inverted nipples

[chellbellz00]

I have had inverted nipples my whole life, but i constantly read that this could be a sign of cancer.  I believe there is a history of it in my family.  A friend of mine just had breast cancer at the age of 26.  Even though I am only 22, i still want to be proactive.  Is it normally only a sign of cancer if they were not always inverted, and turn to inverted nipples.. or just inverted nipples in general are a sign of cancer?

[PinkRibbonGirl]

Hi!  I have also had inverted nipples all my life.  They are not a birth defect, they are just a special thing that makes you... YOU.  You are special.  I am much older and have been asked a million times by doctors "how long have your nipples been inverted".  They ask this because NEWLY inverted nipples may be a sign of breast cancer, not people like us who have always been special.
It does make breast feeding more of a challenge when you wish to have children.  I tended to pump and bottle  feed breast milk to my three chiildren rather than try to breast feed after many attempts and not being sure the baby was feeding.  You are different and special, but that does NOT mean you should not be watching for breast cancer.  Early detection is always the best way to make breast cancer curable.  HAve the finest of days!

[stacee3k]

Inverted nipples are not a sign of cancer, they are a birth defect. I had them all my life. It is just anatomy. I had sugery to make them reverse.But, I had no intentions of having more childern.. I nurese 3 children with inverted nipples. It was more difficult but it can be done. Now, when I had the sugery to revers them, that is different,they have to cut the milk ducts, so I could not ever nurse again. Which was fine, because I was done having childfen when I had this surgery. It is only cosmetic, and if they bug you then get them fixed. But, they do not have anyting to do with getting breast cancer, I have never heard that.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear chellbellz00, Inverted nipples can be a normal part of the anatomy.  If this was a new development or a change you would want to have it checked.