3D Nipple-Areola Complex Tattooing
3D nipple-areola complex tattooing uses semi-permanent micropigmentation techniques to recreate the colour and appearance of the nipple and areola. Miss Hunter is trained to perform this treatment, which usually takes place in the treatment room at Charing Cross Hospital.
Tattooing may be carried out as the final stage after a nipple has been reconstructed, once the breast has healed and its shape has settled. It can also be used instead of formal nipple reconstruction. This creates the visual appearance of a nipple without adding projection, known as a trompe-l’oeil effect.
The procedure takes less than one hour and is performed as a day case. Local anaesthetic may be used, although in some circumstances no anaesthetic is required.
After treatment, a dressing is applied and should be kept dry for three days. You can then remove the dressing, shower and dry the area as usual. An antimicrobial, moisturising ointment will be provided and should be applied twice daily until the tube is finished.
A small amount of bleeding can be expected. Other risks include infection, asymmetry, fading of the colour and, unusually, flattening of a reconstructed nipple. It is quite common to require a top-up procedure as the colour settles or fades.