I am confused about which nerves control areola contraction. Are they different to the nerves that control sensation?

Nipple/areola sensation is provided by branches of the lateral fourth intercostal nerve in most patients, and sometimes via branches of the third and fifth. These are sensory nerves that can sometimes be cut during breast surgery (creating a pocket for breast implants, or flaps for breast lift). If they are cut, sensation is permanently lost, but if the nerve(s) are bruised or simply stretched during surgery, they will heal, and sensation will recover. Loss of sensation occurs about 5-10% of the time with breast implants alone, and 15% or so with breast lifts or lifts plus implants. Since you have some sensation, this should recover over 6-12 months.Manual nipple/areola stimulation, cold, and other stimuli can cause the smooth muscles attached to this area to contract, causing nipple protrusion and areolar contraction, just as a bump in the dark can make your hairs stand on end. These smooth muscles are under autonomic control and have nothing to do with the sensory nerves discussed above.Based on your provided information, you should recover most if not all sensation and ability to contract your nipples over time. I would not worry about these items! Best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Areola contraction is a local phenomenon and not controlled by nerves like normal sensation. On could graft your areola to your thigh and it stool might contract when stimulated though obviously numbDr Corbin

Yes and no.  The nipple areola is innervated by the fourth intercostal nerve so the same main nerve trunk that since the nerves to the nipple areola for sensation also carries the nerves for nipple contraction.  However the type of nerve fiber contained within the fourth intercostal nerve is different for each modality.  The nerves that cause contraction are motor nerves which means that they stimulate contraction of the muscle.  The nerves that control sensation or sensory nerves which means that they do not control muscle function but simply return sensory are sensation impulses back to the brain.Your experience is not unusual in that the local nipple  contraction response can be present even in the absence of sensation although sensation usually returns.