In this guide14 sections
- Key Points
- What Are Montgomery Glands (Montgomery Tubercles)?
- Montgomery Glands in Early Pregnancy
- Montgomery Glands When Not Pregnant
- Blocked Montgomery Glands (Clogged Montgomery Glands)
- Infected or Inflamed Montgomery Glands
- Should You Squeeze or Pop Montgomery Glands?
- Bumps on the Nipple or Areola: What Else Could It Be?
- Montgomery Glands in Men
- How to Get Rid of Montgomery Glands
- Can Montgomery Glands Be Cancer? When to See a Doctor
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Montgomery Gland Removal at Centre for Surgery
- References
Key Points
- Montgomery glands are normal. They are small oil-producing glands on the areola, also called Montgomery tubercles. In a study of 121 new mothers, 97% had them.
- How many you can see varies widely. Some people have none visible and others have more than 20 on each areola. One study of 399 breasts counted an average of five per areola.
- They become more prominent in pregnancy. Enlarged Montgomery glands can be an early sign of pregnancy, but they also change before a period, with hormonal contraception and at puberty.
- They help with breastfeeding. Their oily secretion protects the nipple and areola, and newborn babies respond to its scent.
- Blocked Montgomery glands usually settle on their own. Warm compresses help. Squeezing or popping them can cause infection.
- Some bumps need checking. See your GP about a red, hot, painful gland, a new lump, a scaly rash that starts on the nipple, bleeding, or a nipple that pulls in. A gland that keeps blocking or getting infected can be removed under local anaesthetic.
Montgomery glands are the small, raised bumps around the edge of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. They look a little like goosebumps or small pimples, and most people first notice them when they become more prominent, often in early pregnancy, before a period or during puberty. They are a normal part of the breast rather than a skin problem, and in most cases the best thing to do is leave them alone.
This guide explains what Montgomery glands are and what they do, how they change in pregnancy and when you’re not pregnant, what a blocked or infected gland looks like, and how to tell them apart from other bumps on the nipple or areola, such as a pimple, an ingrown hair or an extra nipple. If it’s the size or colour of the areola itself that concerns you, our guide to large areolas explains what’s normal, and our guide to breast changes in pregnancy covers everything else pregnancy changes.
What Are Montgomery Glands (Montgomery Tubercles)?
Montgomery glands, also called Montgomery tubercles, tubercles of Montgomery or areolar glands, are small glands in the skin of the areola. They are named after William Fetherstone Montgomery, an Irish obstetrician who described them in 1837. Each one is a type of oil (sebaceous) gland closely linked to the milk ducts, and the visible bump, the tubercle, is where the gland opens onto the surface of the skin.
What Do Montgomery Glands Look Like on the Areola and Nipple?
Montgomery glands look like small, raised bumps that are skin-coloured or slightly paler than the areola, usually spread around its outer part. Some sit closer to the nipple or right at its base, which is why many people search for Montgomery glands on the nipple. They are usually soft, painless and similar in size to one another. They become more obvious when the areola contracts, for example in the cold, when the skin is touched or during arousal, and then flatten again. Occasionally one releases a small amount of clear, white or yellowish fluid.
Most people have a scattering of them on both sides, and it is normal for one areola to have more than the other.
What Do Montgomery Glands Do?
Montgomery glands release an oily secretion that lubricates and protects the nipple and areola, keeping the skin supple and helping to stop it cracking, particularly during breastfeeding. The secretion also seems to act as a scent signal for babies. In a French study, three-day-old newborns were exposed to secretion from the Montgomery glands of breastfeeding women they had never met. It increased their breathing activity and their sucking and mouthing movements more than any of seven other smells tested, and the response didn’t depend on the babies’ previous experience of the breast (PLoS One, 2009).
Does Everyone Have Montgomery Glands?
Almost everyone does, but how many you can see varies enormously. In a study of 121 new mothers examined in the first three days after giving birth, 97% had visible areolar glands, 80% had between one and 20 on each areola, and a third had glands releasing visible fluid (Early Human Development, 2012). In a separate count of 399 breasts from 211 women, the average was five visible glands per areola, ranging from none to 25. The number wasn’t linked to age, body mass index or the size of the areola, but women who hadn’t been through menopause tended to have more (American Journal of Surgery, 2023).
So having many, a few or none that you can see is normal. Men have Montgomery glands too, as explained further down.
Montgomery Glands in Early Pregnancy
Montgomery glands often become larger and more noticeable in early pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones make the breasts grow, the areolas darken and widen, and the Montgomery glands become more prominent as the breast prepares for feeding (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2020). For some women, bumps on the areola in early pregnancy are one of the first changes they notice, along with sore breasts and darker nipples. Our guide to breast changes in pregnancy covers these trimester by trimester.
When Do Montgomery Glands Appear in Pregnancy?
There is no fixed week. Some women notice their Montgomery tubercles becoming more prominent within the first few weeks, sometimes before a missed period, while others only notice them later in pregnancy or not at all. The same glands also become more obvious before a period or with hormonal contraception, so bumps on the areola are not a reliable sign of pregnancy on their own. A pregnancy test is the way to know.
Montgomery Glands and Breastfeeding
During breastfeeding, Montgomery glands keep the nipple and areola moisturised and protected, and research suggests they may help feeding get started. In the study of 121 mothers, babies of first-time mothers with more areolar glands gained more weight in the first days after birth, and those mothers’ milk came in sooner (Early Human Development, 2012). An earlier study by the same group found that mothers with more glands also felt their babies latched and sucked more readily (Developmental Psychobiology, 2006).
To protect the secretion, wash the areola with plain water rather than soap, and don’t squeeze the glands. Swollen Montgomery glands while breastfeeding usually settle on their own; see your midwife, health visitor or GP if one becomes red, hot and painful.
Montgomery Glands When Not Pregnant
It is completely normal to have Montgomery glands when you’re not pregnant. They are there from puberty, when the breasts and areolas first develop (our guide to when breasts stop growing explains those stages), and they respond to the same hormones that rise and fall through the menstrual cycle. Many women notice them more in the days before a period, when starting or changing hormonal contraception, or during perimenopause, and then find they become less noticeable again. That’s why Montgomery glands can seem to come and go.
Fewer tend to be visible after menopause. In the study of 399 breasts, women who hadn’t been through menopause had more visible glands than those who had (American Journal of Surgery, 2023).
Montgomery glands on their own, with no other changes, are not a reason to worry if you’re not pregnant. The section on when to see a doctor lists the changes that are worth checking.
Blocked Montgomery Glands (Clogged Montgomery Glands)
Like any oil gland, a Montgomery gland can become blocked. The opening gets plugged with thickened oil and dead skin, and the gland swells up behind it.
What Does a Clogged Montgomery Gland Look Like?
A clogged Montgomery gland looks like a firm, slightly larger bump with a white or yellow centre, similar to a whitehead. It may be a little tender, and if it opens it can release thick, white, cheesy material. That material is trapped oil rather than milk or pus, and on its own it isn’t a sign of infection. Blocked Montgomery glands are common in pregnancy and breastfeeding, when the glands are more active, but they can happen at any time.
How to Unclog a Montgomery Gland
Most blocked Montgomery glands settle within a few days to a couple of weeks without any treatment. To help one along:
- Use a warm compress. Hold a clean, warm flannel against the area for about 10 minutes a few times a day to soften the plug.
- Wash gently. Use warm water and pat the skin dry. Avoid scrubbing, harsh soaps and perfumed products on the areola.
- Wear soft, breathable fabric. A cotton bra that doesn’t rub helps.
- Don’t squeeze it. Pressing on a blocked gland can push bacteria deeper and turn a blockage into an infection.
See your GP if the bump is still there after two weeks, keeps getting bigger, or becomes red and painful.
Montgomery Gland Cysts
Sometimes a blocked gland fills up and forms a small cyst beneath or beside the areola. These are best known in teenage girls whose breasts are still developing. A UK case report and review describes them as arising from blockage of the small channels that drain the Montgomery tubercles, and recommends a conservative approach to protect the developing breast (Journal of Surgical Case Reports, 2013). In another report of two girls aged 13 and 15, one with an inflamed cyst and one without, both settled with medical treatment and neither needed surgery (Journal of Family and Community Medicine, 2020). A lump in a teenager’s breast should still be checked by a GP, who may arrange an ultrasound.
In adults, a Montgomery cyst that keeps coming back or causing symptoms can be removed, as explained under Montgomery gland removal below.
Infected or Inflamed Montgomery Glands
A blocked gland can become infected. An infected or inflamed Montgomery gland is red, swollen, warm and painful, and may have a yellow head or leak pus. The redness can spread into the surrounding skin. Inflammation of the Montgomery glands is uncommon and has mostly been described in case reports (Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2004), but it’s worth taking seriously because it can develop into a small abscess.
See your GP if a Montgomery gland is swollen and painful, the redness is spreading, or you feel feverish or unwell. Treatment may include antibiotics, and an abscess sometimes needs draining. If you’re breastfeeding you can usually carry on, but check with your GP, midwife or health visitor. If the same gland keeps getting infected, removing it can stop the problem coming back.
Should You Squeeze or Pop Montgomery Glands?
No. Squeezing or popping Montgomery tubercles is one of the most common ways a harmless bump becomes a painful one. Pressing on the gland can:
- push bacteria from the skin into the gland and cause an infection
- inflame and swell the surrounding tissue
- damage the gland and leave a small scar or dark mark on the areola
Montgomery glands are meant to release a small amount of oil, so there is nothing that needs squeezing out. If a gland keeps blocking and you find yourself wanting to pop it, see a doctor instead, because a gland that blocks repeatedly can be removed safely.
Bumps on the Nipple or Areola: What Else Could It Be?
Most small bumps around the nipple are Montgomery glands, but not all of them. The chart below shows the most common causes of bumps on the areola, and the signs that mean a bump should be checked.
Pimple on the Areola or Nipple
The areola has hair follicles and oil glands, so it can get spots just like the rest of your skin. A pimple on the areola is usually a single red spot, often with a white head, centred on a hair follicle, and it may be tender. Inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis) are more likely with sweat, tight clothing, or shaving and plucking the hairs around the nipple. An ingrown hair looks similar, but you may see the hair curled under the skin. Both usually settle with a warm compress and by leaving them alone. A pimple on the nipple itself is less common, and a spot on the nipple that bleeds, crusts or doesn’t heal should be checked.
White Spots on the Nipple or Areola
White spots on the areola are usually Montgomery glands or a blocked gland, and little bumps on the nipples with white stuff inside, when you’re not breastfeeding, are usually the same thing. If you are breastfeeding, a white spot on the tip of the nipple is more likely to be a milk bleb, a tiny blocked nipple pore that can make feeding painful. Speak to your midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding specialist about a milk bleb. A white or red patch on the nipple that doesn’t improve should be checked by a GP.
Itchy Bumps on the Areola
Montgomery glands aren’t usually itchy. Itchy bumps on the areola are more likely to be eczema or irritation from soap, washing powder, a new bra or sweat, particularly if the skin is also dry or flaky. Our guide to rash under the breast covers the common skin causes and how to treat them. An itchy, scaly rash that starts on the nipple and affects one side only should be seen by a GP, as explained below.
Pea-Sized Lump on the Areola
A pea-sized lump on or just under the areola can be a blocked Montgomery gland or a small cyst, especially if it has a visible opening or a pale centre. Lumps in this area can have other causes, so any new lump that you can feel, as opposed to a surface bump you can see, should be checked by your GP, particularly if it’s still there after your next period or is getting bigger.
Extra Nipple or Accessory Breast Tissue
A small, darker bump away from the areola may be an extra nipple (polythelia). These form along the “milk line” that runs from the armpit to the groin and are often mistaken for moles. Accessory breast tissue in the armpit can also swell during pregnancy. Our guides to third nipple removal and accessory breast tissue removal explain both.
Montgomery Glands in Men
Men have Montgomery glands too. They are part of the normal skin of the areola in both sexes, but in men they are usually small and less noticeable because they aren’t stimulated by the hormones of pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. Bumps on the areola in men are usually Montgomery glands, hair follicles or ingrown hairs, and they can look more obvious when the areola is stretched or raised, for example with puffy nipples. A firm, rubbery disc of tissue directly behind the nipple is more likely to be gynecomastia than a Montgomery gland, and a hard or one-sided lump in a man’s breast should always be checked by a GP.
How to Get Rid of Montgomery Glands
Normal Montgomery glands don’t need treatment, and no cream, supplement or natural remedy will shrink them. Toothpaste, lemon juice, acne products and exfoliating scrubs are more likely to irritate the delicate skin of the areola than to make any difference. The glands often become less noticeable on their own: in the months after pregnancy and breastfeeding (our guide to breasts after breastfeeding covers the other changes that follow), as hormone levels settle through the cycle, and after menopause.
Treatment makes sense in a few situations: a gland that keeps getting blocked, a gland that has been infected more than once, a Montgomery cyst that doesn’t settle, or one or two enlarged glands that bother you.
Montgomery Gland Removal Surgery
At Centre for Surgery, Montgomery gland removal is a short procedure under local anaesthetic. The surgeon numbs the area, removes the enlarged gland or cyst through a small incision, and closes the skin with fine stitches, and you go home the same day. The tissue removed is sent to a laboratory for analysis (histology), which is charged separately.
As with any procedure, there are risks, including a small scar, a change in sensation around the site, infection, and the gland returning if it couldn’t all be removed. Montgomery glands play a part in breastfeeding, so talk this through at your consultation if you’re planning to breastfeed in future; removing one or two troublesome glands is very different from removing many.
If the Size of Your Areola Is the Concern
Sometimes it’s the areola as a whole, rather than the bumps, that bothers people, particularly after pregnancy, breastfeeding or a change in weight. An areola reduction makes the areola smaller and can be done on its own or with a breast lift, and a nipple reduction addresses nipples that are larger or longer than you’d like.
Can Montgomery Glands Be Cancer? When to See a Doctor
Montgomery glands themselves are normal and are not a sign of breast cancer. Having lots of them, or noticing them for the first time, doesn’t mean anything is wrong. The changes worth getting checked are different: a new lump, a change that affects one side only, or a change to the skin of the nipple itself.
One condition to know about is Paget’s disease of the nipple, a rare condition linked to breast cancer. It always starts on the nipple and may spread to the areola, and it looks like a red, scaly rash that can be sore, itchy or burning, similar to eczema. The NHS notes that it affects about 1 to 4% of women with breast cancer (NHS). Unlike Montgomery glands, it looks like a rash rather than a set of separate bumps.
See your GP if you notice:
- a new lump in the breast or armpit, or a lump under the areola that doesn’t go away
- a red, scaly or crusting rash on the nipple, especially on one side only
- bleeding or blood-stained discharge from the nipple
- a nipple that has newly turned inwards or changed position
- dimpled or puckered skin on the breast, like orange peel
- a Montgomery gland that is red, hot and painful, or a bump that keeps growing
Most of these turn out to have a harmless cause, but they should be examined rather than watched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every woman have Montgomery glands?
Almost every woman does. In a study of 121 new mothers, 97% had visible areolar glands. How many you can see ranges from none to more than 20 on each areola, and all of these are normal.
Do Montgomery glands go away?
They don’t disappear completely, because they’re a normal part of the areola, but they often become much less noticeable once hormone levels settle, for example in the months after pregnancy or breastfeeding, at other points in the menstrual cycle, or after menopause.
What is the white stuff coming out of a bump on my areola?
It is usually the oily secretion of a Montgomery gland, or thicker trapped oil from a gland that has been blocked. It isn’t milk or pus. If the bump is also red, hot and painful, or the discharge is yellow-green or smells, see your GP, as the gland may be infected.
How long do clogged Montgomery glands last?
Most clear within a few days to two weeks with warm compresses and gentle washing. If a blocked gland lasts longer than two weeks, keeps coming back or gets bigger, have it checked.
Are Montgomery glands an early sign of pregnancy?
They can be. Many women notice their Montgomery glands getting bigger in early pregnancy, along with darker areolas and sore breasts. The same changes can happen before a period or with hormonal contraception, though, so a pregnancy test is the only way to know.
Do Montgomery glands come and go?
They can seem to. The glands are always there, but they become more or less visible with hormonal changes through the month, in the cold, and when the areola contracts with touch.
Do men have Montgomery glands?
Yes. Montgomery glands are part of the areola in men as well as women, although they’re usually smaller and less noticeable in men.
Can Montgomery glands be removed?
Yes. A Montgomery gland that keeps blocking, has been infected, or has formed a cyst can be removed under local anaesthetic. Normal glands don’t need removing.
Montgomery Gland Removal at Centre for Surgery
If a Montgomery gland keeps blocking, has been infected, or has formed a cyst that won’t settle, a consultation at Centre for Surgery will confirm what it is and whether removal is the right option for you. Montgomery gland removal is performed under local anaesthetic at our Baker Street hospital in central London, which is regulated by the Care Quality Commission and rated Good overall. The surgeon who assesses you is the surgeon who performs your procedure.
Your initial consultation is £100, redeemable against the cost of treatment if you go ahead.
Phone: 020 7993 4849 | Email: contact@centreforsurgery.com | Address: 95-97 Baker Street, London W1U 6RN
References
- Schaal B, Doucet S, Sagot P, Hertling E, Soussignan R. Human breast areolae as scent organs: morphological data and possible involvement in maternal-neonatal coadaptation. Dev Psychobiol. 2006;48(2):100-110. doi:10.1002/dev.20122
- Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B. The secretion of areolar (Montgomery’s) glands from lactating women elicits selective, unconditional responses in neonates. PLoS One. 2009;4(10):e7579. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007579
- Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B. An overlooked aspect of the human breast: areolar glands in relation with breastfeeding pattern, neonatal weight gain, and the dynamics of lactation. Early Hum Dev. 2012;88(2):119-128. doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.07.020
- Kandi LA, Hammond JB, Thornburg DA, et al. Can Montgomery tubercles impact aesthetic 3D nipple-areolar complex tattooing? An anatomical, quantitative analysis of breast cancer patients. Am J Surg. 2023;225(1):99-102. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.11.005
- Alex A, Bhandary E, McGuire KP. Anatomy and physiology of the breast during pregnancy and lactation. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1252:3-7. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-41596-9_1
- Wallace D, Sian A, Carne A, Irvine TE. Diagnosis and management of retroareolar cysts in adolescents: a case report. J Surg Case Rep. 2013;2013(7):rjt052. doi:10.1093/jscr/rjt052
- Almuhanna AF, Almuhanna AF, Alzuabi RS, Alshamlan RA, Almarhoon FH. Cyst of Montgomery: an uncommon adolescent breast lump. J Family Community Med. 2020;27(2):138-141. doi:10.4103/jfcm.JFCM_288_19
- Blech H, Friebe K, Krause W. Inflammation of Montgomery glands. Acta Derm Venereol. 2004;84(1):93-94. doi:10.1080/00015550410024878
- NHS. Paget’s disease of the nipple. nhs.uk
