17/18 year old female with puffy areolas
Hi, I'm a 17 (almost 18) year old female. I am content with the size and shape of my breasts, but incredibly self conscious of my nipples. I have 32C breasts that are round (not tubular in shape) but the entire areola is raised above my breast, and the nipple itself is flat, so it just looks like a raised dome on top of my breast. When I am cold, they're perfect. My areolas are flat and my nipples are pointy (they look perky and pretty, unlike their usual state). How much would it cost to fix this? And how involved would the procedure be (ex. could it be performed under local anesthesia)? They have always been like this since I began going through puberty, and my pediatrician told me I have finished developing. I am confident they are not going to become "normal" anytime soon, and I desperately want to get them fixed before I head off to college next year. I just want to know what would be involved before I bring it up with my pediatrician and then my mom.
After you discuss your concerns with your mom, see if she is willing to allow you to see a board certified plastic surgeon for an evaluation and objective assessment of your concerns. In general, unless your situation was at an extreme, most surgeons would not intervene at this time. So on the assumption that you may not be as bad as you think, no surgery should be done. As for going off to college, please do not use that as some deadline that something has to be done as being imperfect is completely human. But if your situation is at an extreme, your surgeon should have some options for you to consider.
A raised areola is a common problem and can be altered by surgery. The areola can be circumferentially trimmed and resewn. Cost would be about 1500.00 at a private surgical suite. Good luck...See a board certified ASAPS surgeon in consultation with your mom.
Hello. I have performed quite a bit of surgery on the areola over the past 20 years. Normally I would give an opinion, but I am concerned about your age. Not only are there anatomical issues, but hormonal issues that can contribute to your condition. If you haven't yet, I recommend that you go on a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon and have a thorough examination of the areola. Do not be afraid to ask questions about the anatomical and hormonal factors that could be influencing the appearance of the areola. Always bring a parent with you and make sure that you see more than one plastic surgeon. The anatomical influences will guide you well as to the best course of treatment. You should first hit the internet in order to understand the anatomy of the areola. Best of luck to you.
Thank you for your question and I understand your concern. You would need to be examined in person to know for sure what the issue is in your case. it is most likely due to excess fat beneath the areola that is protruding when your tissues are relaxed and compressed when you are cold and the muscles in your areola contract. If the tissue beneath your nipple/areola is soft, then it is most likely fat and can be treated with liposuction. If it is firm then it is most likely breast tissue and more difficult to remove without damage to the ducts and nerves to your nipples. As others have said, this is most likely just a common variant of normal and nothing to worry about. But, Speak with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in person.
Good Luck!
Dr Markmann
Your concern is most definitely understandable. You stated that when your nipple and areola are subjected to cooler temperatures that the shape/puffiness improves tells me that this improvement is due to small contractile muscle in the nipple/areola. These tiny contractile muscles area present in everyone and they are controlled by hormones from the brain. I say all of this because in my opinion surgery to change the nipple areola shape will not affect the “puffiness” of the nipple areola complexes.