Many questions have been received, asking what exactly are areolas. I mention this word quite often, and will continue to do so. I think I should explain.
Areola (Latin: areola mammae), is the pigmented area, around the nipple. The word comes from the Latin areola which means "open space".
The areola emerge around the area of the mammary ducts. The color of the pigment is different in different people, ranging from pale pink to dark brown, depending on the quantities of two compounds of melanin: eumelanin (brown pigment) and pheomelanin (red pigment). The color may change due to hormonal changes caused by menstruation, certain medications, and aging. Normally, during pregnancy the areola are darker. After birth, their original color can be restored partially or totally, but it's different for every woman.
The sizes and shapes of the areola also vary widely. Areolas of sexually mature women are usually larger, than those of prepubertal girls, and men. Areolas of most men are with a diameter of about 2,5 cm, while for women - 3 cm. In sexually mature females, areolas can reach diameter over 10 cm, and in women with relatively large breasts, and breastfeeding - even more.
Human areolas are mostly circular in shape, but many women and some men have areolas that are noticeably elliptical.
Areola (Latin: areola mammae), is the pigmented area, around the nipple. The word comes from the Latin areola which means "open space".
The areola emerge around the area of the mammary ducts. The color of the pigment is different in different people, ranging from pale pink to dark brown, depending on the quantities of two compounds of melanin: eumelanin (brown pigment) and pheomelanin (red pigment). The color may change due to hormonal changes caused by menstruation, certain medications, and aging. Normally, during pregnancy the areola are darker. After birth, their original color can be restored partially or totally, but it's different for every woman.
The sizes and shapes of the areola also vary widely. Areolas of sexually mature women are usually larger, than those of prepubertal girls, and men. Areolas of most men are with a diameter of about 2,5 cm, while for women - 3 cm. In sexually mature females, areolas can reach diameter over 10 cm, and in women with relatively large breasts, and breastfeeding - even more.
Human areolas are mostly circular in shape, but many women and some men have areolas that are noticeably elliptical.
Even with minimal breast tissue enlargement, an enlarged areolar diameter tends to produce a feminized breast/chest appearance. For patients with an enlarged areolar diameter, an areolar reduction can be performed in addition to direct excision of breast tissue and liposuction. This requires an incision, and thus a scar, that encompasses the entire circumference of the areola. However, the scar is usually obscured fairly well by the color difference between areolar skin and the adjacent chest skin, and the reduced areolar diameter can be critical to producing a more masculine appearance of the anterior chest.
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