Nipple position

Hopeful07

hi all:

I had direct to implant a month ago, and one thing I have noticed is my nipples seem a bit low (one slightly more than the other). I have searched a lot and it sounded like with implants there is some settling time involved and that the implants are supposed to "drop" a bit and that could change the position of the nipples to be raisedor something like that. I have not noticed any change except for some swelling that has gone down compared to before. I am wondering what others' experience has been in terms of "settling" and nipple positions. Any comments or input would be appreciated!

MaryAgatha

Hi Hopeful! I had direct to implants exactly a year ago. My breasts continued to change A LOT for months, more than I thought they would. It took about 6 months of healing and settling before they started to look the way they look now. Overall, I was very happy with my new set, but one of my nipples was not positioned right, pointing slightly more toward my armpit while the other one was pointing straight. I had a revision 3 months ago with fat grafting - to fix the pronounced shelf look (which I hear a lot of women actually prefer because it looked like I was wearing a push up bra all the time, but I wanted a more naturally sloping look). Before going into surgery, I asked my PS if he could do something about the position of that nipple, but he wasn't too optimistic. He said he would try. The revision surgery was really quick and the recovery was much quicker too. It took another month or two for the swelling to go down. I think the breasts I have now are the breasts I'll live with for the rest of my life. My breasts slope down beautifully and I have very natural looking breasts (except for the scars of course which will never completely fade, but I don't care). I love them! However it seems the unfortunate position of my left nipple was not fixable. But honestly, it's not that noticeable and certainly nobody can tell with clothes on. My husband thinks my breasts look beautiful.

So, I guess if you want my advice: wait at least 6 months before you judge your new breasts. If at that point, your nipples are still not positioned to your satisfaction, you should talk to your PS but I wouldn't get my hopes up. My PS is one of the best of in the country and he couldn't fix mine.

Hopeful07

ok, thank you so much for sharing your experience, MaryAgatha! Will try to be patient. What makes matters worse is that I was discouraged to wear any bra and I was very self conscious about the lower nipple!

Anniekay80

Hopeful

I had bilateral mastectomy even though they only found cancer on the left. I also qualified for nipple sparing mastectomy because the cancer was far enough away leaving clear margins. I had TEs placed immediately after BMX, 4 months later had exchange to implant and am currently 5 weeks post exchange.

Honestly I wish I hadn't had the nipples spared. I had no idea and nobody told me there could be a problem with nipple positioning by sparing the nipples to begin with. I have Mentor Memory-Gel teardrop anatomical implants. Still have some swelling, but my PS had difficulty getting the nipples pointing in the same direction too. Right now they are way better than they were with the TEs in, but one is definitely lower and pointing somewhat sideways.

I'm hoping with time the nipple will end up looking somewhat normal, but if it doesn't I know there isn't much my surgeon can do about it. I also currently have rippling on the outside edge of both breasts and double bubble under both as well. My PS says he can fix the double bubble with revision and the rippling with fat grafting......but I so want to be done with all this that I don't know if I'm willing to have the revision.....even if it would be 3+ months from now.

So, I totally understand your situation. They tell us to wait for the swelling to go down and to also wait for the "drop and fluff"......but I'm tired of waiting. I feel like I've spent the last 5 months doing and being nothing but BC and foobs. I want to move on from all this, but it seems like time is dragging on. I'm trying really hard to like my implants.....especially since besides everything I listed above, I'm also not real happy with the fact I woke up to D cups instead of the B cups I was before which was the original plan.

Just wanted to let you know there are others sitting in the same boat as you are......just waiting to see what our end result will be.

Annie

Hopeful07

thanks Annie, for your input. I about 2 months from the surgery and it doesn't look like my nipple positions are changing. My swelling seems to be all gone now so what I notuce is a lot of rippling now. I have read that with anatomical and over the muscle there really isn't much "drop and fluff"? I guess I will see what they look like in another month and three months after that..