Adults forgot about their navels until women, other than the dominatrix kind, started piercing them, and wearing those sparkling little earrings and loops smack dab in the middle of their bodies.  A belly button only got attention when you were a baby and someone was trying to tickle you.  These days no self-respecting tight-abbed woman less than 70 would go without exposing that centerpiece of the body buffet.

So, if you’re an outtie, let’s face it. You’re now longing to be part of the innie crowd.

With umbilicoplasty, or the nicer-sounding belly button renewal or lift, your belly can be born again.  Whether you’ve had an outie all your life, or your belly button is starting to protrude after babies or the skin above your navel is starting to droop over it, this relatively simple surgery (in terms of time, recovery and cost) can reset your middle ground.

If you think about it, the belly button is just a fairly large scar that we all have.  After we’re born and the umbilical chord is cut and tied, some heal as innies, some as outies.  Like everything else on our bodies, they tend to change over time, be it from child birth, drastic weight gain or loss or just gravity.  For some, it becomes a real hot-button issue.  Women want to look good in a bikini or have that attractive spot to pierce; men with good abs don’t want a knot sticking out of a well toned mid-section.

Umbilicoplasty is different from a tummy tuck, focusing solely on the navel.  It is often done in conjunction with that surgery to make sure the belly button matches the newly flattened tummy.  If an umbilical hernia is causing the belly button to protrude, surgery to fix the hernia would precede the belly button lift.  When done on its own, umbilicoplasty takes about an hour with local anesthesia.  The incisions are usually hidden within the navel itself and downtime is about one day.  The surgical costs will likely range from $500-$2,000.

• Here’s a really wierd site about belly buttons.
• Did you ever wonder if Adam and Eve had belly buttons?  This Christian site has the answer.
• American Health and Beauty always has good information.