Nipple hypersensitivity could be dysesthesia

Do you know how painful and hypersensitive your leg is when it "falls asleep" and then wakes up? That pins and needles type of feeling? It's even painful to walk on. Sometimes, do you have to stamp your foot to get it to feel normal?

That is one type of dysesthesia that is due to compression of the nerve in your thigh.

Similar problems occur with nerves in your breast that travel to your nipple. When the implant stretches and rests on them, the nerves can be painful and tingling and burning. Generally this is worse for the first 10 days to 3 weeks and then gets better.

When this happens in hypersensitive fingertips after hand surgery, we send patients to physical therapists to perform scar massage.

For you, I would advise moving the implants around to promote softening of the tissues around the implant as well as massaging of the nipples to desensitize them. Of course, please consult with your surgeon.

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Changes in sensation and swelling are quite normal after augmentation.  Not uncommonly, women will develop hypersensitivity after implants for the first few weeks.  Although uncomfortable, it is a good sign that normal sensation will be present down the road.  If a periareolar incision was used, the swelling should resolve very soon as the incision heals. Gentle massage of the nipple with moisturizing creams is very effective in eliminating both the swelling and pain.  This should be done at least twice a day for approximately 1-2 minutes.  You can do this at the same time you do your implant massage exercises, as your doctor should have recommended.

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