Best silicone nipple shields for recon breasts?

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rleepac
rleepac Member Posts: 755
edited June 2019 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I had a BMX - total skin sparing and much to my dismay, my nipples are erect most of the time. DH loves it but me...not so much!

I tried the adhesive 'petals' and they work great but I get a rash from them.

I tried some silicone nipple shields from the store (don't remember the brand) and they were very comfortable but the are designed for a more conical shaped breast which my reconstructed breasts are not apparently. They look like a bubble under my shirt.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a silicone nipple shield that is maybe a little flatter and less conical shaped?

Thanks

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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited June 2016

    Anyone

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  • caligirl3
    caligirl3 Member Posts: 86
    edited June 2016

    Hi rleepac,

    Have you tried the breastfeeding section at babies r us? They have many different options for nipples. I was looking for something when I had my nipple reconstruction.

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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited June 2016

    Oh, good idea. I'll check it out. I'm looking for something reusable if possible.

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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited June 2016

    So I've ordered a few different brands/styles off Amazon and I'll try try them out. I think the ones I have are 1) too thick and 2) too small diameter. This combo makes it just look like I have swollen areolas! Hopefully the thinner and larger diameter cover ups will work better.

    I'll report back on my findings for anyone who is interested. I won't publicly support a particular brand on this forum because I don't want to violate any rules about advertising but I'll give a general review of shapes and sizes and then if anyone is interested in specifics, feel free to PM me.

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  • slv58
    slv58 Member Posts: 1,216
    edited June 2016

    rleepac, thank you. I'm going for stage 2 diep in July with the hopes I will get my nipple. I know we are to protect and using a silicone shield sounds better than cotton pads, I'm curious how that works out.


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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited June 2016

    Slv58 - I'm not sure about using the silicone covers in the immediate post-op period because it does tend to pull the skin when you remove them and I don't know how 'breathable' they are. Plus,I wouldn't want to restrict oxygen or blood flow during that healing process. But once you are at least 3-4 months out, I would say they should be fine...just check with your PS to be sure.

    I'm 10 months post BMX so my nipples are definitely well healed and I have no issues with necrosis or scars re-opening, etc.

    I am very happy that I got to keep my nipples and that they still 'work' but I don't necessarily want to show the rest of the world how well they work LoL.

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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited June 2016

    These are what I found to work the best. https://www.amazon.com/Komene-Pasties-Reusable-Adh...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465843489&sr=8-2&keywords=komene

    I don't know if that link is going to work. They are nipple covers by Komene. Larger round shape, with super thin tapered edges. I originally got some nipple covers from Target and they didn't fit my shape, like you mentioned, more conical or something. But the Komene ones are great, with all my hot flashes and hot summer weather I much prefer to go bra-less and now I can.


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  • downdog
    downdog Member Posts: 1,432
    edited June 2016

    I have been using Nippies Skin for almost a year and think they are great. They are ultra thin and have tapered edges, so they are not visible even under semi-sheer tops or clothes that fit like a second skin. I have only used the adhesive ones, which you wash and reuse. The manufacturer also makes a non-adhesive version. The adhesive ones are offered in 2 sizes. Even though my foobs are small, I use their larger sized ones. I haven't tried the smaller size. I chose the larger size to further extend the edge profile, since the tightest portion of clothing is over the fullest part of your foob (hopefully the nipple area!) and figured they would be less detectable if the edges were further away from the apex. The adhesive lasts for about 24 washings. You can also wear them under tight fitting tops/dresses once the adhesive wears off, as the tight fit keeps them from moving. They come in different tints and the tint masks the colouring of your areola and nipple. So even though I can still detect my areola and nipple after I have applied one (naked), I can put on a thin white tight top and it doesn't show through at all and there is no ridge that shows through at the edges. I don't wear these every day - it depends on what clothing I wear. I am so happy with them, I have repurchased without trying other brands. I do have sensitive skin and have never experienced an issue or rash. These are the ones I buy:

    https://www.amazon.com/Nippies-Reusable-Silicone-Pasties-ADHESIVE

    Good luck finding a solution that works for you!

    slv58, these aren't breathable and you will need air exchange to promote healing. July weather will be hot, so stick with what your PS recommends for optimal results. My PS gave me the OK for these at 8 weeks. I had NSBMX, so no nipple reconstruction.

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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited June 2016

    Thank you for your suggestions! I purchased 4 different ones and I'll give my review now. I hope I'm not violating any rules...I'm not trying to advertise or promote, just saying what worked for me :)

    First, I tried the adhesive petals (non-silicone) from Target and they worked well for coverage but left me with a rash after only 3 hours of use. Maybe I'm allergic to the adhesive? Don't know but I can't use those.


    So...The reviews below are all for reusable silicone.

    The first ones I purchased at Target (can't recall brand name) and they were fairly thick and very conical shaped. They just made me look like I had swollen areolas. I tried cutting the edge (from the edge towards the center) and it definitely fit my breast shape better but you could of course see the 1/8-1/4 inch notch through my top. No bueno!

    Tidetell brand purchased from Amazon: I purchased the large round adhesive ones and they were also very thick and did not have much of a tapered edge. Too conical shaped as well and it looked like I had much larger, swollen areolas even than the ones I purchased at Target. I'd rather that my high beams were showing than to draw that weird "what that heck is wrong with her boobs?" kind of attention. They did come with a nice box for storage/transport but I won't be using these. If anyone wants them, PM me and I'll be happy to send them to you to try - I only tried on one and they are washable.

    Nudewear brand purchased from Amazon: I purchased the large, petal shaped, adhesive ones and they were thinner silicone than the previous two brands and had a better taper on the edges but they were still somewhat visible under a snug fitting top depending on the lighting and the angle. I'm keeping them in my arsenal for a back-up if I'm wearing a looser fitting top just because I hate to waste money. These came with a cute little travel case that I'll probably never use or I might use the case for the ones that I like.

    Nippies brand purchased from Amazon: Very thin silicone with nice tapered edges. I bought the size 1 for cup sizes A-D as I am a D cup. These fit great and they aren't visible at all under a snug top. Definitely hides my high beams and doesn't make my breasts look weird at all! I even tested my DH to see if he could tell and he couldn't tell at all. Winner!!! The ones I tried were the adhesive ones because I don't want to worry about them slipping and they stay in place very nicely. They also came with a nice little box for storage/transport. These come in 3 different shades (light, medium, dark) and the light ones work well for this ultra-pale girl.

    It sounds like the Komene brand are similar to the Nippies according to kcat2013's description but I didn't try those and I probably won't bother since the Nippies work well for me. Anyway, I hope that helps if anyone else was looking for a way to hide the high beams but yet still wear cute summer tops and not have to worry about a bra.

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  • slv58
    slv58 Member Posts: 1,216
    edited June 2016

    thank you for educating me! I will heed everyone's advice. I think I'm just getting excited at the prospect of getting a nipple after 16 months

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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited June 2016

    Good to know the Nippies work well also, those were in my Amazon cart when I was trying to pick which ones to try!


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  • VegGal
    VegGal Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2016

    Thanks for the info. My nips do the same thing and I just had exchange surgery, so needed to address the issue.

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  • Egawlick
    Egawlick Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2016

    I have the same problem- I have found these are awesome!!! Very thin, invisible under clothes and just create a nice shape

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JAHRYA8/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-9&pf_rd_r=7AV7YJPPNE5STNHK0AWX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1865629482&pf_rd_i=2591723011


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  • rjks
    rjks Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2019

    Nippies seem like a good choice so far. I’m not sure how much oxygen the nipples get when covered by these silicone nipple covers, but it does not seem to be an issue, and the Nippies are great at covering up permanent “headlights.” Let me know if you try them and what you think. (I don’t work for them or anything. I’m just curious.)Thanks!

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