Nipples color can temporarily change due to things like normal hormonal shifts, pregnancy, or breastfeeding. The same goes for nipple size and texture. Permanent changes of the nipple can also occur and are often seen with breast surgeries, weight loss, and aging.
Changes also occur in the nipple. The area surrounding the nipple (the areola) becomes smaller and may nearly disappear. The nipple may also turn in slightly. Lumps are common around the time of menopause.
Just like with breasts, there's no one way that nipples are supposed to look. Both nipples and areolas (the circular skin around your nipple) come in different sizes and colors, from light pink to brownish black. The color of your nipples usually relates to your skin color.
Nipple Shape
Some women may have two different types of nipples – for example, one inverted and one protruding. It's also possible to have a third nipple that may appear fully formed or like a small bump. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, all are normal and nothing to be concerned about.
Breast cancer can cause cell changes behind the nipple. These changes can result in the nipple inverting and reversing inward into the breast, or it may look different in terms of its size.
Some common, early warning signs of breast cancer include: Skin changes, such as swelling, redness, or other visible differences in one or both breasts. An increase in size or change in shape of the breast(s) Changes in the appearance of one or both nipples.
During menopause, when the menstrual cycle ceases, the drop in estrogen, a naturally occurring hormone, can affect the shape and size of breasts. Some breasts will lose their elasticity, and the areolas may shrink.
Many cases of bumps and pimples on the nipple are completely benign. It's common to have small, painless bumps on the areola. Pimples and blocked hair follicles are also normal and can occur to anyone at any time. On the nipple, bumps are raised patches of skin, while pimples often take the form of whiteheads.
You might notice small bumps around your areola, which is the colored part of your nipple. Those bumps are Montgomery tubercles — glands that release substances to lubricate your nipples and alert your baby when it's time to eat. Hormone changes during pregnancy can cause these glands to enlarge.
Most women will notice differences in their nipples during their lifetime due to aging, fluctuations in hormone levels, and even some medications. For both men and women, most nipple changes don't indicate anything serious, but sometimes they mean it's time to talk to your doctor.
Areolas come in all different sizes and colors, mostly due to hereditary factors. Some women notice dark areolas or an increase in size with pregnancy and breastfeeding, but these features usually return to pre-pregnancy appearance after breastfeeding is complete. Skin changes and stretch marks.
Summary. Although most people have protruding nipples, they can vary in appearance. Flat and inverted nipples are variations that people are born with or that can develop due to aging. During puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, hormonal fluctuations can affect nipple appearance and sensitivity.
It is caused by tight connective tissue or other problems with the ductal system connected to the nipple. Although many people have inverted or retracted nipples since birth, they can also occur late in life. That is known as acquired nipple inversion or retraction.
Nipples become more prominent during sex, Prasad explains, due to the wonder of hormones. “When stimulated, the hormone oxytocin is released causing the nipple to become erect,” he says. “In addition, the muscles behind the breast contract causing the areola to tighten and create a goose bump-like effect on the skin.”
In addition, low estrogen may cause changes in your nipples and areolae. During menopause, you may notice that your nipples start to turn slightly inward. Your nipples and areolae may also start to shrink. However, some studies suggest that hormone replacement treatment may help prevent these changes.
Montgomery tubercles look like small, raised bumps on your areolas. The number of bumps varies from person to person. Some women don't have any, while others have more than 20. Sometimes they fill up with a waxy substance, so they can occasionally look like a pimple with a white or yellowish head.
A subareolar abscess occurs when a gland or duct under your areola skin becomes blocked or clogged. When the duct is clogged and untreated, an infection can occur. Other less common causes of a subareolar abscess include diabetes, nipple piercings, and smoking.
Your nipples are very sensitive little organs! When they are stimulated either by touch, cold temperatures or sexual arousal, they harden (actually become erect) and part of that response is for the brown part (the areola) to shrink and wrinkle. It is kind of like a muscle contraction.
There are generally no symptoms of stage 0 breast cancer, though it can occasionally cause a breast lump or bloody discharge from your nipple.
Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older. Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of.
Breast cancer can happen in your 20s and 30s. Since routine screening isn't recommended for this age group, diagnosis can be difficult. That's why understanding the statistics, as well as your personal risk factors, can help you with early diagnosis and treatment.
Getting older is the most significant risk for developing breast cancer. Most breast cancers (80%) occur in women over the age of 50. And the older you are, the higher your risk.
Breast cancer has to divide 30 times before it can be felt. Up to the 28th cell division, neither you nor your doctor can detect it by hand. With most breast cancers, each division takes one to two months, so by the time you can feel a cancerous lump, the cancer has been in your body for two to five years.