Women’s breasts have a wide variation in sizes and shapes. Many women are happy with the size or shape of their breasts but often express unhappiness with the appearance of their flat nipples and if this can be corrected. Many women often except having fat nipples as they may not be aware that there are highly effective treatments for nipple correction, such as inverted nipple correction or nipple reduction. A loss of self-confidence can result from women with flat nipples. Although having flat nipples it’s not considered a medical condition; they can present many practical difficulties with breastfeeding however, most women seek treatment to improve the appearance of their flat nipples.
Women often link their breasts and nipples with their femininity, and any conditions which can affect the appearance of the breasts may affect their ability to form intimate relationships. Nipples that appear flatter than usual may result in women feeling unhappy. Women may even feel self-conscious around their partners or avoid wearing certain items of clothing which may conceal their fat nipples. Fortunately, there are highly effective treatments for correcting nipples that are flat at our London clinic.
How common are flat nipples?
Approximately one in ten women and men in the UK have nipples and be described as being flat or inverted, making this condition more common than many people think. Many people consider the normal nipple to protrude outwards from the surrounding skin. Normal nipples exhibit size changes due to temperature changes or sexual arousal. Fat nipples may exhibit similar behaviour and protrude during stimulation but return to a flattened appearance when not subject to stimulation.
Which nipple or areola correction procedure is right for me?
Compared with inverted nipples, which are often turned inwards, flat nipples are flush with the areola and surrounding skin and do not protrude or turn inwards. If you want to determine if you have flat nipples, the best method is to exert pressure on the surrounding areola. If the nipple does not protrude, then you may have fat nipples. If you want to get rid of fat nipples to restore self-confidence, get in touch with us today to book a face-to-face consultation with an expert breast surgeon in London.
What are the causes of flat nipples?
- Genetic – many people are born with flat nipples as nipples undergo their development whilst still in the womb. Milk ducts have a close relationship with how the nipple develops, and if these fail to develop properly, then your nipple may be pulled inwards.
- Ageing process – many women undergo changes in the appearance of their body with the passage of time, and these changes may also affect the appearance of the nipples. After the third decade of life, it is not uncommon to see your nipples change in size and shape. As many women approach menopause, the milk ducts contract, resulting in the nipple appearing flat or even inverted.
- Paget’s disease of the nipple is a type of breast cancer which requires urgent assessment by your GP. Although rare, the condition can affect the degree of nipple protrusion, with many nipples appearing flat and is linked with several associated symptoms, including itching, localised pain and possible discharge from the nipple.
How to get rid of flat nipples without surgery
Many women with flat nipples may not be keen to explore surgical options to correct this. The best way to determine the appropriate treatment is to have a face-to-face consultation with an expert breast surgeon, where the full range of options will be discussed.
- Hoffman method – the Hoffman method can be used to treat fat nipples or women that have very mild degrees of nipple inversion. The technique involves applying some pressure to either side of the nipple whilst also drawing your thumbs away from each other, which should result in the nipples protruding outwards.
- Nipple inversion devices – the Niplette device is applied for a minimum of six hours daily and is worn beneath the bra. The device is positioned over the nipples and applies continuous gentle suction pressure to make the nipples protrude outwards.
For a small number of women, these non-surgical techniques may provide some improvement to flat nipples, but it is unsure how long the results of treatment last. They should not be seen as a permanent form of treatment. The best way to treat fat nipples with permanent results is to have nipple correction surgery which can be easily carried out under a local anaesthetic.
How to get rid of flat nipples with surgery?
The only method of getting rid of flat nipples permanently is to have a minor surgical procedure for nipple correction. Women who choose to have this procedure do so to improve the cosmetic appearance of their nipples as there is rarely a medical indication to carry out the surgery. You may wish to consider the pros and cons of nipple correction surgery if you plan to breastfeed in the future. Although the risks of surgery affecting breastfeeding are very low, this will depend on the technique used by your surgeon, and whether you wish to breastfeed in the future will be taken into account when planning surgery. If you don’t intend to breastfeed then the procedure is much more straightforward to carry out.
Nipple correction for flat nipples covers various techniques which will be discussed with you at your consultation. Surgery for flat nipples can also be combined with reshaping nipples as part of a nipple reduction procedure if you are unhappy with the height and width of the nipple. Nipple correction is also effective for restoring symmetry between both nipples. This surgery is easily carried out under local anaesthetic when performed in isolation. Many women may choose to have nipple correction combined with other types of breast surgery such as breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction.
If you have flat nipples and have tried non-surgical treatments without success, we recommend having a consultation with an expert breast specialist at Centre for Surgery. We are recognised as one of the UK’s top clinics for cosmetic breast surgery, and our surgeons carry out hundreds of breast procedures each year. Our state-of-the-art Baker Street clinic is located in the heart of Central London.
