Retracted and flat nipples are found in 10% of women. And, as a rule, most mothers face in this case with problems at the stage of lactation. Until then, the nipple of the breast can not cause any discomfort, except for aesthetic discomfort, if the girl has complexes with this.
Flat nipples do not protrude above the areola of the breast, but as if merge with it, or are drawn inward. It is important to distinguish between hiding nipples and truly drawn (inverted). The first harden and protrude outward with manual stimulation, with breastfeeding and sexual arousal. In the situation with inverted nipples, there are no signs of pulling them out with such actions. Often it is in the second case that correction is necessary, since retracted nipples can become an obstacle to breastfeeding the baby.
Causes of retracted nipples
The causes of retracted and flat nipples can be:
- heredity (if such a form of the nipple was observed in the genus earlier in the mother, grandmother);
- improper care of the breasts, namely wearing bras smaller than necessary;
- diseases of the mammary glands that can affect the connective tissue in the chest, which leads to tension of the cords, milk ducts and retraction of the nipple inside;
- pathology of sexual development, which can be expressed in the inadequate formation of the milky ducts and secondary sexual characteristics, namely, the mammary glands.
How to fix the nipples?
What should a woman do if her nipples are entangled? There are several methods for normalizing the shape of the nipples. They are divided into:
- surgical;
- non-surgical.
The surgical method allows to solve this problem quickly enough. Depending on whether the woman plans to breastfeed in the future, the type of surgery is chosen. A cheaper option of surgical treatment involves cutting the milk ducts and loosening the nipple from tension. Option, when the woman's milk ducts are preserved, it is more expensive, as surgical correction of the entrained nipple is more difficult.
Non-surgical methods of correcting the retracted nipples will be effective in the case of hiding nipples and are:
1. Exercises for flat and drawn nipples. Usually this method of correction is associated with stimulation of the nipples with fingers.
For example, in order to form an adequate reaction of the nipples and some stretching of the nipples, the woman can be recommended the following exercise (in the case of pregnancy it is worth not to perform it in the first two trimesters, so as not to provoke the threat of abortion): twice a day it is necessary to stimulate the tension and stretching of the nipples by rhythmic compression of their nipples bases with two thumbs first in the horizontal, then in the vertical plane. Exercise is carried out within a few minutes for 2-3 months.
To pull flat or drawn nipples, also stimulate them with three fingers through a gauze cloth with a slight twisting to the right and left. The method is used 6-8 times with a frequency of 2-3 times a day.
2. Correction of the flat form of the nipple with a vacuum nozzle in the form of a bowl. The principle of operation lies in the fact that it is superimposed on the nipple and the nasal region,
3. Correction with nipple pads. They are silicone devices for the breast in the form of areola and nipple. Used for lactation. Prevent the retraction of the nipple back during breastfeeding, protect against the occurrence of cracks on it. Correction is achieved by the natural extension of the ducts of the breast during feeding, while allowing quick and easy adjustment of lactation.