Inverted nipples, although invisible to outsiders, make women feel uncomfortable admiring themselves. More importantly: inverted nipples (inverted nipples) themselves are a kind of breast deformity, and some are even malignant tumors in the breasts. external symptoms. Before puberty, female breasts do not develop and the nipples are small. After puberty, as the hormone levels in the body change, menstruation begins, the breasts begin to develop, and the nipples gradually become enlarged and protruded. Although the nipples of unmarried women and non-pregnant women are small, they all protrude from the plane of the areola; if part or all of them are lower than the plane of the areola, they may even be concave inward and sink under the skin, causing the local area to look like a crater. This situation It’s called nipple inversion (nipple depression).

It should be pointed out that some girls are shy about breast development, so they wear tight underwear to tighten their breasts, or wear bras that are too small too early, which will squeeze the growing breasts. The pressure causes the breasts to become flat; at the same time, the pressured breasts have poor blood circulation and insufficient nutrient supply, which affects the normal development of the breasts; the nipples are also squeezed and sunk deeply into the breasts, forming nipple inversions (nipple depressions).

The degree of nipple inversion (nipple retraction) varies. Some only show nipple retraction, while severe cases show nipple retraction or even inversion. Clinically, nipple inversion can be divided into 3 types:

Type I: The nipple is partially inverted and the nipple neck exists. The inverted nipple can be easily squeezed out by hand. After extrusion, the nipple size is similar to that of ordinary people. ;

Type II: The nipple is completely recessed in the areola, but the nipple can be squeezed out by hand. The nipple is smaller than normal, and most of the time there is no nipple neck;

Type III: The nipple is completely Buried under the areola, the inverted nipple cannot be squeezed out. Nipple inversion (nipple depression) not only hinders the beauty of the breasts and hinders the breastfeeding function, but also is difficult to clean locally. The sunken area easily harbors dirt and often causes local infection. The breast ducts are connected to the depression, and inflammation can spread into the breast. Spread and cause mastitis.

Nipple inversion (nipple inversion) is mainly congenital, but can also be caused by trauma or surgery, breast tumors, and post-mastitis fibroplasia. Congenital nipple inversion is caused by the underdevelopment of the smooth muscles of the nipple and areola. These muscle fibers are pulled inward, coupled with the lack of supporting tissue under the nipple, resulting in nipple inversion. Generally, it occurs bilaterally at the same time, but unilateral disease may also occur. If the inverted nipple can come back with a little squeeze or pull, it is considered as mild nipple inversion. Congenital inverted nipples are more common in women with no history of breastfeeding.

Secondary nipple inversion is common in breast diseases, such as breast cancer, and is often unilateral. For acquired nipple inversion (nipple retraction), do not take it lightly. You should go to a specialized hospital for treatment and relevant examinations, such as breast B-ultrasound, mammography, etc., to rule out the possibility of breast cancer. There is another situation: if eczema or itching occurs repeatedly on the skin around the nipple and does not heal for a long time, the possibility of Paget's disease should be considered, which is a special type of breast cancer.

Correction and prevention of sunken nipples

Strong breasts are the focus of a woman’s beauty, and the nipples are the “delicate points” in the focus. If you find that your nipples are inverted (inverted nipples), it is best for women to have them corrected promptly. The following methods can be selected according to different situations.

The first is the pulling method. Girlhood is an important period for breast development and also an important period for correcting nipple inversion. Frequent stretching of the nipples can make the breasts protrude and increase the support of the surrounding skin, which can "shape" the breasts. Several times a day. Over time, the nipples naturally gradually bulge outward. If you can't pull it out, you can first push the skin of the breast near the nipple outward.

The second is suction therapy. After pregnancy, use a breast pump to suck the nipples several times a day, and use the negative pressure to cause the nipples to bulge.

The third is to use nipple correctors to treat flat or sunken nipples.