Why do nipples protrude?

The nipple is an indispensable part of the human breast. Under normal circumstances, the nipple is slightly protruding. If the nipple is very protruding, it may be a manifestation of breast disease. Not only female nipples are prone to protrusion, but men also have mammary glands, and the symptoms of nipple protrusion are also prone to occur during the period when the body secretes estrogen. If the protrusion is not caused by disease, it is normal. If it is very protruding, examination and treatment are required.

Why do nipples protrude?

Normal people's nipples are somewhat protruding. If the nipples are very protruding, it may be a manifestation of a disease and can be examined and treated in detail.

Shape structure

Female nipples

The diameter of the cylindrical part is generally 0.8 to 1.5 cm, and it is about 1.5 to 2 cm above the areola plane. Normal nipples are symmetrical on both sides and have a pink or brown surface.

The surface around the nipple is uneven and a bit like cauliflower. Female nipples have 6-9 mammary gland openings for transporting milk and varying numbers of sebaceous gland openings. The number of sebaceous gland openings generally does not exceed 20. The nipple consists of the nipple top, nipple neck and nipple base. The nipple neck is affected by age and the physiology of childbirth and breastfeeding. Generally, the nipple neck of young girls is short, small at the top and large at the bottom, a bit like a cone. After childbirth and breastfeeding, the nipple neck becomes larger and longer, making it easier to breastfeed. At the same time, after pregnancy, due to the increase of estrogen and progesterone in the body, the color of the nipples gradually darkens.

Male nipples

The male nipple is located in the fourth rib space. The male areola is a round, pigmented skin with a diameter of 15 to 35 mm, sometimes longitudinally oval. There are a small amount of hair and glands in the areola, including sweat glands, sebaceous glands and mammary glands. The nipple can be roughly viewed as being cylindrical or cone-shaped. Its shape varies greatly. In normal shape, the nipple is 0.5 to 1 cm higher than the areola plane. Under normal circumstances, male nipples are shaped like hemispheres, and the areola and nipples are colored. When stimulated, the smooth muscles inside them will reflexively contract, causing the areola to shrink and the nipples to stand up. The nipples are relatively short. Moreover, the mammary ducts have degenerated and have no lactation or other functions, but they are also sexually sensitive areas. Most of them are black in color and have hair.

Developmental process

Before puberty, girls' nipples will bulge out separately. After this, the nipple and breast develop into a small hillock. As the breasts grow larger, the nipple and areola become more prominent and enlarged within the breast outline.

When nipples reach the mature stage, most people's nipples protrude outward. The nipples of unmarried women and women without children are relatively small. Only after pregnancy, when the breasts and nipples are affected by the estrogen and progesterone in the pregnant woman's body, the mammary alveoli and mammary ducts proliferate, do the nipples gradually increase in size and become more protruding, preparing for feeding the child. A normal nipple is a cylindrical protrusion with a hole, about 1 cm in diameter, about 1.5-2 cm in height, and dark in color.

Functional purpose

Both men and women have nipples, and in the early days, the functions of nipples in both men and women were the same. However, with continuous evolution, male nipples have degenerated so that the use of male nipples is relatively single - overall aesthetic appearance; in addition to shouldering the important responsibility of nurturing the next generation, female nipples also serve as embellishment.

Disease hazards

Color Change

1. After the nipple color deepens, there is severe itching around the nipples and areola. During breast examination, hyperplastic lesions or cystic hyperplastic lesions may be found in both or one breast. The darkening of the color of the nipple and areola indicates an increase in the level of estrogen in the body. It is in line with the law of disease pathogenesis to use it as an organ to identify whether the breast has a lesion.

2. The color of the nipple simply deepens to dark brown or black brown, and even small nodules may be found around the areola glands, forming protrusions. At this time, there is no lesion when examining the breasts. One should consider whether the patient has a more serious liver disease. This is because liver disease causes decreased liver function, and estrogen cannot be normally broken down in the liver, causing the nipples and areolas to darken in color, which is exactly the same as the "spider nevi" and "cinnabar palms" that appear in men with severe liver disease.

3. If a woman's ovaries suffer from certain benign tumors, the amount of estrogen secreted by the ovaries will increase, which can cause the color of the nipples to darken. Such patients should see a gynecologist as soon as possible to find out the cause and receive timely treatment.

When women have their breasts examined, they must pay attention to changes in nipple color. It is necessary to clarify whether the changes in the color of the nipples and areola are physiological or pathological, and make a clear diagnosis and active treatment based on the characteristics of the changes.