Montgomery tubercles are small bumps around your nipples and are completely normal. They are most common during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as around puberty and throughout the menstrual cycle.
They could be Montgomery glands: If you're taking a peek and realizing those bumps on your nipples are actually sprinkled across your areolae, you're likely noticing your Montgomery glands. These little bumps are sebaceous glands, meaning they make oily secretions known as sebum, according to research.
Darkened areolas and dark nipples in women can also be caused by aging, menstruation, or certain medications. In some cases, skin darkening can be a sign of a serious problem, although generally this is not the case.
It is normal to have small bumps on the flat, brown part of your breast called the areola. These bumps are called Montgomery glands. They secrete oil that helps to lubricate the areola. They become slightly larger and slightly red/pink when you are pregnant and breastfeeding.
Similarly to elsewhere on the body, a blocked pore can cause a pimple on the nipple. Dead skin cells and sebum, which is the body's natural oil, can lead to a pimple almost anywhere on the body, and the nipples are no exception.
Montgomery glands are the main white spots that become more visible due to pregnancy and hormone changes. Montgomery glands are present on both the nipple and the surrounding areola. They contain an oily substance that keeps the nipples soft and supple.
The nipples and the area around the nipples (areola) become darker and larger. Small bumps may appear on the areola. These bumps will go away after you have your baby. You may notice a yellowish discharge, called colostrum, from your nipples as early as the 16th to 19th week.
Age spots are small, flat dark areas on the skin. They vary in size and usually appear on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, hands, shoulders and arms. Age spots are also called sunspots, liver spots and solar lentigines.
The “Black Dot” Campaign was founded as a way for victims of domestic abuse to silently signal another person – perhaps a family member or friend –that they are being abused. The signal consisted of drawing a small black dot on their hand and “flashing” the dot to someone who might be able to provide help.
Black spots in your vision are commonly caused by eye floaters. These small spots may be the result of aging, a retinal tear, inflammation or other eye conditions. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other conditions may cause one larger dark or black spot in the center of your vision.
When the breakouts or flare-ups stop, you get rid of what's causing the hyperpigmentation. Most dark spots will then fade on their own over time, but it may take a long time. Skin injury: As the wound heals, you may see a dark spot or patch. In time, the hyperpigmentation will fade if you don't re-injure your skin.
Another tell-tale sign is that your areolas (the area around your nipples) will appear darker and larger. “Breast changes increase rapidly in the first eight weeks of pregnancy,” Giles said. “The nipples become larger, and the areola also appears larger and darker. Your nipples may be more sensitive and tingly.”
When does breast development begin and end? In general, breast development begins between the ages of 8 and 13. A girl's breasts are typically fully developed by age 17 or 18, however in some cases they can continue to grow into her early twenties.
Tender breasts in early pregnancy
Your breasts may also feel heavier. The nipple may become darker and stay that way during pregnancy. Many of these changes are because of the extra hormones that you have in your body and the growth of the milk ducts.
You actually always have Montgomery glands, but they often become much larger, darker and more noticeable in early pregnancy. In fact, this transformation can be one of the very first signs that you're pregnant, even before a missed period, along with other breast changes such as more tender nipples.
If your brown spots are appearing on your nipples, which look darkened and it's unrelated to pregnancy, and especially if you're over 50, definitely make an appointment: There is a rare form of breast cancer called Paget's disease that starts with nipple discoloration.
A white spot on the nipple usually occurs in breastfeeding women, but can occur at other times. It is also referred to as a blocked nipple pore, a bleb or a milk blister. It is usually about the size of a pinhead or a little larger. The skin surrounding the white spot may be red and inflamed.
As a pregnancy progresses, the nipples and skin that surrounds them (areola) become darker in color as a result of hormones that affect skin pigmentation. Veins in the breast may also become more prominent as the blood supply to the breast is increased.
You should expect your nipples to get progressively darker throughout your pregnancy and be the darkest when your baby is born. Your nipples will also begin to produce and may leak colostrum, a precursor to milk, towards the end of your pregnancy.
Dark spots are the result of the overproduction or collection of melanin, a skin pigment that makes skin darker. They can also result from damage from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that attack healthy cells and eventually cause skin to appear aged.
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. The spot is larger than ¼ inch across – about the size of a pencil eraser – although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
Black spots in vision (or floaters) are the specks, squiggly lines, or cobwebs you may notice in your line of sight. Floaters are clumps of the gel-like substance (vitreous humor) that fills your eye. They are common and usually do not need treatment unless there is an underlying problem with the eye causing them.