Challenging Cases in Dermatology pp Cite as. A year-old female presented Figs. At the age of 13 years, she developed bilateral verrucous thickening of her areolae and nipples. Lesions were mildly pruritic. However, there was no pain, no bleeding, no discharge, no ulceration, no nipple retraction and no other skin lesion.
What's Normal—and What's Not
1. Protruding
Keep reading to learn which seemingly weird nipple things are actually pretty run-of-the-mill and which are a sign you should check with your doctor. Sometimes people think the entire pink or brown part of your boobs is your nipples but actually, your nipples are just the center part of the dark area—yep, where milk comes out if you breastfeed, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The dark skin surrounding the nipples, on the other hand, is called the areola, and it has glands called Montgomery glands that secrete fluid to aid in breastfeeding. The size of your nipples means nothing. Like really, nothing.
First, a word about your nipples.
We all have them, regardless of sex. But with breasts having been sexualised in women long ago, females are more typically ready to scrutinise the appearance of them. But whether you class yourself as having big nipples or small ones; bumpy ones or hairy ones, it's important to remember they're normal. And they're absolutely fine as they are. Aesthetics , tells Cosmopolitan. As a result of this self-imposed pressure to conform, Dr Dirk says that a large element of his work is now "educating patients about what is normal". And that's what this is all about. These changes, he explains, are "often due to shifting hormone levels in the body, such as those that take place during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding ahead of lactation. These bumps are called Montgomery glands," explains Dr Dirk. Most people are born with this type of nipple and this often changes after we hit puberty," the expert says.
Experts say that most of the time, changes can be a result of pregnancy, breast feeding, or simply just down to genetics. But they have warned women that unexpected changes in the nipple position, particularly if they suddenly become inverted, could be a cause for concern. Here, doctors from The Hospital Group identify eight different types of medically "normal" nipples - and the one that could be a warning sign for cancer. When the nipple protrudes for the areola, if this is particularly noticeable, it can cause discomfort in your clothing and underwear choices depending on the severity of the nipples. Instead of appearing raised or outwards from the breast, they often look completely flat regardless of arousal or cold snaps of weather.
