Areola Reduction Surgery: Cost, Procedure, Possible Risks, and Complications

Suppose the way your areola looks makes you, as a person, feel insecure about yourself, and you have researched about areola reduction surgery. In that case, you may want to know the areola reduction surgery cost and whether or not if there is a non-surgical way to achieve the areola reduction. Read on; this content focuses on answering your questions about the areola reduction surgery cost and a few other things.

What is the Areola?

The areola is the small colored circular ring on the breast around the nipple. Generally, the areola is known to be small; however, in some cases, the size and shape of the areola can be highly variable.

The areolas of women are usually known to be larger than those of men and prepubescent girls. In addition, the areola can range from pink to red to brown to dark brown or nearly black but primarily tend to be paler among people with lighter skin tones and darker among people with darker skin tones.

The Tanner scale of female physical development shows that the human areola enlarges during stage 3, but they show no disengagement of contour. ¹)

While in stage 4, the areolae and papillae grow above breast level and form secondary mounds, and the breasts have fully developed by stage 5. This has resulted in a recession of the areolae, which may cause the papillae to grow a bit above the breasts’ contour because of the resulting recession of the areolae.

The areola diameter in sexually mature women is 38.1 mm (1.5 in) on average, but sizes can exceed 100 mm (4 in). On average, men’s areola is considered to be around 28.0 mm (1.1 in).

In lactating women, the areola helps protect the regular breast skin from irritation, cracking, and wearing as infants create trauma to the nipple and areolae by latching on.

What is Areola Reduction Surgery?

An areola reduction surgery is a surgical cosmetic procedure used to reduce the diameter or size of the areola to meet your respective choice and boost your self-confidence.

The surgical procedure is for women or men who feel the area around their nipple, the areola, is too big or of an unusual shape. It can be done with a breast lift, breast augmentation, breast reduction surgery, or alone.

While many women are happy with the size and shape of their breasts but find their areolas too large or misshapen, an areola reduction is an answer to correct the shape of the areola.

The larger areola is familiar in lactating women, especially women with large breasts; they are also something that does not need to be ashamed of.

If you have a large areola, there’s nothing wrong with you — you’re just the unfortunate recipient of this quirk of Mother Nature. However, if you still want to opt for surgery, you are encouraged to do what makes you feel confident!

It is also worth noting that areola reduction is not the same thing as breast argumentation; if you wanted one, you would get one.

Before undergoing areola reduction, you are advised to consult a doctor. During your consultation, your doctor will professionally put you through the risks in detail to make an informed decision. A trusted doctor is recommended so that you will not be pushed for surgery, and they will give you all the time and guidance you need to make a decision.

Why Have an Areola Reduction Surgery?

Some individuals are affected so severely by the size of their nipples and areola area that they resort to becoming celibate. The excellent news for these persons is that plastic surgeons have found a way to reduce the size of the nipple and areola successfully.

Not only is it now a quick and straightforward procedure, but it can also have the person ready to face the world with new breasts and immense self-confidence.

Areola reduction is a surprisingly simple operation and is virtually risk-free. However, one should know that once the nipple and surrounding areola have been reduced, there is no way to reverse the procedure before undergoing this surgery.

Therefore, it is essential to make sure that you have gone through all eventualities with your plastic surgeon before the operation.

Who can get the Areola reduction procedures?

Although the Areola reduction procedures can be done for both men and women who demand such service, there’s a high ratio of women to men.

While most men may never admit suffering from enlarged areolas, others pay keen attention to it as enlarged areolas make them feel insecure in the other room and thus hampering their self-esteem. A lot of men also have asymmetrical areolas too and never feels good to see a thing like that on waking up every morning. By undergoing areola reduction surgery as a male, your areolas become proportionate to your chest and bring you the light of happiness you crave.

For the ladies, if your areolas changes after pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or you have a stretched areola as a young growing lady leaving the teens age from their early twenties, you can get the areola reduction procedures to help build your self-esteem as you age more.

Both women and men with asymmetrical areolas can get the areola reduction procedures on one so as to match the other in size.

Consulting with your cosmetic surgeons before making a decision is the best way to know if you are qualified to get the procedure done for you. However, it is only advisable for women only after their breasts have completed growth while males from adolescence should be able to have this procedure done at an early age.

How Much Does An Areola Reduction Surgery Cost?

The average cost for an areola reduction surgery in the USA is between the range of $2000 to $5000. It’s not a fixed value, and it varies according to the locations and other factors. 

Other factors that may increase the areola reduction surgery cost include anaesthesia fee, medications charge, and surgical garments cost.

Talk to your surgeon during the consultation about the final cost of the procedure.

How to choose a cosmetic surgeon

When it comes to plastic surgeries, making the right choice is often a great concern for the patients. Areola reduction surgery is also one of those cosmetic plastic surgeries that you should pay very close attention to while choosing your surgeon. To make your selection for best areola plastic surgeon, do the following:

1. Visit the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) ² to validate a surgeon who claims to certified.
2. Type in your location and the name of the surgeon, then search to find and validate their data in the American Board of Plastic Surgeons.
3. Request to see the portfolios of any surgeon on your list. Although all certified surgeons in the American Board of Plastic surgery member list have atleast six (6) years of surgical training, with three (3) years specialty in plastic surgery.
4. When you feel satisfied with your selection, proceed to physical consultation with the doctor and get all necessary procedures for what comes next.

Do note that your surgeon may seek to examine your breast on the first day of the appointment and also ask a few necessary questions before giving you the procedures. They may also require that you provide all past and present medical reports to ascertain your health history before continuing with the procedures. Please, do provide the surgeon with all he/she requires to aid their best practices and a better outcome after the areola surgery.

How Long is the Areola Reduction Surgery Procedure?

The whole procedure will take anywhere from a couple of hours to finish from start to end. This procedure can be done in the hospital and the doctor’s office with surgical facilities.

Things to know as you prepare for your areola reduction surgery

After your consultation with your surgeon and the date for your areola reduction surgery is fixed, please take note of this information as you prepare for the D’day. In case your doctor never reminded you of these preparatory measures, feel free to ask them.

Here are some preparatory measures to observe:

• Avoiding several medications, like ibuprofen and aspirin, for 7days or more prior to the surgery date. Your surgeon may list more medications in addition to this.
• You will have to fast the day prior to your surgery if general anesthesia will be used. The doctor should let you know, else, ask them.
• You should be given a surgical soap to shower with on the day of your surgery.
• Also avoid applying makeups or any cosmetics on the day of surgery.
• You won’t be wearing any jewelry
• It is also important to wear a loose-fitting cloth on the day of surgery.

Before The Procedure

The steps before the procedure may include;

• A patient gown will be made available for you to wear. Remove your bra and wear the dress. 
• You’ll be asked to remove jewellery if you wear any.
• The nurse would check your blood pressure.
• You may be given medicine to stay relaxed.
• An intravenous catheter will be inserted, and the ECG electrodes will be applied to your chest for monitoring the heartbeats during the surgery.
• You will be given local or generic anaesthesia in accordance with to your health status.

During The Procedure

• The surgeon will cut a particular piece of tissue from your areola.
• A circular incision will be made to give the areola the right shape.
• A suture inside your breasts will secure the areola position. 
• The surgeon will use dissolvable stitches to close the incisions.

As the areola is a deep pigmented area, the incision marks won’t be visible. 

After The Procedure

• The doctor may recommend you a post-surgical bra or garment for better healing. 
• The doctor may give you specific post-surgical medications.
• You can leave the hospital on surgery if local anaesthesia is applied. If general anaesthesia is used, then you may need to stay longer. 

What’s the Recovery Process for Areola Reduction Surgery?

After the surgery, many patients can return to work and resume their regular activity within a day or two; however, this largely depends on the patient. The individual will have the ability to come back to her normal activities within a few days. The doctor will also provide you with some instructions for the recovery period.

• Pain killer medications for a few days
• Wear a soft bra or surgical bra for some days
• Avoid participating in sexual intercourse for a week
• Avoid physical chest contact for a month
• Avoid heavy physical activity and work out for a few weeks.

There can be some pain, redness, and swelling on your breast for one or two days. Taking pain medications will help to relieve that. 

Ask the doctor if you can take a shower the next day after surgery. It’s better to avoid water on breasts for at least three days. 

As you cannot be involved in a heavy workout for a month, it’s better to walk every morning to keep the fitness.

When to talk to your doctor after surgery

There might be some complications after a successful Areola surgery; therefore, you should call your doctor if:

1. you experience severe inflammation or redness around the operated region
2. you suddenly start experiencing severe pain few days after surgery.
3. you have body becomes feverish for long
4. you feel the healing process is taken longer than expected.

Risks and Complications on Areola Reduction Surgery?

Regarding complications risk attached with Areola Reduction surgery, there is little to none as with any surgery. The side effects and complications are pretty rare. The possible side effects of this procedure may include;

• You can temporarily lose the sensation in your areola, and it is not permanent, and deficient people experience this. It occurs during the recovery period, and the sense comes back after a few days of the surgery. 
• Sometimes the incision around the areola becomes visible. It occurs due to skin reactions and ageing factors. After the surgical process, the scars are almost invisible. But over the years, it can become more visible as you grow older. 
• There can be infected if you don’t follow the post-surgical instructions during the recovery period. Make sure you follow the instructions correctly. 
• If the surgeon mistakenly cuts the milk duct from the nipples during the procedure, you cannot breastfeed your child in the future. This is very rare and only done by mistakes; and however, this can be restored by another simple surgical procedure.

Some other complications include anaesthesia risks, bleeding, change in sensation, hematoma, persistent pain, unusual sensation, and wrinkling of the skin surrounding the areola. 

In emergency cases, you may experience bleeding, fever, poor healing, pus leaking, signs of infection, and unusual pain.

If you face any of these situations, call the doctor right away and visit the doctor’s office.

Is There a Way to Reduce the Areola Without Surgery? (Non-Surgical Ways to Reduce Areola)

As stated earlier, the areola reduction surgery costs around $2000 to $5000, and due to a reason of two of which the main may have worth, you may want to consider other non-surgical options for the Areola reduction. 

We understand that few can afford to spend that much on areola reduction surgery. Unfortunately, nothing other than surgery can reduce the size of your areolas, or your breasts themselves for that matter.

Breasts do sometimes fluctuate with weight, so dropping some pounds may help a bit if you are overweight. But breast/areola reduction surgery is likely the answer.

If you are aged 15 or lesser with large breasts and big areola and are thinking of areola reduction surgery, we believe you’re too young to undergo such a procedure. You can aim for surgery when your breasts have stopped growing, whether you’re 17, 18, or a year younger or older.

We also suggest that you maintain an average weight and make sure you support your breasts well, so they don’t sag. Find clothing that doesn’t draw attention to your chest and wait it out a few years.

Takeaway

Areola Reduction Surgery is a cosmetic surgical procedure. If a person is not satisfied with the size and shape of the areolas, she can undergo this surgery to get the expected smaller sized and shaped areolas. 

Although areola reduction is a safe procedure, you may feel bruised and sore after surgery, but this will subside over the coming weeks. We recommend people take about a week off from work to recover from the surgery. As areola reduction surgery is a cosmetic procedure, the insurance won’t cover it. However, some hospitals may provide you with EMI.

1. Wikipedia defines physical measurements of development (Tanner Scale, Tanner stages, or Sexual Maturity Rating (SMR)[↩]
2. Find certified plastic surgeons worldwide at The American Board of Plastic surgery[↩]