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The nipples of the mammary glands
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
The main purpose of the mammary glands is to feed newborns. The mammary glands are a derivative of the sweat glands. The structure of the mammary glands changes during a woman's life. The ratio between glandular, connective and fatty tissues is not constant. The shape, volume, location and function of the mammary gland are interconnected with the woman's puberty, the period of bearing and breastfeeding and have individual characteristics. This depends on age, the phase of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, breastfeeding and the intensity of the aging process. The mammary gland lies on the pectoralis major and partly on the anterior serratus muscles. Approximately in the middle of the most convex area of the breast there is a colored area - the nipple field, in the middle of which the nipple of the breast rises.
The skin on the breast is extremely delicate. The skin of the nipple and the nipple field is especially sensitive and has many small folds that look like wrinkles. The pigmentation of the skin of the nipple can be different: pink or brown. During pregnancy, the pigmentation of the nipple field and the nipple itself becomes more noticeable. The nipple of the breast in women who have not given birth has the shape of a cone, and in women who have given birth - the shape of a cylinder. After lactation, the breast changes in size: it becomes smaller as a result of the reverse development of the elements of its glandular part, but not to the size it was before pregnancy.
[ Types of nipples
Not all women know what type of nipples they have. Meanwhile, the success of breastfeeding depends on the anatomy of the nipples. For example, if the nipples are flat, the task of teaching the baby to suck correctly becomes more difficult, feeding can cause unpleasant and painful sensations, and it is more difficult for the child to eat.
- Normal nipples. They protrude slightly above the surface of the chest. They become larger and more noticeable when exposed to heat, when aroused.
- Flat nipples. They do not rise above the areola, and when aroused they rise slightly. Usually, such nipples become normal with prolonged breastfeeding.
- Plump nipples. They, like flat ones, do not protrude above the surface, but the areola itself protrudes slightly.
- Inverted nipples. This type of nipples looks like dimples and indicates abnormal development of the mammary glands during puberty. Inverted nipples can acquire a normal shape if breastfeeding can be organized. A specialized feeding device or plastic surgery can help with this.
- Unilateral nipples are when only one nipple has a convex shape.
As for the size of the areola of the nipples, regardless of whether they are large or small, this is considered the norm and an individual feature of a woman, and all gradations only outline the external, aesthetic characteristics.
The only thing that should be alarming is any changes in the tissues of the nipples of the mammary glands - this may be a manifestation of one of the forms of cancer that develops from the epithelium of the milk ducts. In such cases, you should contact specialists who will take tissue for histological examination.
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