While many women desire to change the size of their breasts (either via breast augmentation or breast reduction), there are also some women who are not happy with other aspects of their breast appearance. For some women, the appearance of the nipple may be a concern. There are plastic surgery procedures available that can help to change the appearance of the nipple. These can be performed on their own, or as part of a breast augmentation or breast reduction procedure.
Reducing the size of the areola
The areola is the darker circular area around the nipple. In many women, they’re symmetrical, or very close to being so. If this is not the case, then surgery may be able to create a more symmetrical appearance of the nipples by reducing the size of the larger one so that it matches the smaller one. Some women feel that both of their areolas are too large, and they may choose to have an areola reduction in order to reduce the size of the areolas on both breasts.
During this procedure, the surgeon makes an incision around the outside of the areola and removes any excess tissue. Once the areola is reshaped, the incision around the areola is closed. After healing is complete, the resulting scar around the areola is generally fairly discreet and will not be easy for the casual observer to notice. This is because the transition from the regular skin to darker areola helps to disguise the scar.
Women may choose to have areola reduction performed while they are receiving a breast augmentation. If they want to do this, some women select the periareolar incision, which is performed around the areola, for their breast implant placement. However, this is not required; the areola can still be reduced if the implants are placed through a different incision. Areola reduction may also be performed as part of a breast reduction. In this case, there is already an incision being made around the areola as part of the procedure, and so changing the size of the areola will not require any additional incisions.
Nipple correction
If you have concerns about your areolas or nipples, then you may want to consult with a plastic surgeon to find out more about your options. A personalized evaluation by a plastic surgeon will help to determine whether you may be a good candidate for a procedure to change the appearance of your nipples, and will give you all of the information that you need to make your decision about whether or not it’s right for you.
If you’re in the area near Sydney, we invite you to book an appointment with Dr. Sjarif at one of our conveniently located offices. He will examine you, learn about your needs and goals (including the possibility that you may want to breastfeed in the future), and discuss your options with you. There is no pressure to proceed with surgery after your consultation; it’s simply an opportunity for you to get a professional opinion and have your questions answered, so that you can decide whether this surgery is something that you would like to pursue. Please contact our office if you’d like to book an appointment.
