Noticing a bump anyplace in your physique—your face, again, legs, even your butt—generally is a little tense. However nipple bumps? Cue the well being anxiousness.

You possible know that lumps and bumps in your boobs are usually value speaking to a physician about, particularly in the event that they really feel worse over time or just don’t go away. However they’re not at all times an indication of one thing critical (in case your thoughts instantly jumps to the Huge C, bear in mind there are different early signs of breast most cancers).

So what’s the deal? Right here, specialists break down the doable the reason why you’ve got nipple bumps, the way to deal with them in the event that they’re bugging you, and when it’s time to examine in with a physician.

There are many issues that may trigger bumps in your nipples, and fortunately, they’re often NBD.

First, a bit of anatomy refresher: The nipple is the nub that always stands proud of the breast (typically it’s fairly flat and even factors inward). It’s the place milk comes out in the event you’re breastfeeding. The areola, however, is the circle of pigmented pores and skin across the nipple. Bumps can type on each your nipples and areolae, so for the sake of ease, we’ll consult with all of those as “nipple bumps” and get extra particular when we have to.

Montgomery glands

If you happen to’re realizing these small bumps in your nipples are literally sprinkled throughout your areolae, you’re possible noticing your Montgomery glands. These little bumps are sebaceous glands. They make oily secretions often called sebum, and this substance retains your areolae and nipples lubricated, Dennis Holmes, MD, a breast most cancers surgeon in Los Angeles and Glendale, California, tells SELF. The precise purpose why this lubrication issues isn’t solely clear, however it possible helps breastfeeding by maintaining the world moisturized, Dr. Holmes says. There’s additionally a principle that the scent of the sebum could even assist stimulate a new child’s urge for food, he provides.

Everybody has Montgomery glands, Sarah P. Cate, MD, a breast surgical oncologist at Stamford Well being Medical Group in Connecticut, tells SELF. And as with each different a part of your physique, there’s numerous variation within the Montgomery-gland division. Some individuals could have giant, apparent bumps, whereas others have small ones which might be barely seen.

Being pregnant

Regardless of their theoretical position in breastfeeding, Montgomery glands are there whether or not you get pregnant or not. That stated, you would possibly discover them extra when your boobs swell throughout being pregnant and after you give delivery. (Additionally, similar to your nipples could perk up when it’s chilly, a temperature change can doubtlessly make your Montgomery glands present up a bit of extra, Dr. Holmes says.)

Ingrown hairs

You may need hair in your breasts, together with on or round your nipples, which is completely regular. And wherever hair grows in your physique, the potential of ingrown hair follows (particularly in the event you’ve been tweezing, shaving, or waxing close to the world). These tender bumps type when strands of hair curl in on themselves and again into the pores and skin moderately than rising out as they need to. Ingrowns can appear to be pimples as a result of they have a tendency to replenish with pus and trigger hyperpigmentation, however one main distinction is that you would be able to typically see a bit of loop of hair with every finish embedded into the pores and skin, Ife J. Rodney, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founding director of Everlasting + Dermatology Aesthetics in Maryland, tells SELF. You may additionally really feel some ache, burning, and itchiness round ingrowns, too.

Pimples

Talking of pimples…you will get pimples anyplace in your pores and skin, together with your nipples. “They’ll appear to be purple, infected, or pus-filled bumps, much like what will be seen with pimples [elsewhere on your body],” Cindy Wassef, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology on the Rutgers Robert Wooden Johnson Medical College in New Jersey, tells SELF. They could really feel a bit of tender to the contact, or be seen however not really feel irritating in any respect, Dr. Rodney provides.

Eczema

Eczema could make shock appearances on seemingly random components of your pores and skin, too. “The nipples can grow to be extra vulnerable to eczema due to rubbing in opposition to bras or clothes,” Dr. Wassef says. If you happen to’re breastfeeding, the repeated wetness and dryness out of your child’s mouth (in addition to their saliva by itself) may set off flare-ups.