Do you feel you have nipples that are too small for the size of your breasts? Do you think your nipples are too pale or generally asymmetrical? Have you had surgery or a trauma that has left your areola looking completely different to the other one?
This problem is quite common for both men and women alike. I see a number of patients that are concerned about this subject. Medical tattooing can be the answer for many of them. It is a way of drawing (permanently) the nipple areola complex back on; in the shape, colour and size that you require. There are different techniques that allow you to create protrusion of the actual nipple, and areola definition, ridges, highlights etc to create as realistic a look as possible.
The nipple areola complex can be affected by variation during the embryo development or breast maturation, or from other benign or malignant conditions. During a mastectomy, more often than not the nipple areola complex will be removed fully. A nipple can be surgically added afterwards from a section of skin, this takes approximately half an hour in surgery and 3-4 months for it to fully heal. During this time what starts off as a very long nipple because they always retract, very often can retract too much so that the area is flat after a few months.
When this happens, a 3D nipple can be tattooed with highlights and shading to create the illusion of protrusion. If the nipple stays protruded it can then be tattooed 3 months later with colour. The areola can also be added with medical tattooing to either match the existing one, if a unilateral mastectomy has been had, or, following a bilateral mastectomy the colour can be chosen to suit particular skin tones.
Many people will have reduced sensitivity in this area due to surgery, but if you have sensation and are worried about the pain involved, an anaesethic can be used to manage this. The majority of patients find it a relatively comfortable procedure.
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