A Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered. Areola is a term generally used to describe the area of dark-colored skin on the breast that surrounds the nipple. Areola can also be used to describe other small circular areas, such as the area around an inflamed pimple. The size and shape of the areola varies from person to person, but mature women for the most part have larger areolae than men and adolescents. This answer is based on source information from the National Cancer Institute.