Montgomery tubercles are a normal structure in which sebaceous glands within the areolar skin stand out on the surface. If their size is stable and they are painless, they do not need treatment. Removal is considered when the bumps become noticeably larger and blur the outline, inflammation keeps recurring, or the cosmetic stress is significant.
Contents
What kind of tissue are Montgomery glands?
Montgomery glands are modified sebaceous glands located within the areolar skin; they secrete an oily substance that protects the skin of the center and surroundings of the breast from drying or cracking.
- The gland opening rising slightly above the skin = a Montgomery tubercle
- During breastfeeding, the scent of the secretion can also act as a signal that helps the baby find the breast.
- Unlike acne, what is inside is not pus but a functioning gland.
Even if a little white sebum comes out when you press with your fingers, the bump itself does not disappear, and repeated irritation only leaves wounds and pigmentation. Men have the same structure, and the number and degree of protrusion vary greatly from person to person.[1]
How many are normal? The range of number, size and color
| Item | Normal range | Needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| Number | 4–28 per side, similar on both sides | Several new ones appear on one side only |
| Size | Size of a grain of millet, unchanged for months | Noticeably larger within a short period |
| Color and surface | Skin-colored or slightly lighter, smooth | Redness, warmth, broken surface |
| Discharge | A small amount of white sebum when pressed | Discharge mixed with pus or blood |
| Pain | None | Pain or itching that persists even without pressing |
Bumps that stay within the left-hand range do not need treatment. If even one item on the right applies, finding the cause comes before any procedure.
Individual variation in number is also confirmed by data. When the Mayo Clinic in the US analyzed photos of 211 women (399 breasts), there was an average of 5.0 Montgomery tubercles per breast, ranging from 0 to 25, and there were more in premenopausal women.[3]
Why they suddenly become prominent
- Hormonal change (most common): puberty, before periods, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause. It is so common that more than half of women who have been pregnant experience it, and most return to their original state once that period passes.
- Friction and pressure: tight underwear and rough fabrics in constant contact irritate the gland openings and make them swell
- Blocked openings: when sebum cannot drain, they enlarge, redden and become painful
- Rapid weight change and stress: affect the amount of secretion
Thinking back first on whether any of these happened when the bumps grew can narrow down the cause.
Related readingWhat problems arise if you squeeze the bumps, and how to care for them at home, is covered in "Bumps around the areola: can you squeeze them like pimples?" (Korean).
When should removal be considered?
- Size: have they grown beyond millet-grain size, blurring the outline and showing even through thin clothing?
- Recurring inflammation: does the same spot flare up again every few months?
- Cosmetic stress: do you avoid revealing clothes or keep worrying about them in the mirror?
- Differential diagnosis done: has it been confirmed that they are not other lesions such as sebaceous cysts, dermatitis or duct disease?
Even when all four conditions are met, the aim is not to remove every Montgomery tubercle. Because the remaining glands must keep performing their protective function, the principle is to decide first how many to leave.
A selective refinement procedure picks out only the most protruding bumps. It takes 30–50 minutes under sedation, needs no hospital stay, and finishes without stitch removal. It is designed to avoid the nerve pathways for nipple sensation.[2]
Related readingIf the size of the areola itself bothers you more than the bumps, check how scarring and sensation preservation differ by incision method. See "Areola reduction: how do scars and recovery differ by incision method?".
Common myths and facts — Montgomery tubercles
| What many people think… | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| "They're pimples, so squeezing will get rid of them." | Montgomery glands are functioning glands, so they do not disappear by squeezing. Repeated irritation leaves only wounds and pigmentation. |
| "If they increased without pregnancy, it's abnormal." | They can also stand out from increased secretion before periods, with weight change or stress. If only the number increases, without pain or color change, it is often within the normal range. |
| "Ointment or at-home laser will remove them." | Acne ointment cannot remove the sebaceous gland itself, and at-home lasers easily leave scarring and pigmentation. |
| "Once removed, they won't come back." | Refined bumps rarely rise again in the same place, but the glands left behind can stand out with hormonal changes.[3] |
When to see a doctor first, not for cosmetic reasons
In the following situations, seeing a doctor for the cause comes before a cosmetic consultation.
- Several new bumps appear on one side only
- The size changes noticeably within a few weeks
- The bumps are red, swollen and warm, with discharge mixed with pus or blood
- A palpable lump in the breast or armpit
- An inward-pulling, retracted change in the center
- Dimpling of the skin
At this stage, not touching the bumps and just keeping the area clean while recording how it changes is helpful for the consultation.[4]
In consultations about Montgomery tubercles, I stress that "the yardstick is not the number, but how fast they change and what symptoms come with them." If they have been unchanged for months and are painless, the principle is to leave them; if they have grown enough to obscure the outline or inflammation keeps recurring, consider a consultation for selective removal of only the most protruding ones; and if a change on one side comes with discharge, see a doctor first. Splitting it into these three paths reduces both unnecessary procedures and missed warning signs.
Montgomery tubercles are not lesions to be removed but a normal structure showing on the surface. Selective removal is considered only when four conditions are met — size, recurring inflammation, cosmetic stress and completed differential diagnosis — and the principle is to set the criteria first for keeping only the necessary areas treated, not all of them.
🔬 Supporting research
Peer-reviewed international journal articles that support this article. Click a title to open the PubMed abstract.
- PLoS One 2009 — newborn behavioral experiment The secretion of areolar (Montgomery's) glands from lactating women elicits selective, unconditional responses in neonates. Key finding: secretions from breastfeeding mothers' Montgomery glands triggered the strongest breathing and sucking responses in newborns — a functioning gland In text [1] · PMID 19851461 · DOI
- American Journal of Surgery 2023 — photo analysis, 211 women · 399 breasts Can Montgomery tubercles impact aesthetic 3D nipple-areolar complex tattooing? An anatomical, quantitative analysis of breast cancer patients. Key finding: average 5.0 per breast (0–25) — the normal range of number is wide In text [3] · PMID 36404166 · DOI
🎬 Watch — Dr. Park Seong-Soo · BongBong Plastic Surgery
Related videos from BongBong Plastic Surgery's official channel and Dr. Park Seong-Soo's channel. Videos are in Korean and play on YouTube.
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4:37 How to remove Montgomery tubercles that became prominent after breast surgery, root and all (Korean) (Korean) Dr. Park's channel · 2026.06.09 -
0:59 Why you shouldn't squeeze Montgomery tubercles (Korean) (Korean) Dr. Park's channel · 2026.06.11 -
3:48 Nipples and areolas complete a beautiful breast! Everything about nipple and areola reduction (Korean) (Korean) BongBong official · 2018.07.31
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
They suddenly increased even though I'm not pregnant. Is that abnormal?
Increased sebum secretion before periods, with weight change or stress, can also make the bumps stand out. If only the number has increased, without pain or color change, it is often within the normal range, and you can watch it for a few weeks.
Is it okay if men have them?
Montgomery glands are a structure men also have, so visible bumps alone are not abnormal. However, if a lump or discharge appears together on one breast only, a medical visit is needed regardless of sex.
Can I remove them at home with ointment or a laser?
Acne ointment cannot remove the sebaceous gland itself, and at-home lasers or squeezing easily leave scarring and pigmentation. If you want them gone, selective removal after a diagnostic visit is the way to reduce scarring.
Do they come back after removal?
Because refining a bump removes the gland itself, it rarely rises again in the same place, but the glands left behind can stand out with hormonal changes.
How many are normal?
4–28 per side, similar on both sides, is within the normal range. Having many is not a problem, and people in whom they are not noticeable are not abnormal either.
📖 References
Click a [number] in the text to jump to its source, and ↩ to return. Only papers whose title, journal and year were verified on PubMed are listed.
- ↩ 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.PMID 19851461 · DOI— secretions from breastfeeding mothers' Montgomery glands — triggered newborns' breathing and sucking responses
- ↩ 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):100-10.PMID 16489591 · DOI— study of the form of maternal areolar glands — individual variation in number and distribution, linked to breastfeeding adaptation
- ↩ 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.PMID 36404166 · DOI— 211 women, 399 breasts — average 5.0 Montgomery tubercles (0–25), more before menopause
- ↩ Lyons D, Wahab RA, Vijapura C, Mahoney MC. The nipple-areolar complex: comprehensive imaging review. Clin Radiol. 2021;76(3):172-184.PMID 33077158 · DOI— imaging review of the nipple–areola complex — differentiating benign and malignant lesions
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