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Large Areola Reduction Surgery

Some women may be unhappy with the size of their areolae. They may feel that their areolae are too large or they feel that their areolae are too puffy or bulging. Areolae, the pigmented skin around the nipples may be enlarged due to genetic predisposition or because of having had large breasts then undergoing weight loss, stretching of the areola due to implants or breastfeeding, or other reasons. Areola reduction surgery is designed to remove the excess areola tissue and improve the overall cosmetic appearance of the areolae. The reduction may result in a slight breast lift and may also produce slight irregularities at the incision line if the reduction was significant.

In areola size reduction surgery, incisions are made in two concentric circles around the edges of the areola. A donut of tissue and skin is removed, but the area around the nipple is left in place and the nipple is still attached to its blood supply and to the mild ducts. Sutures are made around the areola and pulled in like a purse string to pull in the skin around the areola. The incision is then sutured closed. The scar is hidden somewhat in the edge of the areola and fades with time.

If a larger donut of skin around the areola is removed the result is a breast lift that is often called a periareolar mastopexy (or Benelli lift). You can find more information about breast lifts at our sister website, BreastLift4You.com.

Areola Reduction Scar

This procedure will result in scars around or at the rim of the areolae. The surgery is usually performed under light sleep sedation or general aesthesia in an operating room and takes about 2 hours. It can be combined with other breast surgeries, such as implants, breast reduction, or a breast lift. Some women have very faint scars that are hard to see and blend in with the edge of the areola. Others have obvious scars. You need to discuss scar treatments with your surgeon in advance so you know what to do while the scar tissue is forming, instead of after when it can be too late. Please read more about how to take care of your cosmetic surgery scars.

Scars can also cause hypopigmentation in some patients, which is a loss of skin pigmentation that results in lightened areas of skin. Areola tattooing, also know as micropigmentation, can counter this effect by tattooing pigment into the lightened areas and blending them into the surrounding tissue. Please know that scar tissue is more difficult to tattoo than normal skin so be sure to choose a micropigmentation technician who is well-experienced in tattooing scar tissue. Please see our Areola Repigmentation Section for more information.

Usually, you can go home several hours after your areola reduction surgery, after you have recovered from anesthesia. However, you must have someone drive you home. You can shower on the next day. You can resume most activities in less than the first week. The stitches are removed a week after surgery in most cases. You can expect to be off of work for 2 days. The results of an areolar reduction are permanent.