Nipples

Interesting things to know about your Nipples –

Ever wondered what your nipples can do? Some of their functions are common and you already know like providing milk to infants and of course in sexual pleasure. But do you think the nipples can do anything else for you? Well, as it turns you, YES! And, these are indeed very interesting people!

So let’s take a look at some interesting facts about Nipples.

They are unique.

Nipples can be as singular as fingerprints! They can vary in colours, shapes, and sizes. In fact, it’s possible that your two nipples are different from each other completely. There’s no reason to be alarmed by this asymmetry. When it comes to the shade, nipples can be anything from pink to brown to black. As for the shape of nipples, it can be flat or bulging. Even the areolae can widely differ in shapes and colours.

They can indicate breast cancer.

If you’re having a health issue as serious as breast cancer, then it’s possible that your nipples will tell you this, in the early stage itself. For instance, if you see a change in the appearance of the nipples and see discharges coming out of it, then you need to be careful. Eventually, it will start to pain, and the skin will start to peel or flake. It will also become thicker and reddish. An inverted nipple is another sign of something serious.

They have sweat glands.

The areola, i.e., the circular, darker area around the nipple, contains small sweat glands. That is why the circumference of the areola is much larger than the raised nipple itself. These sweat glands lubricate the nipples by secreting fluids during breastfeeding. The baby also feels attracted to the mother’s breast because of the scent that is produced by the fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the areola.

They can be specifically targeted by cancer.

There’s a type of breast cancer that affects the nipples only, instead of the entire breast, unlike other forms of breast cancer. This is called Paget disease, and it is really rare. In fact, out of all breast cancers, Paget disease makes up for 0.5-5%. Only the skin and the ducts of nipples get affected by this form of cancer. It starts by appearing like severe rashes on nipples, like eczema. It affects the epithelial skin cells of the breast.

Some people are born without it, while others may have ‘two’-much!

Some people may not be born with a nipple in one or both of their breasts. This is a rare condition, of course, and is called athelia. This can be fixed with the help of reconstruction surgery, with tissues from other parts of the body. On the other hand, there are people who are born with three nipples or even more. They are called supernumerary nipples, and approximately 1 out of 18 people have them.

They may be inverted.

Another variation in the formation of nipples is that they may be inverted. Usually, it’s not a cause for concern, unless there are other problems like inflammation or there is a problem while breastfeeding a baby. It can be something a person is born with, or may develop over time due to breast cancer, surgical complication, dilation of breast tissue duct, mammary gland infection, areolar abscess, etc.

Conclusion:

And, just to end this on an interesting note: nipples start to develop in embryos before its genitals develop. As a result, men have nipples too, even though it is mostly non-functional for them.