Ahan, that’s right. Mark Wahlberg – Hollywood heavyweight, fitness mogul, and action hero – has a third nipple. And he’s not alone! Turns out, extra nipples are more common than you’d think, with stars like Snowpiercer’s Tilda Swinton, pop singer Lily Allen, and the late Bill Paxton all joining him in the third-nipple club.
So, how common is this unique body quirk? The condition – scientifically called “polythelia” – affects an estimated one in every 500 people or about 0.2% of the population. But not all extra nipples are created equal! Researchers in the early 1900s set up a whole classification system for them. There’s category six, which is just an extra nipple without an areola, and the far rarer category one, known as “polymastia,” where the extra nipple comes with entire breast tissue. And Wahlberg? He falls in that classic category six, with a small, extra nipple.
The real kicker here? Extra nipples can show up just about anywhere, not just along the chest or stomach. Some people have even had them on their shoulders or thighs – there’s a bizarre case in 1827 of a French woman who nursed her kids with a third breast on her leg! The cause of these misplaced milk-makers is a genetic quirk during embryonic development. As the body forms, “milk lines” stretch from the armpits down to the thighs, but sometimes these lines don’t entirely disappear, leaving behind minor marks that can eventually develop into a supernumerary nipple.
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And they can be pesky. A rare few can even lactate in sync with their “two sanctioned colleagues,” as one medical researcher once said. They’re sensitive to hormone changes, just like regular nipples, so that they can change color, swell, and, yes, sometimes lactate.
Historically, third (or more) nipples were seen as mystical symbols of fertility. Ancient Greeks depicted Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, with extra nipples.
And in the 1800s, doctors still believed men with extras were more virile. Even Charles Darwin got in on the action, writing about them as possible remnants of our animal ancestors. Mammals like dogs and pigs have multiple nipples along their milk lines, so Darwin speculated that these extra nipples in humans might be a throwback to our evolutionary past.
Yet, when these extra nipples show up outside the milk lines – called ectopic nipples – it’s even rarer, with a few found on backs, necks, and faces. One theory? These might be modified sweat glands that somehow turn into nipples during development.
So, how does Wahlberg feel about his? He’s surprisingly chill, calling it just “another body part.” And he’s kept it natural, choosing not to get it surgically removed. Like many others, he just rolls with it – a little extra charm for a guy who’s got enough of it already.
For more such updates, check out Hollywood News.
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