Your nipples and areolae are as individual as you are. However, this is a subject that many women are reluctant to discuss, even though there’s no one kind of “normal” nipple or areola-there are many healthy variables in appearance.
The color of the areola can range from pale enough to blend with fair breast skin to dark brown, typically depending on the rest of your coloring. Nipples can darken during pregnancy, and some may stay that way after giving birth.
Areola diameter runs the gamut from small as a dime to disproportionately large (which occurs most often if breast size increases and shrinks dramatically). Pregnancy can stretch the entire breast, including the areola; but when breasts shrink after pregnancy, the skin and areola may not return to their previous size.
Some women need to wear padded bras to conceal nipples that protrude significantly. Some women with implants may find their nipples protrude more than before they had implants. On the other hand, it’s not uncommon for nipples to be inverted. This is determined by heredity.
If you’re concerned that your nipples don’t fall within the very wide range of nipple normality, a doctor can help you make this determination. However, just because your nipples don’t look the same as a friend’s, sister’s or model’s doesn’t mean they’re irregular.
