What the operation changes
Areola and nipple reduction resizes the nipple-areola complex: the areola made smaller, a nipple that projects or hangs brought back into proportion with the breast or chest. It is done for women whose areolae have stretched after pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight change, and for men whose nipples project, often alongside gynecomastia surgery.
How it is done
The areola is reduced by removing a ring of skin at its outer edge and closing the surrounding skin back to the new border, so the scar falls where the colour already changes and is easy to miss once it has faded. Nipple projection is reduced separately, by taking a wedge from the nipple itself. Both are often done under local anaesthesia, and the two are frequently combined in one session.
Who it suits
People bothered by the size of the areola rather than the size of the breast, people with a difference between the two sides, and men left with prominent nipples after gland removal. If the breast itself needs lifting or reducing, this is usually done as part of a breast lift or breast reduction rather than on its own - which is decided at the examination.
Recovery
Most patients are up the same day. A dressing protects the area at first, sleeping on the front is avoided for a while, and the sutures around the areola settle over the following weeks. Sensation can be altered for a period and usually returns; your surgeon will say when to expect what, and what to avoid in the meantime.
What to know before deciding
The scar around the areola is permanent, even when it fades to a line you have to look for. Any operation on the nipple-areola complex can affect sensation and, in women, the ability to breastfeed - which is a conversation to have before surgery, not after. Nothing here is decided from a photograph: it follows an examination.
Photographs and the next step
Before and after photographs of this operation are on the results page, which also covers correction of an inverted nipple. To find out what would suit you, send photographs through the free consultation - a surgeon reads them and answers with what is possible, what it involves and what it costs.
FAQ about areola and nipple reduction
Will the scar show?
The scar is placed at the edge of the areola, where the colour already changes, and it fades over months. It is permanent, and it is visible on the photographs on the results page.
Can it be done with another operation?
Often, yes - with a breast lift, a breast reduction or gynecomastia surgery. Whether combining them is sensible in your case is decided at the examination.
Will I still be able to breastfeed?
Any operation on the nipple-areola complex can affect breastfeeding and sensation. Tell the surgeon if you may want to breastfeed later, because it changes how the operation is planned.