Now there’s an unattainable body ideal even for belly buttons

The internet's new body obsession has nothing to do with weight, and it's certainly not something a person can easily change. Instead, people are now obsessing over their belly button, of all things.

People are going under the knife to get a new belly button. The procedure is formally known as a "umbilicoplasty."

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Typically, the procedure is performed by making a small incision and "revising" the skin around the navel. It's usually a quick surgery with little to no pain, though a tummy tuck is often needed along with the umbilicoplasty for older patients.

According to doctors, the surgery can "repair" your belly button from pregnancy, a piercing mishap, or even just an innie/outtie change-up.

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"They are also interested in restoring their belly button after pregnancy, abdominal surgeries, and after large amounts of weight loss," Melissa Doft, a plastic surgeon, told Allure about why patients say they want to change their navels.

The number of patients wanting different belly buttons has reportedly increased drastically over the past few years, which is a pretty scary reality.

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Dr. Matthew Schulman told Daily Mail that he's performed double the amount of belly button surgeries in the past five years. "We've become a much more image-oriented society," he said. "People are more aware of their bodies on Instagram… and they understand now that there's a way to make their belly button's look better."

Aside from social media, Schulman also thinks it's something called "the Britney Spears effect," referring to the wave of belly button piercings after Spears flaunted hers in the '90s. "All those people who got their belly buttons pierced in the 90s are now around 35 and their piercing looks funny' due to weight gain or pregnancy," he added.

Of course, there are some "ideal" belly buttons in Hollywood these women striving for. First, there's Emily Ratajkowski, who has a navel that apparently makes her stomach look "leaner."

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Instagram/emrata

Then there's Jessica Simpson's belly button, which patients only want if it looks like this specific photo from her 2005 film "Dukes of Hazard."

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Pinterest

Specific much?

Some want one similar to model Erin Heatherton's, which is known as a more innie "hooded" belly button.

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Instagram/erinheathertonlegit

Though everyone is entitled to change what they want about their bodies, focusing on such a small detail isn't so beneficial for overall wellness.

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Instagram/britneyspears

Plus, "the ideal body" changes with the times.

There's *truly* no such thing as the ideal, despite what people may think.

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Instagram/jordynwoods

Everyone's belly button looks different, and that's perfectly OK.

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Instagram/theashleygraham

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