Inverted Nipple

Inverted Nipple






Inverted nipple is of great concern for women who are breastfeeding. Nipples differ widely in shape and size. They are the organs given for nursing the babies shortly after childbirth. If the nipples protrude properly then it becomes easy for the infant to grasp it and hold it in his mouth. Flat nipples and inverted nipples make it difficult for the baby to feed on mother’s milk.

Many women (around 25-35%) of women who are pregnant will not have their nipples protruding properly. However this problem will settle as pregnancy progresses or while breastfeeding. Many times, the nipples will get straightened once the mother starts feeding her child. This problem is caused by inheritance and will automatically cure. Again the inverted nipples will not interfere for any woman who wishes to nurse her baby since the baby can latch out into the areola of the nipple for getting milk. Actually speaking, an infant can cure the inverted nipple of the mother if he is able to latch out well. However in rare cases, a suction device is used for breastfeeding.

Causes :

Inverted nipple or flat nipple is not medically harmful and is quite common to have them. Medically it is termed as “shy” nipples which are seen often pulled “inward”. Hereditary is the major cause for inverted nipple since for many women it is inherited by birth. However this kind of shy nipple can be pulled out through stimulation or proper massage when she becomes pregnant. Actual reason for inheriting inverted nipple is the underlying tissues and ligaments of the breast.

These ligaments are really short and they pull the nipple inwards towards the breast tissue making it fully inverted. It is believed to be caused by adhesions found at the base of the breast that pulls the nipple inward. For some women, (in case they have not inherited inverted nipple) the skin can become loose which would eventually relax the nipples making it inverted.

Symptoms :

A woman can easily identify inverted nipples by mere physical examination. You can do a “pinch” test for identifying the inverted nipple. Just hold the breast with your hands pressing on the edges using thumb and index finger. If the nipple protrudes outside, then it is right. In case if it is drawn inward then is truly inverted. The nipple would be pulled inward and not protruding from the breast like others. However this will not cause any pain or discomfort for sexual activity.

The degree of inversion may vary in women ranging from slight inversion to true inversion. True inverted nipples will never protrude by stimulation or pinch test.

Treatment :

In case of inverted nipple, the pregnant women can consult her doctor during the stages of pregnancy. He would suggest doing some massage and stimulation therapy for pulling the nipple outward gradually. In case of severe form, you can use suction device for feeding the baby. It is necessary to keep the breast clean while using devices like breast pump and you should consult your doctor before using it.

Some doctors recommend using breast shells which are nothing but plastic cups to exert constant pressure on the areola of the breast. Pregnant women can wear this special bra with shells for facilitating protruding of nipples before the baby is born.

Very often, inverted nipples can be corrected by three methods:-

Stimulation technique can be used daily for few minutes during pregnancy for making good the inverted nipple. You can also wear disposable nursing pad and dampen it which would serve as ice pack for setting right the inversion. Alternatively you can also use nipple shied or breast shell.

Surgery is the last option for correcting inverted nipples. You should discuss with your doctor about the outcomes of the surgery and is usually not done for breastfeeding mothers, since it may cut down the milk duct and interfere with breastfeeding.

Inverted Nipple – Causes, Repair, Surgery Cost, Treatment

Inverted Nipple – Causes, Repair, Surgery Cost, Treatment

What are the causes of Inverted nipples?

Nipples as well as areola may vary in shape, coloration as well as size. “Normal” nipples are ones you were born with – puffy, sky prominent and flat. Nipples can change for many reasons especially because of hormonal changes, during pregnancy, puberty as well as breastfeeding. A woman should know what her nipples are normally and remember to examine them as a portion of the monthly breast self-exam.

Nipples, just like other parts of our bodies, change as we age, grow as well as mature. It is advisable to know what is normal for your nipples. Watch out for any nipple discharge, blisters, unusual pain or lumps.

Inverted Nipple Causes

Nipple changes or tenderness can be caused by:

• Fungal or bacterial infections


• Injury to or friction over the nipple area


• Dry skin in the areolar region – (the darker area surrounding the nipple)


• Paget’s disease

The chances of discharges from the nipple increase with age. It is common in some women who have had one pregnancy or also during the final weeks of pregnancy.

A discharge which is milky is very rare in women as well as men, but it can occur. When it does occur in men or women who have never been pregnant, then it is likely to be the result of an underlying disease. But, discharge of the nipple has many diverse causes that aren’t Breast Cancer, including:

• A small, noncancerous growth in the breast known as intraductal papilloma


• A tumor in the brain known as a Prolactinoma or microadenoma


• Injury to the breast or chest wall causing milky discharge


• Abscess">Breast Abscess located underneath the areola – common in women during breast-feeding


• Pregnancy, normally during the 2nd trimester


• Severe Hypothyroidism


• Widening of milk ducts referred to as ductal ectasia, and usually not a problem with cancer


• Use of certain drugs, including birth control pills, cimetidine, methyldopa, metoclopramide, reserpine, phenothiazines, verapamil or tricyclic antidepressants


• “Witch’s milk” which is a term used to describe nipple discharge in a newborn. This discharge is cause by hormones from the mother before birth, and normally disappear within 2 weeks

Inversion of the nipple is a condition one is normally born with. Nipple retraction can be caused by duct ectasia, infections in the milk duct, breast cancer or aging.

Inverted Nipple Symptoms

Changes in breast that can occur:

• Breast Tenderness, increased warmth or swelling


• Breast irregularity or lump

Changes in nipples shape can include:

• Retracted nipples where the nipple was raised above the surface but begins to pull inward and does not come out when stimulated


• Inverted nipples, where the nipple is indented into the areola but will often come out with breast stimulation or during pregnancy

Nipple discharge can be:

• Clear, discolored (brown or green) or bloody discharge


• Milky (Galactorrhea)


• Present in one or both nipples


• Present with pressure place on the breast or with no pressure which is called spontaneous discharge

Changes in skin around the nipple can include:

• Tenderness, cracking or redness of the skin surface of the nipple


• Puckers, rash or dimples on the skin of the nipple or the areola (darker skin surrounding the nipple)

Inverted Nipple Repair

Surgical methods can be used to correct inverted nipples and can be divided into 2 types:

• Leave the milk ducts intact


• Do not leave the milk ducts intact

In both cases, the objective is to reshape the nipple as well as the areola in order for the nipple to project out from the breast, improving the look of the breast while conserving the sensitivity of the nipples. The technique which leaves the milk ducts intact may as well help preserve the woman’s ability to breastfeed.

Inverted Nipple Cost

The average cost of the Inverter Nipple Repair in the United States is somewhere in between $2000 to $4000.

You're reading Inverted Nipple – Causes, Repair, Surgery Cost, Treatment posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.

Through Medical Tourism, the same surgery can be obtained in Australia for in between $1500 to $2500. The surgery can be also done in the Philippines as well as India for much cheaper prices which can be found on the internet.

Inverted Nipple Treatment

The treatment of nipple discharge which is caused by conditions outside of the breast includes:

• Changing medications which cause the discharge


• Treatment for hypothyroidism, pituitary tumors as well as breast infections

Any abnormal findings on a breast ultrasound or mammogram will be biopsied and after that often removed.

The majority of women with discharge from the breast and who have a normal breast ultrasound, physical exam or normal mammogram may be followed over 1 to 2 years with a physical exam and mammogram follow up repeated during that time.

Removing some or all of the breast ducts can be done immediately or after a period of surveillance. In some case, a ductogram is done prior to any other surgery.

Antifungal creams, antibiotic creams as well as steroid creams can be used for treating any skin changes around the nipple.

For information on nipple care as well as breast care while breast-feeding, see:

• Overcoming breastfeeding problems


• Breastfeeding mothers – self-care


• Breastfeeding tips