Let me try again, Ilene.  I really, really do understand the moist wound healing
information and believe it.  The mothers I deal with tell me that the modified
lanolin is helpful in easing soreness, and invaluable if a crack has occured.
The citation by Sharp (a dematologist) is an article, not a study, and he refers
to the hair dryer.  "Rapid drying causes the stratum corneum to shrink
irregularly, and the resulting tension on this layer of skin can cause it to
crack and break.  Thus, treatments for sore or cracked nipples that accelerate
the drying process, i.e., using a hair dryer or even air drying in areas of low
humidity, may well lead to further drying and cracking."  Makes sense to me.

And, I do not know whether drying these nipples better before they fold in will
help or not, BUT please do not be too quick to assume there is one right answer
for everything.  These are NOT your standard nipples!  The article by Sue Huml
in Leaven also notes the contribution to sore and cracked nipples from
"continual surface wetness,"  thus, Lisa's suggestion to try to dry them better
in case they were remaining continuously moist.

I've been a nurse for a long time, a LLL Leader for 13 years, an IBCLC for 6,
and I've never seen nipples like these.  The positioning is okay to the best of
my knowledge, she'd used modified lanolin for weeks, and the soreness continues.
It's still my best guess that the unusual tissue may be the reason for the
continued soreness, but I'm not a dermatologist and I don't have one to refer
to.  I'm open to suggestions if anybody has another one; in the meantime, we'll
give the hairdryer a try.

Becky Krumwiede, RN, IBCLC
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Queen of open-mindedness today!