At A Glance Author Anonymous Contact [email protected] When N/A Approximately 6 months ago I had my left nipple pierced, horizontally. People get piercings, including nipple piercings, for a variety of reasons. Personally, I had my nipple pierced because I was extremely self-conscious of my breasts. More specifically, I have flat nipples, which I am embarrassed of. I thought that perhaps getting nipple piercings would make me feel more comfortable about my breasts and possibly improve my nipples physically � there was a possibility that getting my nipples pierced would make my nipples protrude more than they did.
So 6 months ago I headed to Passage, in Toronto, where Joanne confirmed that my nipples could be pierced. However, I was also informed that I would have a higher chance of rejection, due to my anatomy. As a result, Joanne highly recommended that I only have one nipple pierced, to see if my piercing would heal, and if so, if it would last. I took her advice and had only one piercing done. It was relatively pain-free. In fact, I think that being half naked in front of someone I didn't really know, was the most painful part for me. Yes, I am modest.
The same day as I was pierced, I noticed that my nipple did stick out more, with the piercing... sometimes, that is. When my nipple wasn't hard (which is most of the time) my nipple still sat flat with my areola, only visibly slightly. However, when I was cold and my nipple was hard there was a definite difference. I actually looked like I had a 'regular' nipple. I was thrilled. Unfortunately, as I just mentioned, my nipples are rarely hard. Therefore, the difference the piercing made was only noticeable on rare occasions.
For a long time things were going great. There was no pain, no signs of rejection and very few crusties. Before I was pierced Joanne stressed that I should wait until the soon-to-be piercing had healed, before getting the other. When I saw the difference the piercing made, I wanted to rush out and get the other one pierced � so that both nipples, as opposed to one, were improved. I took Joanne's advice, though, and didn't get my other nipple pierced.
Every now and then, for a period of years, I'd go online and research flat and inverted nipples. I read many things including the cause of flat/inverted nipples, complications with breastfeeding, and cures. The information about cures drew me in. I knew that there were 2 cures � suction devices and cosmetic surgery.
For pretty obvious reasons, these options held my attention. I decided that I wanted to do something to make my nipples protrude a lot more than a piercing could ever do for me. A popular suction device, Nipplette, seemed to be pretty popular and recommended by women who were trying to enhance their flat nipples prior/during pregnancy to make breastfeeding more successful. I contemplated ordering them but I never read anything about a privacy policy and was concerned that the name of the product would appear on my VISA bill, which currently goes to my home address (while I'm at school) where my mother opens and pays it. I also thought that wearing suction devices in my bra for 8+ hours a day would be awkward.
After I ruled that cure out I was left with the option of cosmetic surgery, which would definitely be a tough decision. There are risks to any surgical procedure, and deciding to have elective surgery is something that needs to be fully researched. When I began thinking about the possibility of undergoing cosmetic surgery I knew very little. My first step was reading what information was available, online, such as procedure, healing, and so on. As I began to start thinking about it more seriously, it just so happened that I had a consultation with a plastic surgeon, about a mole, in a delicate area, that needed to be removed. At my consultation I met the surgeon, Dr. Duper�, and immediately felt confident. He was friendly, knowledgeable and I was at ease with the thought of him surgically removing my mole.
A few weeks after my consultation, but before my mole was removed, I couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted 'normal' nipples. Since I had a positive feeling about him, I wanted to ask Dr. Duper� if he performed corrective surgery for flat/inverted nipples. While at his office I didn't see inverted nipple reconstruction specifically listed amongst the many procedures that he performs. I wanted to call his clinic and ask about the possibility of having the procedure done. However, back then I worked two jobs and didn't have had the privacy to call. This is a very sensitive topic to me, and due to that fact I put off calling Dr. Duper�. Weeks passed and my mole was removed flawlessly. I was thrilled at the change in my self confidence and still wanted to inquire about the possibility of a procedure to correct my flat nipples to further my self confidence and positive body image. During my follow-up appointment I was debating with myself whether or not to bring it up, but didn't because I was too embarrassed.
Although it took me months to work up the courage, I finally called Dr. Duper�'s office and asked about the procedure on October 25th. The receptionist told me that, yes, they did perform the procedure. I booked a consultation for November 17th, to discuss whether or not I would go through with the cosmetic procedure. During the waiting time I removed my nipple piercing. This was partly due to the fact that I didn't want Dr. Duper� to see my piercing. I didn't want to even address the topic of piercings with another medical professional. I had done that with a doctor a year earlier, when I dealt with an infected snug piercing. I also retired the piercing because I decided I didn't like it � it didn't do enough to make my nipples protrude to my desired standard, so apparently that makes the piercing no longer worth having, at least that's how I felt at the moment. At my consultation I told Dr. Duper� that I wanted to have 'normal' nipples. Although I knew it already, he told me that there are no such things as "normal" nipples, that everyone is anatomically different. However, he did say, that my nipple "failed to protrude". We discussed how surgery for inverted nipples was performed, the pros, the cons (not being able to breastfeed) and the price, which was around $1,300. Ouch. I left the office confused and disappointed. I wasn't ready to shell out over a thousand dollars for the procedure. Being unable to breastfeed (due to milk ducts being severed) played a big part in my decision. Who knows if I'll have kids, but I didn't think that I should be fooling around with my future, just yet, at the age of 21.
Since then I've thought long and hard about my nipples. My boyfriend doesn't see anything wrong with them. He says that he loves my body just the way that it is. His love and support has improved my self confidence and has helped me forget about my previous desire to go under the knife. What am I thinking about know? Heading back to Passage and having BOTH of my nipples pierced!