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.
Avoid popping: Even though these glands may look like pimples on your breast, they are not pimples. You shouldn't try to pop them. Do not treat with acne medication. Not only can acne medication dry out your areola, but many acne treatments are dangerous.
As with pimples everywhere else on your body, you shouldn't stress about this, provided the bumps come and go. “It's rarely of any significance,” Dr. Holmes says. You have an ingrown hair: If you examine the bumps on your nipples and areolae, you might notice strands of hair.
Montgomery glands are normal skin glands that appear as small, painless bumps on the areola, which is the area of darkened skin around the nipple. Every person has Montgomery glands, though they are more apparent in some than others. These glands secrete oil to help keep the skin lubricated.
And just like acne on other parts of your body, breast acne is likely due to one of four things: Oily skin, clogged follicles, inflammation, or bacteria on the skin surface. Other factors contribute to breast acne, including hormonal changes, stress, diet, and certain medications, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Although cysts are not dangerous, draining them removes the lump and often helps women to stop worrying. Doctors do not usually drain cysts that can be seen on ultrasound, but are too small to feel.
Breast abscesses are painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin of the breast. They are a complication of a breast infection, which is called mastitis. Mastitis tends to affect women who are breastfeeding, but anyone can develop this type of infection and a resulting abscess.
Nipple discharge that contains pus may indicate an infection in your breast. This is also known as mastitis. Mastitis is usually seen in women who are breastfeeding. But it can develop in women who are not lactating.
You should avoid squeezing, popping or trying to unclog Montgomery glands because this could lead to infection or skin injury. Sometimes, Montgomery glands can become blocked, inflamed or infected. The signs would be a painful swelling or inflammation around the nipple and areolar area.
Some people do get acne pimples on their nipples. Pimples occur when sweat, bacteria, and dirt get trapped in your pores. Then those pores may swell. Most nipple pimples are whiteheads.
Irritated Montgomery's glands appear red and slightly swollen. Infected Montgomery's glands may look pimple-like with a “white-head” at the tip. Irritated or infected glands can be painful to touch. Montgomery's glands may be inflamed by ointments, bra fabrics, breast pads, soaps, etc.
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.
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.
If pimples are deep and long lasting, it may be a good idea to see a dermatologist. The dermatologist may prescribe antibiotics to reduce inflammation and kill bacteria that could be causing pimples. In some cases, they might prescribe birth control pills to adjust hormone levels.
Cysts can feel either soft or hard. When close to the surface of the breast, cysts can feel like a large blister, smooth on the outside, but fluid-filled on the inside. When they are deep in breast tissue, cysts will feel like hard lumps because they are covered with tissue.
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.
Nipple discharge can be normal in women or people assigned female at birth (AFAB). It's always abnormal in men or people assigned male at birth (AMAB). Hormones, lactation or sexual arousal can be normal causes for nipple discharge. Abnormal causes could be from tumors, infection or rarely, breast cancer.
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.
Pimples on your nipples can be caused by all of the same culprits that cause pimples on your breasts, including excess oil, hormonal fluctuations, sweating and wearing tight-fitting clothing.