2006-09-13 04:09:51 · 18 answers · asked by jon 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
lint from clothing
2006-09-13 04:17:14 · answer #1 · answered by nascarmommy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Navel lint, or more commonly belly button lint or fluff, is an accumulation of fluffy fibres in one's navel.
Many people find that, at the beginning and end of the day, a small lump of fluff has appeared in the navel cavity. The reasons for this have been the subject of idle speculation for many years but in 2001, Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki of the University of Sydney, Australia undertook a systematic survey to determine the ins and outs of navel lint. His primary findings were as follows:
Navel lint consists primarily of stray fibres from one's clothing, mixed with some dead skin cells and strands of body hair. The rotting cells can create unpleasant odors.
Contrary to expectations, navel lint appears to migrate upwards from underwear rather than downwards from shirts or tops. The migration process is the result of the frictional drag of body hair on underwear, which drags stray fibres up into the navel.
Women experience less navel lint because of their finer and shorter body hairs. Conversely, older men experience it more because of their coarser and more numerous hairs.
Navel lint's characteristic blue tint is due to the existence of blue fibres in most clothing.
The existence of navel lint is entirely harmless, and requires no corrective action.
Dr. Kruszelnicki was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in 2002.
Graham Barker of Perth, Western Australia, is in the Guinness Book of Records as the record holder for collecting navel lint. He has been collecting navel lint almost every day for 20 years since 1984-01-17. He collects about 3.03 mg per day. Contrary to the research of Dr. Kruszelnicki, his lint is in a particular shade of red, even though he rarely wears red clothes.
2006-09-13 04:17:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
navAl fluff probably comes from ships.
2006-09-13 04:49:26 · answer #3 · answered by ALAN Q 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Clothes.
2006-09-13 04:18:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clothes!
2006-09-13 04:15:04 · answer #5 · answered by Secret Squirrel 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The HMS Woolich
2006-09-13 04:12:18 · answer #6 · answered by mick241602 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is from small particles of your clothes being rubbed of by friction against your skin. It happens worse to people with hairy stomaches....
2006-09-13 04:17:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Portsmouth.
(P.S. Since you're thinking about navel fluff, why is it always sort of blue?!!!)
2006-09-13 04:18:48 · answer #8 · answered by No_More_Drama 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it must be a combination of dead skin cells and the lint from clothes
2006-09-13 04:17:53 · answer #9 · answered by stephizzal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your naval of course!
2006-09-13 04:12:23 · answer #10 · answered by jojo78 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋