The 7 Things That Make Your Nipples DARKER - The Sun

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THEY come in all different shapes and sizes – every woman is different.

But did you know your nipples can actually change colour?

Don’t worry, it might not be cause for alarm if you look down and suddenly realise they are darker than you remember.

For the most part it’s normal for a woman’s nipples to change colour at different stages of her life.

But there are some times you need to worry, especially if you notice changes to your boobs as well.

Here’s seven things that can make your nipples darker.

1. Pregnancy

When you are pregnant your breasts start to prepare for when the baby is born.

It does that by producing more oestrogen and progesterone to help your boobs produce milk for your baby.

But the hormones also cause your breasts to change

They will become tender and swell and your nipples will be darker.

Your nipples should go back to their original colour after pregnancy and breastfeeding.

2. Breast cancer

It goes without saying, breast cancer is serious.

The disease can cause a number of changes to your boobs, including darker nipples.

BREAST BRUSH-UP From getting bigger to changing colour, the nine things your BOOBS could tell you about your health

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death for women.

Women are advised to check their breasts each month for signs of cancer, starting in your 20s.

While most women know to check for lumps and bumps, there are a surprising number of symptoms that you might not know to check for.

Watch out for changes in breast size and shape, redness or skin sores, an inverted nipple, nipple discharge, change in skin texture, pain and a growing vein.

3. Breastfeeding

As with pregnancy, breastfeeding can also cause your nipples to change colour.

Again, that is down to hormone fluctuation that allow you to produce milk.

It is not clear why your nipples change colour but it is thought to be because it helps the baby find it quicker.

Over time the colour of your nipples should return to normal.

4. The Pill

Some forms of contraception can also have the same effect on your nipples.

The Pill contains synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone to control your menstrual cycle.

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Not only does this prevent an unwanted pregnancy, but it effects your body in a similar way to natural hormone fluctuations.

The boosted levels of hormones, as mentioned above, can cause your nipples to become darker.

But that should change when you stop taking the Pill.

5. Puberty

As you can probably guess, this is all about hormone fluctuations as well.

When a girl goes through puberty her oestrogen levels begin to rise.

It is this hormone fluctuation that causes the breasts to grow.

When that happens the nipples may also become darker and more prominent.

6. Your period

You may also notice your nipples changing colour when it’s that time of the month.

The change in colour is down to, you guessed it, hormones.

During your menstrual cycle your oestrogen and progesterone levels spike around days 12-14, which stimulates the release of an egg.

Then when you have your period your oestrogen and progesterone levels drop.

These hormone fluctuations can cause your nipple to change colour, as well as your boobs to become sore and tender.

7. Hair

It might sound bizarre, but many women have hairy nipples.

In fact, we all have some form of hair on our boobs, but for some women it is much darker and can make their nipples look a different colour.

Hairy nipples are not usually something to worry about, especially if you naturally have a lot of body hair.

But it can sometimes be a sign of an underlying hormone condition like polycystic ovary syndrome, so if it’s not normal for you then speak to a GP.

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