Areola

The human areola (areola mammae, /əˈriːələ/ or /ˌæriˈoʊlə/) is the specialized area of skin on the breast around the nipple that is contrastedly pigmented. More generally, an areola is a small circular area on the body with a different histology from the surrounding tissue, or other small circular areas such as an inflamed region of skin.

The mature human female nipple has several small openings arranged radially around the tip of the lactiferous ducts, from which milk is released during lactation. The other small openings in the areola are sebaceous glands, also known as areolar glands. The nipple and areola are often considered together; many cultures necessitate their covering for public decency.