Nipple correction
An oversized or inverted nipple and a very wide areola can disrupt the look of otherwise harmonious, well-shaped breasts – in both women and men. Some irregularities are developmental, while others appear over time due to ageing, significant weight loss or breastfeeding. Nipple correction can be performed as a stand-alone procedure, but is most commonly combined with another surgery on the breasts or male chest, providing a complete aesthetic improvement of the chest area.
Inverted nipples
The most common cause of inverted nipples is short milk ducts. As the breast grows, the ducts do not lengthen proportionally, which pulls the nipple inward. In very rare cases, new-onset nipple inversion can be a sign of a serious condition such as breast cancer.
After surgical correction of an inverted nipple, breastfeeding is usually no longer possible, although in most cases it was already substantially impaired before surgery.
The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia. The patient can go home immediately and usually returns to regular daily and work activities right away.
Enlarged (hypertrophic) nipples
Sometimes the nipples are disproportionately large compared to the breast size. Even after breast augmentation, the size or projection of the nipple may remain bothersome.
With a minor surgical procedure under local anaesthesia, part of the nipple is removed and reshaped. This leaves only a minimal, practically invisible scar and preserves nipple sensitivity in most cases.
After the procedure, breastfeeding is generally no longer possible. The patient can go home straight after surgery and can usually resume normal daily and work activities immediately.
Enlarged areolae
Large areolae are most often the result of loosened, sagging breast tissue. Whenever we reshape and lift the breast, we usually reduce the areola at the same time.
In some patients, only the areola size is bothersome, while they are satisfied with the overall breast shape.
Using a minor procedure under local anaesthesia, we can reduce the diameter of the areola and, if needed, correct mild asymmetries in the position of the nipple and areola.
After the procedure, the patient can go home the same day and generally return to everyday activities and work right away.
What are inverted nipples, and how are they corrected?
When we talk about nipple correction, we may be referring to:
- reduction of a large nipple,
- correction of an inverted nipple,
- or combined reconstruction of both nipple and areola.
Inverted nipples can be congenital or may gradually develop during puberty or later in life. We restore the nipple to a projected, outward-pointing position using a minor outpatient procedure.
Sometimes the nipple is supported with internal stitches; in other cases, it is necessary to partially divide the tissue (milk ducts) that pull the nipple inward. If the milk ducts must be cut, there is a risk that breastfeeding will no longer be possible afterwards.
After two pregnancies and breastfeeding, my nipples have become very large. Can they be reduced?
Excessively prominent nipples can be congenital, but most often they develop as a result of breastfeeding.
Because this often occurs in combination with empty, sagging breasts after breastfeeding, both concerns are frequently addressed together – with breast augmentation and lift. This way, we improve the shape and volume of the breast and at the same time achieve an attractive appearance of the nipples.
If only the nipple itself is bothersome, it can be reduced with a dedicated reduction technique. If the areola is also too wide, we can simultaneously reduce its diameter for a more balanced and youthful look.
