Pressure and stimulation are unlikely to cause lasting injury to the internal structure of the breast, but any type of trauma that causes scarring of the nipple and its surrounding tissue have the potential to cause complications with breastfeeding.
Any sort of nipple friction (from pulling, sucking, or biting) can irritate the sensitive nipple skin, causing pain afterward, says Dr.
Nipple stimulation has been proven to result in oxytocin secretion, which would explain the intense wave of emotion us sad nipple sufferers experience on contact, as the love hormone's been shown to also increase survival emotions like fear and anxiety. Still, as Swarup noted, it's just a theory.
Nipples are sensitive, and they can hurt for lots of reasons. Tight clothes, rashes, and infections can all irritate the tender skin. For women, sore nipples are common during periods, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
In females, they are essential for delivering life-sustaining breast milk to newborns. In men, they serve, well, no apparent purpose.
Any nipple stimulation results in the release of oxytocin, the cuddle hormone. 'Oxytocin and dopamine are closely interrelated – as is the hormone prolactin. You can make yourself lactate if you stimulate your own nipples for long enough. In theory, any nipple stimulation could affect mood, and sexual function.
We found that the skin of the superior quadrant was the most sensitive part of the breast, the areola was less sensitive, and the nipple was the least sensitive part.
Hormonal Changes
Estrogen controls the growth of the ducts, which is why the areolas and nipples tend to get firmer and the ducts more prominent during the middle stages of the menstrual cycle (when estrogen levels are at their highest).
General Practitioner Dr Giuseppe Aragone states that “one possibility for why this happens could be that those with very sensitive nipples find the sudden release of endorphins from having their nipples touched may in turn cause dysphoria.” It is this dysphoria that can cause uneasy emotions.
Stimulating, caressing or simply holding breasts sends nerve signals to the brain, which trigger the release of the 'cuddle hormone' called oxytocin, a neurochemical secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland in the brain.
Men can develop nipples that hurt due to cysts, as well as an underlying infection of breast tissue, if nipples are dry or chafed, either due to cold weather or a history of eczema, says Glatter. This leads to cracks and small openings in exposed skin on the nipples and allows skin bacteria to enter.
The breasts get bigger and rounder as the fatty tissue and milk-producing glands inside the breasts continue to grow. The areola also gets bigger and darker and the nipples may stick out.
You might notice that your nipples change as well. It's common for nipples to become smaller, and the area around them, called the areola, almost vanishes. Lumps. Older breasts may be more prone to lumps or bumps.
During puberty, boys' hormone levels vary. If the level of testosterone drops, oestrogen can cause breast tissue to grow. Many teenage boys have some degree of breast enlargement. Gynaecomastia at puberty usually clears up as boys get older and their hormone levels become more stable.
Get used to how your breasts feel at different times of the month. This can change during your menstrual cycle. For example, some women have tender and lumpy breasts, especially near the armpit, around the time of their period. After the menopause, normal breasts feel softer, less firm and not as lumpy.
Normal breast tissue often feels nodular (lumpy) and varies in consistency from woman to woman. Even within each individual woman, the texture of breast tissue varies at different times in her menstrual cycle, and from time to time during her life.
Excessive breast stimulation, medication side effects or disorders of the pituitary gland all may contribute to galactorrhea. Often, galactorrhea results from increased levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production.
The recommended length varies from study to study. Some recommend no more than 15 minutes while others suggest a maximum of an hour. A woman should stop stimulating her nipples if her contractions are less than 3 minutes apart.
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.
Breast development during puberty
2.1 Stage 1 This stage begins at about 8-12 years old, the nipples just begin to pop up, pink circle appears. This process takes quite a long time.
As females get older, their bodies start to produce less of the reproductive hormone estrogen than before. Estrogen stimulates the growth of breast tissue, while low levels of this hormone cause the mammary glands to shrink.
Breast buds are normal, small disc-shaped rubbery lumps felt under the nipple. Age: they normally occur in 8 to 12 year old girls. They are the first sign of puberty. Sometimes, they are even normal in 7 year olds.