Nipple Reconstruction & Tattooing
Nipple reconstruction
If the nipple has to be removed during mastectomy or lumpectomy and it is not possible to graft the nipple on to the breast during the immediate reconstruction, it is usually possible to have a nipple made later. This is usually done some time after the breast reconstruction has healed and settled into its final shape and position. This enables the surgeon to position the nipple accurately, in line with the one on your other breast.
Various techniques may be used for nipple reconstruction. Surgery using a local skin flap generally creates a nipple shape on the breast. This can usually be done as day surgery under local anaesthetic. Six to eight weeks later the nipple and areola are tattooed to give the right colour. The nipple may be reconstructed from grafted skin tissue, taken from other suitable areas of your body. Two areas that may be used are the nipple and areola from the remaining natural breast and the top of the inner thigh, where the skin is darker in colour.
It is important to be realistic about what to expect from a reconstructed nipple -it will not behave in the same way or have the same sensation as a natural nipple.
Nipple tattooing
Following breast reconstruction a new areola (the coloured disc surrounding the nipple) can be created using a technique called "intradermal micropigmentation" - tattooing! Many women find this procedure enhances the reconstruction making it appear "finished".
A trained prctitioner will carry out the procedure approximately 6 weeks after a nipple reconstruction. Many women will need no anaesthetic at all, some require local anaesthetic cream and in the most sensetive cases an injection of local anaesthetic will be offered. The procedure will take about 30-40 minutes during which a semi-permanent pigment is injected under sterile conditions to prevent infection. The exact colour will depend upon your skin tone and the amount injected will vary slightly from person to person. A dressing will be applied over the tatttooed area and can be removed after 2-3 days. Your practioner will give you aftercare instructions. Sometimes the procedure will need to be repeated and a couple of coatings will usually last 18 months to 2 years. In some cases the opposite nipple will need to be tattooed to obtain a good match.
Some women choose not to have their nipple reconstructed and in these cases tattooing can create the illusion of a nipple. Some women may opt to have a prosthetic nipple and others nothing at all.
If the nipple has to be removed during mastectomy or lumpectomy and it is not possible to graft the nipple on to the breast during the immediate reconstruction, it is usually possible to have a nipple made later. This is usually done some time after the breast reconstruction has healed and settled into its final shape and position. This enables the surgeon to position the nipple accurately, in line with the one on your other breast.
Various techniques may be used for nipple reconstruction. Surgery using a local skin flap generally creates a nipple shape on the breast. This can usually be done as day surgery under local anaesthetic. Six to eight weeks later the nipple and areola are tattooed to give the right colour. The nipple may be reconstructed from grafted skin tissue, taken from other suitable areas of your body. Two areas that may be used are the nipple and areola from the remaining natural breast and the top of the inner thigh, where the skin is darker in colour.
It is important to be realistic about what to expect from a reconstructed nipple -it will not behave in the same way or have the same sensation as a natural nipple.
Nipple tattooing
Following breast reconstruction a new areola (the coloured disc surrounding the nipple) can be created using a technique called "intradermal micropigmentation" - tattooing! Many women find this procedure enhances the reconstruction making it appear "finished".
A trained prctitioner will carry out the procedure approximately 6 weeks after a nipple reconstruction. Many women will need no anaesthetic at all, some require local anaesthetic cream and in the most sensetive cases an injection of local anaesthetic will be offered. The procedure will take about 30-40 minutes during which a semi-permanent pigment is injected under sterile conditions to prevent infection. The exact colour will depend upon your skin tone and the amount injected will vary slightly from person to person. A dressing will be applied over the tatttooed area and can be removed after 2-3 days. Your practioner will give you aftercare instructions. Sometimes the procedure will need to be repeated and a couple of coatings will usually last 18 months to 2 years. In some cases the opposite nipple will need to be tattooed to obtain a good match.
Some women choose not to have their nipple reconstructed and in these cases tattooing can create the illusion of a nipple. Some women may opt to have a prosthetic nipple and others nothing at all.
