If you have inverted nipples, enlarged nipples or a large areola area you’re not alone.
Our nipples simply aren’t talked about as much as they should be, so if we notice something different, it has a lot of us questioning ‘are my nipples normal?’
These concerns aren’t as uncommon as you think and much of the time, can be a result of pregnancy, breast feeding, or simply just down to genetics. It could also be that the breast ducts are too short or the tissue has become too tight.
Here are the 9 most concerns that we have about our nipples:
1. Protruding
The areola is the small pinkish, pigmented area which circles around the nipple. 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. We offer nipple correction surgery as an option to improve the appearance of protruding nipples.
2. Big
Nipples come in different shapes and sizes, and whilst we think that there’s no such thing as ‘too big’ or ‘too small’ when it comes to your breasts, we understand that you may not feel the same and as an option, it can be addressed with nipple reduction surgery.
3. Small
Equally, we may also feel as though are especially small and aren’t in proportion with the size or shape of our breasts.
4. Hairy
All women (and men in particular!) have hair follicles on the areola and hair can vary in colour, thickness, and texture for each. Hair can be influenced by ethnicity, and sometimes pregnant women notice hairs darkening, thickening or growing and all of this is completely normal. Hormonal changes like starting a new contraceptive pill can also cause hair to grow around the nipples and in places you aren’t used too – again, all 100% normal.
5. Inverted
If you’ve always had inverted nipples, this is nothing to worry about. Nipple correction surgery can address your concerns and your cosmetic surgeon will be able to categorise the level of inversion into different grades depending on the severity of the case.
Be sure to watch out for any sudden, unexpected changes in the nipple position for example if they appear to be sunken or turning inwards.
6. Flat
Flat nipples are characterised by their position on the areola, instead of appearing raised or outwards from the breast, they often look completely flat regardless of arousal or cold snaps of weather.
7. Puffy
When the areola is raised and puffy this is usually due to excess tissue in the areola area which can often be hereditary or a result of hormonal changes during puberty. It is also a sign of raised hormone levels which occur in pregnancy or simply during your monthly menstrual cycle.
8. Bumpy
Those teeny tiny bumps on your areola are completely normal and can be found on all nipples, but some are more pronounced than others which can affect our confidence if we feel as though they are particularly noticeable.
9. Abnormal lumps or bumps
We recommend that all women should thoroughly check your breasts every month regardless of whether you have had breast surgery. Look out for new lumps or bumps in your breasts or armpits of any shape or size that you haven’t noticed before and seem to persist regardless of your menstrual cycle.
According to the NHS, 90% of lumps in the breasts aren’t cancerous, but it’s always best to have them checked by your doctor.
If you have noticed something different about your nipples and you have concerns, particularly if the changes seem to persist or appear to have changed or developed, our best advice is not to ignore it and to seek medical advice from your GP.
Do you want to change something about your look?
Confidence comes from the inside and out. It’s the feeling of being who you want to be and looking how you want to look. If there are changes you’d like to make, we’re here to help you achieve the body you want to have.
Surgery options include correcting inverted nipples, nipple lift, nipple reduction and reducing the areola surrounding the nipple.
Here at The Hospital Group, we are here to guide you through every step, in fact, all of our cosmetic surgery procedures come inclusive of 3 years aftercare as standard. Start your cosmetic surgery journey by booking a free consultation at your local clinic to find out more about our nipple correction treatments and procedures.