Recovery from inverted nipple correction

Recovery after Inverted Nipple Correction surgery usually involves only mild discomfort. The majority of patients return to work within 1-2 days. In order to get the best long-term results from your inverted nipple correction procedure, however, it is worth reading this guide to the Recovery Process.

Inverted nipple correction recovery: week one

After your inverted nipple correction surgery which, in the vast majority of patients, is performed under local anaesthetic, we would encourage you to recuperate quietly at home over the following week. It is fine to return to work with your dressings on, but we would advise you to avoid too many strenuous activities such as lifting or aerobic exercise, especially where the nipple area might be rubbed or chafed, such as when jogging.

During this week your dressings will remain intact and we will give you detailed instructions on how to change the dressing yourself at the end of the week if this is the most convenient option for you. If you would prefer and are able to come into our clinic we will be happy to change the dressing for you.

In the first week of your inverted nipple correction recovery it is normal to feel some discomfort in the nipple area and we would encourage you to treat this with paracetemol as this is sufficient in most cases. The pain should not be severe and if you are concerned about severe pain in your nipple in the recovery period after inverted nipple correction then please contact us so that we can advise you on this.

Inverted nipple correction recovery: week two

In the second week of your recovery from inverted nipple correction your dressing will have been removed and it is likely that you may have some crusting to the end of your nipple area. During the second week of recovery the nipple will still be swollen and slightly tender and we would advise you to use arnica cream or Auriderm to keep the skin moisturised and prevent a build up of dry skin as well as reducing bruising. You may experience some discomfort in the nipple area during this period but, as above, oral painkillers such as paracetemol or Nurofen can be used to control these. We would not recommend Nurofen during the first week of recovery as this can cause lack of adhesion between your blood clotting cells, slightly increasing the risk of bleeding from your nipple.

Inverted nipple correction recovery: weeks three and four

During this period of your recovery following inverted nipple correction you will notice ongoing resolution of the bruising around the nipple and also a decrease in the swelling around the nipple. The crusting should also gently separate around now, leaving healed skin tissue underneath.

You may have some puckering at the base of your nipple at the site of the incision and this will gradually decrease in subsequent weeks.

Inverted nipple correction recovery: weeks five and six

The swelling in your nipple will continue to settle, but most of the bruising and crusting of your nipple should now have resolved.

Your nipple should lie in an everted position during this time and will gradually decrease slightly in diameter and prominence from the surrounding area as the swelling settles.

Inverted nipple correction recovery: week six and onwards

Most of the swelling in the nipple should have already resolved, but any that remains will continue to decrease over this time period. If you have any concerns at any point about your recovery following inverted nipple correction you can contact us on 0800 328 5743 or refer to the information given to you about your inverted nipple correction surgery during your consultation.