Nipple Surgery: What You Need to Know

Medically reviewed by Dr. Luis MaciasBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonReviewed on September 26, 2023
Written byMari MalcolmUpdated on September 25, 2023
RealSelf ensures that an experienced doctor who is trained and certified to safely perform this procedure has reviewed this information for medical accuracy.You can trust RealSelf content to be unbiased and medically accurate. Learn more about our content standards.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Luis MaciasBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonReviewed on September 26, 2023
Written byMari MalcolmUpdated on September 25, 2023
RealSelf ensures that an experienced doctor who is trained and certified to safely perform this procedure has reviewed this information for medical accuracy.You can trust RealSelf content to be unbiased and medically accurate. Learn more about our content standards.

Fast facts

87% Worth It rating based on 15 reviews

$2,800 average cost

Up to 1 week of downtime

Local anesthesia with or without IV sedation


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Nipple surgery can change the size or shape of your nipples, making them smaller, more symmetrical, or more proportionate to your breasts.

It can also turn inverted nipples outward, repair damaged nipples, or reconstruct nipples that have been damaged or removed during a mastectomy. 

This plastic surgery procedure is often combined with another breast surgery, including breast augmentation, a breast lift, breast reduction, or breast reconstruction. 

These are the primary types of nipple surgery, according to Dr. Luis Macias, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Marina del Ray, California. Surgical techniques vary, so take time during your initial consultation to thoroughly discuss your concerns and make sure you understand the proposed treatment plan.

Inverted nipple correction surgery

  • Nipple inversion can be caused by the milk ducts tethering to the nipples and pulling them inward.
  • This surprisingly common concern doesn’t pose health risks, but inversion can interfere with breastfeeding or make people feel self-conscious.
  • During inverted nipple surgery, a surgeon cuts under the nipples to free them from the surrounding tissue, then secures them into position with small sutures.
  • Some surgeons also apply small stents to keep them in the protruding position. Those should remain on the nipples for the first week of healing time. 
  • Some surgeons perform milk duct-sparing inverted nipple correction, while some sever the duct.

Nipple or areola reduction

  • Reducing the size of the pigmented skin surrounding the nipple is a relatively minor surgical procedure, performed under local anesthesia. Learn more.
  • To reduce large nipples, a plastic surgeon either makes a small incision around the base of the nipple (encompassing the pigmented area) and removes excess tissue, or amputates the end of the nipple and allows it to heal over a week. Finally, they carefully close the incision with tiny sutures.  

Extra nipple removal

  • A “supernumerary nipple” (or third nipple) can be removed with a simple surgical excision and requires only local anesthetic.
  • The surgeon makes an incision and removes the nipple with a scalpel or laser, before closing the incision with sutures. 

Nipple enlargement or enhancement

  • Increasing the size and appearance of the nipple can involve either a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure or plastic surgery.
  • Dermal fillers like JuvĂ©derm, Restylane, or Radiesse can be injected into the nipple, to add volume for up to a year.
  • An option with more longevity is fat transfer. The surgeon harvests excess fat from another body area via liposuction, purifies the fat, and carefully injects it into the nipple to create the desired volume. Not all transferred fat survives, but the fat that remains after several months is considered permanent.

Nipple reconstructive surgery

  • During breast reconstruction, nipples can be created from surrounding skin (or skin taken from another area, like the abdomen) that’s sculpted into shape and secured by sutures.
  • Once the tissue has healed, color is tattooed on the nipple and a surrounding “areola.”
  • Nipple reconstruction techniques aren’t yet advanced enough to look entirely realistic, and the nipple sensation will be the same as the rest of your breast tissue. For these reasons, some women opt for 3-D nipple tattoos, which can look nearly as realistic.

Related: 6 Things You've Always Wondered About Areolas but Didn't Want to Ask

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Pros

  • Nipple surgeries are relatively quick, with little downtime when performed as a standalone procedure. 
  • When combined with other breast procedures, nipple surgery can help create a balanced, natural-looking result.
  • Performed in tandem with breast reconstruction, nipple reconstruction can help recreate the look of a complete breast, after breast cancer treatment that includes a mastectomy.
  • Reviewers on RealSelf give nipple surgery a 87% Worth It Rating, with many saying they got a big boost in confidence.  
  • Nipple surgeries can be performed under local anesthesia (with or without oral sedation), which is less expensive than IV sedation or general anesthesia.

Cons

  • Nipple surgeries carry a risk of lost nipple sensation from nerve damage, which can be temporary or long-lasting. 
  • While procedures on or around the nipples shouldn’t affect lactation, there’s a small risk that you may not be able to breastfeed after the surgery, particularly if you have inverted nipple correction that involves the milk ducts.  
  • Other potential complications include visible scars and asymmetry of the nipples or areola.
  • It’s rare but possible for inverted nipples to become re-tethered and inverted again, a year or more after what appears to be a successful surgery.

  • Average Cost:
  • $2,800
  • Range:
  • $4,300 - $50,000

Your cost will depend on your provider’s credentials and level of experience, their office location, and the scope of your procedure.

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The nipple surgery photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

Nipple cosmetic surgeries, including nipple reconstruction surgery, are outpatient procedures that typically take an hour or less. You’ll be able to go home the same day.

You should feel well enough to return to a desk job the next day, but avoid vigorous exercise or strenuous activity for at least two weeks.

Your provider will give you detailed aftercare instructions, but here’s what you can expect.

  • You’ll probably feel some pain and tenderness immediately after your procedure. This can usually be managed with an over-the-counter pain medication. If the pain intensifies, contact your doctor immediately; this could be a sign of infection.
  • It can take up to six weeks for swelling to go down and numbness to resolve.
  • Your doctor may also recommend a surgical bra or stent to protect your nipples during the recovery process.
  • You may need to sleep on your back with a wedge backrest as you’re healing.

Nipple surgery is considered to be safe, and most people don’t have any major side effects beyond discomfort, swelling, temporary numbness, and bruising.

However, your plastic surgeon should explain these potential risks. 

  • Infection: Keeping your nipples clean as they heal will help you reduce the risk of infection. Your surgeon will give you instructions on how to do that. 
  • Long-term numbness: Most patients have only a temporary loss of sensation, but if your surgery results in accidental nerve damage, numbness can be permanent.
  • Difficulty breastfeeding: It’s very unlikely but possible for milk ducts to be damaged during nipple surgery. Because of this (and for aesthetic reasons), it’s wise to wait until after you’re done breastfeeding to have any procedure that involves the nipples.

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Updated September 25, 2023

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