SUPERNUMERARY NIPPLE

A 'supernumerary nipple' (also known as a 'third nipple', 'accessory nipple', 'polythelia' or 'polymastia') is an additional nipple occurring in mammals, including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 2% in women, lower in men. The nipples appear along the two vertical "milk lines", which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast in miniature. ''Polythelia'' refers to the presence of an additional nipple alone while ''polymastia'' denotes the much rarer presence of additional mammary glands.

Contents

Notable examples

In popular culture

References

External links

See also

Notable examples

★ Actor Zac Efron has two supernumerary nipples below his regular ones. These can be seen in photographs from his 2007 trip to Hawaii.

★ Rudolf Hess (April 26, 1894–August 17, 1987)

★ Actor and singer Mark Wahlberg has a supernumerary nipple below his normal left nipple.^[1] It was, however, airbrushed out of the Calvin Klein underwear ads in which Wahlberg modeled.^[2]

★ The model Masuimi Max has four nipples. She frequently models nude, revealing the supernumary nipples are visible as small, symmetrical freckle-like marks between her breasts and armpits, along the milk line.

★ Anne Boleyn, second wife to Henry VIII of England, and mother of Elizabeth I, is said have had a third nipple or even a third breast. This may well have been a slanderous rumour, as in Tudor times these "malformations" were considered to be a sign of the person having been a witch. The circumstances of her marriage to the king, who had divorced his first wife, made her a controversial figure.^[3]

★ Carrie Underwood said in her first American Idol audition,[1] when Paula wasn't present, that she had a third nipple but had it removed even though it just looked like a mole.

★ Lily Allen has a third nipple,[2].^[4]

In popular culture

Fictional characters said to have "a third nipple" include:

★ (1938) Fred Hale/Cauley Kipper in the novel ''Brighton Rock'' by Graham Greene had a supernumerary nipple.

★ (1974) The assassin Francisco Scaramanga from the James Bond book and movie ''The Man with the Golden Gun''

★ (1990) One of the mutant prostitutes in the movie ''Total Recall'' has three breasts (arranged horizontally), and thus three nipples (as evidenced by exposure of them).

★ (c. 1994) Chandler Bing from the ''Friends'' TV show. He refers to his third nipple as his "nubbin", but eventually has it removed via an operation he calls a "nubbinectomy" (the word implying surgical removal of a nubbin). When asked by another character (Ross) if it could "do" anything, he replied that it could "open the delivery entrance to the magical land of Narnia."

★ (1995) Telly in the movie ''Kids'' says "that's my triple nipple" after being asked about a mark on his body.

★ (1995) Fortune teller Miss Ivannah from the movie ''Mallrats'' (although this is a fake – after the protagonists leave her shop, she peels the fake third nipple from her breast and eats it.)

★ (1996) Dr. Noah Faulkner in the film ''Bio-Dome''

★ (1999) Kif Kroker from the ''Futurama'' TV show: his three nipples occur in a single horizontal row across his chest. However, since he is a humanoid alien, it could be argued that his third nipple is not, in fact, supernumerary, and rather may be considered a normal number for a member of his species.

★ (c. 1999) In an ''Ed, Edd and Eddy'' episode, Eddy gets the boys temporarily out of a potentially embarrassing situation by falsely claiming that Ed "has three nipples like that bad guy in James Bond". When Ed asks where it is, Eddy pinches one of Ed's nipples.

★ (2000) In an episode of Family Guy, Peter tries to convince a Make A Wish-type organization that his son Chris is dying by making multiple fake "nipples" made of pepperoni on his body.

★ (2002) Malcolm's classmate Dabne in the ''Malcolm in the Middle'' TV show, episode 314 ''Cynthia's Back'' (which aired February 17 2002) Line: "I wonder if my third nipple can get me out of wrestling?"

★ (2002) Mrs. Selman from the Adam Sandler's film ''Eight Crazy Nights'' has a third nipple and breast.

★ (2002) Johann van der Smut, AKA Goldmember from the movie ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' has a third nipple.

★ (c. 2003) Dr. Archie Morris from the ''ER'' TV show.

★ Krusty the Clown from ''The Simpsons'' has a "superfluous third nipple".

References

1. MarkWahlberg.com forum discussion of the topic (non-authoritative, by its nature)
2. "Mark Wahlberg: People Profile", no byline, ''People'' magazine (online edition), "Spotlight" section, no authorship date given; retrieved 23 March 2007
3. Article on the topic of Boleyn's third nipple/breast —
4.

External links

★ ''Healthwise'' "Accessory nipples (polythelia) and breast tissue (polymastia)" at uhseast.com, accessed 26 December 2004

★ BBC: Cancer hope over breast gene find at BBC

★ ''My physical deformity'' at infactah.com

★ ''The Superfluous Nipple'' news and information blog.

See also

★ Accessory breast, a condition where an entire additional breast is present rather than simply an additional nipple