Should I Be Worried If My Nipples Change Color?

A common concern among women is, should I worry if my nipples change color? And the answer is, usuably no reason for concern at all. It's a very common thing as a matter of fact. It happens most frequently with hormonal changes. The most common one we see all the time is pregnancy.

Very frequently over the course of a pregnancy, a woman's nipples will darken from a lightish color to a medium color, or even to a dark color. And usually, the color change is pretty irreversible. It's usually pretty permanent, but it is not a cause for concern usually at all. I do want to point out, if the color changes only in one nipple, or only in one area of the nipple especially if it has dimpling, or purpling of the skin, those could be more of a concern, and in rare cases could even be associated with breast cancer.

So those are things that I want you to have your doctor check out. But usually, nipple changing color is not a cause for concern at all and is usually hormone changes, like in pregnancy and other things like your menstrual cycle or being on birth control pills can do it, so no cause for concern.