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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2023
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Nipple facts male and female

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Dr. Sunil PandeySexologist • 28 Years Exp.MBBS, MSCEPI
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A female has a pair of nipples, a male has a pair of nipples and some people are known to have more than a pair of nipples and to be honest this nipple is said to be a very wonderful thing.

You know about how you are going to feel about your body and the various parts of it that are in working condition can be loaded but your breast is said to be having a very elicit reaction and so many mixed emotions whether it is of men or a woman. You may be witnessing a lot of perpetual onslaught of breast augmentation advertisements which are known to feature boob lifting bars and various nipple bans. You can find it very easy for you to dismiss the fact that the breast of a woman (in particular the nipples) is known to serve various purposes which are found to be other than that of the evolutionary purpose of feeding the offspring. Other than this, the breast does not dictate that whether or not a woman can, should or want to have offspring and along with this it becomes really easy for anyone to forget that the nipples of a male can not be much different.

Nipples are considered to be as individual as all the people are with so many surprising qualities it has in its sleeves. So you should do yourself a little favor and try to know a little bit more about your nipples and even the slightest information about the nipples could be useful for starting a conversation over the topic of health or pleasure. 

Nipple are said to be very fascinating and some of the most common but not known facts about them are listed below: 

  • Women's health has been diagnosed through their nipples: Considering the color of the nipples was a major factor to determine the health of a woman and it was usually determined by the nurse or the doctor. 
  • There are various kinds of nipples: You should know that there can be 4 to 8 different kinds of nipples which can be varying from flat, protruding, unclassified (which is said to be divided or multiple), or inverted. It is also a possible fact that the same person can be having one nipple that is protruding and the other one will be having an inverted nipple. This is how you can be expecting a total of 8 different sets or combinations of nipples.
  • You should not consider your nipple as your areola: The nipple is found to be the center part of your breast and is generally linked with the mammary glands which are known for the production of milk. The areola is said to be a dark colored portion surrounding the nipples of a person.
  • Having an inverted nipple is considered to be normal: You should never get tense or worried if you have a nipple that is said to be tucking inwards instead of protruding outside but you should know that the functioning of the inverted nipples is the same. You can also see some cases, in which one of the nipples is non-inverted and the other one is inverted. You can also witness or expect that the inverted nipple can pop out later on in your life.
  • You can have two nipples on one areola: This condition is said to be having a double bifurcated nipple. This condition totally depends upon the ductal system of the person and both of the nipples coming out of one nipple can be functional and produce milk to feed your infants. When you are breastfeeding the child may find it very difficult to fit both of the nipples in their mouth at the same time.
  • Hair on the nipples is a real thing: The tiny bumps that are present around your nipples are said to be the hair follicles which can be present in both men and women. So it makes clear sense that there is presence of hair around the nipples. The presence of hair around your nipples look darker and are much more wiry than other hairs on your body but you can shave, pluck, trim or wax the hairs in the same way like you do with all the others when they start to bother you.
  • The average height of your nipple is equal to the size of a ladybug: It is found that the average diameter of the areola is around 4 cm and the diameter of your nipples if found to be 1.3 cm and the average height of the nipple is found to be 0.9 cm.
  • The size of the nipple can change: When a woman is pregnant you can notice that the size of their nipples has increased both in length and in width throughout the course of their pregnancy. The width of the areola region has also increased significantly.
  • You should be seeing a doctor for all the abnormal discharges coming out of your nipples: When there is a discharge coming from one or both the nipples, you should know that it can be an indicative sign of a health problem like presence of cysts or hypothyroidism. But in cases where a blood discharge is noticed you should consider getting yourself evaluated immediately by a doctor as this can be a sign of something much more serious.
  • Rare cases where people are born without nipples: It is a very rare scenario in which the person does not have any nipples by the time of his birth. This condition is known as athelia and for the treatment of this condition breast reconstruction programs are suggested and depending upon the habits and preferences of the patients the doctor will take the tissues from the glutes, abdomen or the dorsal area.
  • The color of your nipples can change as well: You may have heard about this that a person is having nipples of the same color as that of her lipstick color. You should know that the color of your nipples can change depending on a lot of factors which can be temperature, pregnancy and time.

Conclusion : 

Now you may be knowing the worth of your nipples as they come in a variety of ranges depending upon the bump, size and even the number of them. The worth of the nipple is not only limited to how much it is going to lactate but it also dictates how you are taking care of it and how you treat your nipples as there is not one mandatory definition for normal. Like we treat all other body parts of ours. You must consider doing the same with your nipples as well and go to your doctor as soon as you figure out that there is something wrong with them

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!
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