie belly in one of my baby photos she probably thought this was funny but look back at it I feel kind of embarrassed

    http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=381364661gmjsjxph6lj.jpg

    2. Second when I was growing up my two sisters and her friends used to tease and pull pranks on me like tickle me here is some pictures of my second oldest sister and some of her friends my sister is the one with brown hair cloest to the camera

    http://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=53055391nxjvnaph0vz.jpg

    3. Third I thought to put it all together you would like to see some picture of my belly as of today now we are all grown up now it’s still an outie it looks like it has goten a little big over the years but that’s just my talking

    http://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=b3us.jpg
    http://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=d0mm.jpg
    http://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=c1fv.jpg

    so what do you think?

    thank to my sister for letting put up these pictures

    Comment by john on December 31, 2005 @ 9:08 pm
  9. all i have to say is you got one hot looking pop out belly button WOW i wish more girls would show off there outies

    Comment by bill on January 4, 2006 @ 2:18 am
  10. Uh…Bill… I think the pop-out belly button post just above yours is from John, not a girl. Your post gives the impression that John’s is from a girl. Thank you.

    Comment by don on January 7, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
  11. lol… I’ve gotta say… I think an outie and a tight stomach is hott. Don’t be ashamed of your outies people ;)
    *~Leslie~*

    Comment by Leslie on February 27, 2006 @ 9:26 pm
  12. I’ve always found girls with outties very attractive, and think they look far better than innies. Mines an innie, but im a bloke.Is there any girls with outties willing to talk

    Comment by rich on March 1, 2006 @ 3:55 pm
  13. Now now, Rich, let’s not turn this into a place to pickup on girls.

    Comment by dan on March 1, 2006 @ 6:59 pm
  14. iv got an outie and im really self conscious about it, im always trying to find people who have one too but there never seems to be anyone. i have a really flat stomach but my outie makes me not want to show it off.

    Comment by helena on April 30, 2006 @ 6:57 am
  15. I’ve got an outie and I’m considering umbilicoplasty to have it changed. I’m just too self conscious about it.

    Comment by lauren on May 7, 2006 @ 9:39 am
  16. i actually came accrost this topic while looking for an answer for my own question, sorry for changing the conversation slightly but i have a new theory. i know that people are genetically bron with the final size that their fingers will get to be predetermined. Also i think that your nosteral is going to be a specific size. What i want to know is if we are born with our nostrals big enough to fit any of our fingers in, or do we streatch our nostrals out as we pick them over the years? if there are any of you who cant fit any one of your fingers into your nose let me know i would be baffaled. everyone ive talked to so far can even fit their thumbs if they try hard enough. so our nostrals can streatch just large enough for our thumbs if needed but cant streatch to fit anything much larger. Just some food for thought.

    Comment by Jon on June 12, 2006 @ 3:19 pm
  17. Jon: Good luck with that.

    Comment by dan on June 12, 2006 @ 5:52 pm
  18. HI everybody…i was born with a HUGE outie but it shrinked dramatically over the years. But I’m still ashamed of it because although I’ve met only one other person with one, hers is even smaller than mine. It’s even shaped better than mine! And looking on the internet at pictures of other people’s makes me feel like i’m weird because all of theirs is STILL smaller…I WILL be getting that surgery.lol

    Comment by alaiyo on September 14, 2006 @ 5:26 pm
  19. My bellybutton is a TINY innie and i hate it!I cant stick my pinly in it without it hurting!!!

    Comment by Alex on November 10, 2006 @ 8:44 pm
  20. I have an outie and I feel really self concious aboout it, every summer when my friends and i go out to buy bikinis i always make an excuse not to go or i buy one and put a tank top over it, i guess im so self concious about it because no one i know has an outie like me, what can i do to get over my self conciousness???? Help!

    Comment by sarah on March 31, 2007 @ 9:11 pm
  21. I’m the same way. I always had the flatest tummy but since my outie is so prominant, I would get comments about it instead of my abs. I remember standing in a long line at a waterpark in my bikini. It seemed all eyes would look at my outie, and then look away. People would chuckle and make faces at it too. I DO have some advice tho. Since you seem to be as self-conscious about your outie as I am about mine, do this. Next time you’re going to the beach or a pool, wear a two-piece. And when you go to the gym next, show your navel off. Wear short tops and hiphuggers. Infact, show it as often as you are allowed too. You know why? Because you will slowly start feeling good about your navel. And everyone who knows you will remember you’re the girl with the outie. And even strangers who will make faces at first, but if you compliment it with a sexy midrif, you will make an outie actually look cute. And the truth is, we need more outies to let their bellybuttons breathe so it will become less ugly. I still wished I had a cute innie but sadly that’s not gonna happen. Mine is like a finger instead. I just show it as much as possible so I myself can get over it. So all you outies do the same, lol.

    Comment by Tashie on April 5, 2007 @ 9:15 pm
  22. Mine is a really deep innie. It looks like a vertical line on my belly. I like to show it off all the time. I actually won a bellybutton beauty contest at a sarority event. Funny enough, I’ve never seen an outie in person.

    Comment by Carmella on April 8, 2007 @ 1:40 am
  23. Hi Dan,

    Wow, some mixed comments there. Personally, I love outie bellybuttons, and believe it or not, I actually have built a website in dedication to people with outie bellybuttons. It’s called outielovers.com and it’s a nice site, no adult theme, but we have hundreds of images celebrating the outie bellybutton.

    What I say to people that are self concious about having an outie is come and have a look at the site. If you still are not sure, join our forum. If you have an outie, you are treated like a king/queen.

    Outie bellybuttons are beautiful and we should be celebrating the real bellybutton. An innie is a belly hole, an outie is a belly button.

    Feel free to ask me any questions if you feel the need.

    Marc

    Comment by Marc on April 9, 2007 @ 4:08 am
  24. I have a halfie! (definetly not an innie, but doesn’t actually STICK out), and I’ve learned to love it.

    Comment by Nicole on March 15, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
  25. I have always had a huge outie that sticks out by half an inch and i hated it. as a kid i go teased. so i starting wearing a nice red bakini every time i go to the pool or the beach and i wear sports bra and 2 peice tops when i go to partys and go out with freinds i some times wear belly baring otufits going shopping and it makes me feel good about my navel. i show it off as muchi as i can.

    Comment by michelle on April 15, 2009 @ 3:33 pm
  26. I would die to have a girlfriend with a nice big outie navel! email me please! I looooooove them!

    Comment by cris on April 23, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
  27. I have an outie, I was also self concious of it, but now Im proud to show it to the world.

    Comment by nicky on April 9, 2011 @ 4:17 am

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