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.
It's normal for nipples and areolas to change in size during puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and at certain points of your menstrual cycle.
If you've noticed enlarged or dark areolas (the area around your nipples), you may be witnessing one of the first signs of pregnancy. But why does this happen? And should you be concerned? The good news is that this is usually completely normal and can occur as early as a week or two after conception.
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.
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.”
Though breasts undergo changes before a period, nipples rarely undergo any change. If the nipples get bigger, or the colored area (areola) around the nipple gets dark, it may suggest pregnancy. Any other unusual changes to the nipple must be checked by your doctor.
This is because estrogen and progesterone cause your breast tissue to swell. Similarly, other life events like menopause or beginning puberty can also cause your hormones to shift, triggering side effects like nipple pain. Hormonal birth control can also cause changes that lead to nipple soreness.
Nipple changes
Although breast changes can occur during both PMS and pregnancy, changes to the nipples rarely happen before a period. If the areola, the colored area around the nipple, gets darker or larger, this can suggest pregnancy. These changes can occur as early as 1 or 2 weeks after conception.
The small bumps that you may notice around your nipples are Montgomery tubercles, and yes, they're totally normal. Montgomery tubercles lubricate your breasts and keep them clear of germs. A study published in 2017 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health found that about 9% of women have Montgomery tubercles.
We conclude that areolar pigmentation, as well as breast size, plays a significant role in men's judgments of female attractiveness. However, fine-grained measures of men's visual attention to these morphological traits do not correlate, in a simplistic way, with their attractiveness judgments.
Skin Conditions. Soreness plus an itchy rash and swelling around your nipple could be signs of skin irritation called dermatitis. Allergies and irritants in your environment cause this common condition. Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, happens because of dry skin, genetics, and problems with the immune system.
The breasts will continue to grow as the girl's body fat increases during puberty. They become rounder and fuller. The areola (the area around the nipple) may get darker and larger and the nipple may become erect, or stick out. It's common for one breast to develop faster than the other.
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.
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.
See a GP if you notice any of the following changes: a change in the size, outline or shape of your breast. a change in the look or feel of the skin on your breast, such as puckering or dimpling, a rash or redness. a new lump, swelling, thickening or bumpy area in one breast or armpit that was not there before.
Swollen or tender breasts: High levels of estrogen in the body can make one's breast more tender and swollen especially around the nipples and front area. This happens because our breasts are sensitive to hormone changes.
Something you may not have known: Your nipples can clue you in to some serious health problems. If you notice sudden puckering or dimpling of the skin around or on your nipple—particularly if it occurs around just one nipple—call your doctor. This could be a warning sign of breast cancer.
For men, however, it was found that they tended to choose slightly bigger cup sizes, with 41% saying that a D cup is their ideal, 31% choosing a C cup and 12% opting for a B cup.
The human areola is mostly circular, but many women have large, oval-shaped areolas. The areola of sexually mature women averages around 1.5 inches but can be as big as 4 inches. Lactating women and women with particularly large breasts may have even larger areolas.
The skin texture of the nipple is normally smooth, whereas the areola can be bumpy and pimple-like. Montgomery glands, which are responsible for lubricating the nipple and areola during lactation, are the raised areas on the areola. They may look like bumpy, white dots.
Most pimples on the nipple should be left alone. The body will clear them without outside help, and popping them can make them worse. This is especially true on sensitive skin areas, including the nipple.