While looking in the mirror or taking a shower, you may have noticed that your nipples and the pigmented circular patch of skin around them (called the areola) looked darker than usual. Is it normal for this area to darken? What causes it? And do you need to see a doctor? We talked to breast health experts to bring you the facts\u2014largely reassuring\u2014about nipple color changes.<\/p>\n
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Let\u2019s start by recognizing that nipple color varies from person to person and is usually correlated to overall skin tone. So, when we say \u201cdark,\u201d what we really mean is \u201cdarker than what\u2019s usual for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that in mind, the answer is yes: It\u2019s\u00a0normal for nipples and areolas to darken<\/a>\u00a0in response to changes in hormone levels, just as it\u2019s common for breasts to swell and become tender due to monthly hormonal changes, says\u00a0Sherry Ross, M.D<\/a>., an obstetrician-gynecologist in Santa Monica, CA, and author of\u00a0She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women\u2019s Intimate Health. Period.\u00a0<\/i>Nipples may also become more prominent and more sensitive as a result of hormonal changes, she notes. If your nipples darken before or during your monthly period, typically the color will return to baseline after your period ends.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So what exactly causes the nipple skin to get darker? \u201cThe answer in general is estrogen, which increases pigmentation,\u201d explains\u00a0Mary Jane Minkin, M.D.<\/a>, a gynecologist and clinical professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.<\/p>\n Estrogen is a sex hormone that, along with progesterone, plays a\u00a0key role<\/a>\u00a0in women\u2019s sexual and reproductive health. The level of estrogen in the body fluctuates naturally throughout your menstrual cycle and over your lifetime. When levels of this hormone are high (which is typically around ovulation or mid-cycle), pigment-producing skin cells called melanocytes are \u201cswitched on\u201d and begin to produce more melanin, the substance that gives skin its color.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen melanin is stimulated, pigmentation in different body parts becomes darker in color, including the nipples [and areolas],\u201d Dr. Ross says. Other areas of your body may also darken. For instance, you may develop patches of darker skin, known as melasma, on your cheekbones, upper lip, chin, or forehead. These darker patches of skin may disappear or fade once estrogen production decreases.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at some of the specific situations in which hormone-related nipple darkening can occur: <\/p>\n As estrogen production ramps up, darkened nipples and areolas are very common during pregnancy, says Dr. Minkin. This change typically happens in the first trimester and lasts throughout the pregnancy, according to the\u00a0Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some moms-to-be also develop a dark stripe, known as a\u00a0linea nigra<\/a>, down the center of their pregnancy bump, Dr. Minkin adds. Melasma is also common during this time, affecting\u00a015% to 50% of pregnant women<\/a>, per the National Library of Medicine.<\/p>\n Increased levels of estrogen are essential for\u00a0maintaining a healthy pregnancy<\/a>. Estrogen ensures that the\u00a0placenta develops properly and that the uterus adapts<\/a>\u00a0to meet the increasing demands for blood flow as the pregnancy progresses. By the third trimester of pregnancy, levels of estradiol, one of the main types of estrogen, rise to\u00a0100 times its prenatal levels<\/a>. All that extra estrogen triggers excess melanin production.<\/p>\n Estrogen levels typically fall right before you give birth and throughout\u00a0breastfeeding<\/a>\u00a0and return to normal levels around six months postpartum. At that point, dark nipples and areolas will often fade back to their original color. \u201cAllow yourself nine to 12 months [after giving birth] to see the full fading effects of this normal hormonal change of pregnancy,\u201d Dr. Ross advises.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just as rising estrogen levels during puberty enable the\u00a0development of secondary sexual characteristics<\/a>\u00a0like breasts and hips, they may also result in increased production of melanin. Consequently, girls may develop darker nipples during puberty than they had prior to that time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Estrogen levels\u00a0rise and fall twice<\/a>\u00a0during the menstrual cycle, with peaks before and after ovulation. These hormonal changes regulate the menstrual cycle.<\/p>\n As a result of these peaks in estrogen, some women notice that their skin in general darkens before their periods, according to a\u00a0review in the\u00a0Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology<\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/i>The medical term for darkening of the skin during the menstrual cycle is \u201ccatamenial hyperpigmentation.\u201d You might notice this mainly in pigmented areas like your nipples, areola, and patches of melasma (if you have melasma).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOral contraception and other forms of hormonal contraception that contain [synthetic] estrogen can stimulate melanin production, which can create darker nipples,\u201d says Dr. Ross. Other\u00a0hormonal contraception types<\/a>\u00a0include the contraceptive patch and vaginal ring.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s not just estrogen that causes skin color changes. Alterations in your level of insulin, a hormone related to\u00a0diabetes<\/a>, can also affect the tint of your nipples and areolas. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar. In\u00a0type 2 diabetes<\/a>, the cells of your body become less responsive to insulin, which normally signals cells to pull sugar (glucose) out of the bloodstream to burn for energy. This is known as\u00a0insulin resistance<\/a>.<\/p>\n In an attempt to counter insulin resistance and keep your blood sugar from getting too high, your pancreas starts churning out more insulin, which it turns out has a similar effect on your melanocytes to estrogen. The increased melanin production by those cells leads to areas of darkened and velvety skin called\u00a0acanthosis nigricans<\/a>, which typically appear on the skin folds of the neck, groin, and armpits. The nipples and areolas may also be affected, Dr. Ross says.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, there is nothing wrong or harmful about having darker nipples or changes in your nipple color. If dark nipples are due to estrogen fluctuations, the color will fade on its own when estrogen levels return to normal.<\/p>\n If the change is bothering you, there are over-the-counter skin-lightening creams and ointments on the market, often containing the ingredient\u00a0hydroquinone<\/a>, which is a depigmentation agent. However, \u201cyou should always discuss using these types of creams on the nipples with your health care provider and dermatologist first to ensure they\u2019re safe,\u201d advises Dr. Ross.<\/p>\n She also advises against using such products during pregnancy, since a substantial amount of hydroquinone is absorbed through your skin into your bloodstream and its safety for the developing baby hasn\u2019t been established. Dr. Ross suggests that women wait nine to 12 months after delivering\u2014the time it usually takes for nipples to return to their original color after pregnancy\u2014before trying a cream.<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s hard to know if a change in your body is a\u00a0cause for concern or not<\/a>, and changes in your breasts can be especially unnerving because they might make you think about\u00a0breast cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that darkening nipples are often a result of natural hormone shifts and nothing to worry about. But if darker nipples are accompanied by other symptoms like frequent urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger, it\u2019s a good idea to talk to a doctor, since these symptoms could indicate diabetes. You should also follow up with your health care provider \u201cif you notice persistent changes in nipple color accompanied by pain, ulcerations, texture changes, discharge, or bumps,\u201d which may be\u00a0signs of breast cancer<\/a>. \u201cIt is important to know the normal details of your breasts, since you may be the first person to detect something abnormal,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While looking in the mirror or taking a shower, you may have noticed that your nipples and the pigmented circular patch of skin around them (called the areola) looked darker than usual. Is it normal for this area to darken? What causes it? And do you need to see a doctor? We talked to breast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":772,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions\/772"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portfolio.zenkoders.com\/ai-powered\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Causes of Dark Nipples<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Pregnancy<\/h3>\n
Puberty<\/b><\/h3>\n
Menstruation<\/b><\/h3>\n
Oral Contraceptives<\/h3>\n
Type 2 Diabetes<\/b><\/h3>\n
What to Do About Dark Nipples<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
When to See a Doctor About Nipple Changes<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n