Association of the nipple-areola complexes with age, parity, and breastfeeding in Korean premenopausal women. During pregnancy and lactation, the areola will also become darker as the breast size increases After lactation is finished, the breast size goes down while areola size and color tend to stay the same. They vary in size and color and can change over time due to aging, hormonal changes, and weight gain.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. While most of these changes are normal and perfectly harmless, certain changes may warrant an examination by a healthcare provider.Cross-sectional observational study of nipple and areola changes during pubertal development and after menarche in 313 Italian girls. The impact of breast reduction surgery on breastfeeding: Systematic review of observational studies. Areola size is as individual as height or the difference in width between a person’s shoulders and hips. Gender confirmation: Transgender people may undergo top surgery, which includes reshaping the breasts and changing the size of the areola to align their physical characteristics with their gender identity. It commonly occurs during breastfeeding, causing thick, scaly skin with raised bumps on the nipples and areolas.

While females generally have larger areolas than males, the range of potential functions is more or less the same. The areola, the dark-colored skin on the breast that surrounds the nipple, can vary in size from one person to the next.You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Nipple-areola complex cutaneous sensitivity: a systematic approach to classification and breast volume. Progesterone controls the growth of the areola, which is why they grow larger during pregnancy in tandem with steep, progressive increases in progesterone levels. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests.