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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Nipple Knowledge
by Christy Brownlee, 05.28.03
Perk up, and think fast: What do you have in common with your brother, your sister, your best friend, and your biggest crush? Here's a double hint — touch your chin to the top of your chest, and you're looking right at them. It's your nipples!
Love 'em or hate 'em, just about everyone has a set. You might think your "twin peaks" are totally different from all your friends' nipples, and you're right — each pair is as unique as the person it's attached to. But believe it or not, your nipples have a lot in common with those of all the girls and guys you know. Here's the lowdown on nipples, how they "work," and how your set compares and contrasts with the crowd.
Got Milk?
People are mammals, and mammals are the only kind of animal that lactate — produce milk — for their young. When a woman is lactating, her nipples help to get milk from her mammary glands into her baby's mouth. Tiny holes in the nipple let milk escape from ducts inside the breast. But don't sell them short — nipples do a lot of other things as well.
For starters, nipples in both women and men are filled with nerve endings, making them ultra-sensitive for some people. For some people they can be erogenous zones that respond to sexual touch and stimulation. For others, they are "hands-off" zones that need to be respected. Just like the penis and clitoris, nipples are made of tissue that can become erect when engorged with blood. Rubbing, thinking sexy thoughts, or even a puff of chilly air can cause nipples to rise to the occasion.
Fully Loaded, With All the Features
But back to the milk thing — if nipples nourish babies, then why do men have them? Be amazed and astonished, my friend — men have the exact same equipment that women have — just an inactive version. Every embryo (the developing fetus) starts out as female. Somewhere around six weeks of development, hormones kick in and determine whether the fetus will be a girl or a boy. Some structures, such as nipples and breast tissue, are already formed and remain, no matter what sex the fetus becomes.
Although guys don't lactate, their nipples have some of the same spiffy features as girls' nipples. For example, check out the pigmented area surrounding your nipple, called the areola. This part is all full of nerve endings and blood vessels, and the little bumps you can see are oil glands that keep the nipple moisturized.
Like Fingerprints, They're All Different
But just because we all have the same parts doesn't mean everyone looks the same. Nipples can be big, small, or even inverted — pointing in instead of out. They come in a virtual rainbow of colors, from pale pink to bluish black. Some nipples are hairless, but others have a fine lining of hair. Some nipples are pointier than others. Some are more sensitive to touch. All these differences and preferences are absolutely normal — they're all part of what makes each of us unique! |
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