It usually normalizes within weeks to months.
Generally, when ladies are planning to reshape their figure, besides the general excitement, they also have certain fears about their intimacy. Of course, the main goal is to have nice and good-looking breasts with a breast augmentation surgery but the functionality should not be neglected as well. Many ladies often ask the question during their consultation “how long does nipple sensitivity last after breast augmentation?” The question is very reasonable. You wish for a beautiful and feminine figure but not at the expense of losing sensation or getting chronic pain that would last forever.
At Lin Europe Clinic, we think it is very helpful to walk with the patients through the “nerve journey” so that they can be relaxed and calm during their recovery. More than not, the patients after undergoing a surgery experience changes in their sensation – feeling numbness (hypoesthesia) or very sensitive (hyperesthesia). However, these changes are rarely permanent. It does not matter whether you find yourself being completely numb or, on the contrary, feeling like your nipples are burning, such sensations are normal physiological reactions to the tissue expansion and you will know that very soon after surgery.
The Anatomy of the Stretch
It is necessary to study the anatomy first to get a solid explanation of why sensation changes take place. The sensation of the nipple is mainly carried by the fourth intercostal nerve. It is the nerve that goes from your ribs through the breast tissue to the nipple area. The pathway is so delicate that when placing an implant – especially a big one – we are actually creating a new volume that stretches the breast tissue and nerves inside.
Think of that nerve as a rubber band. After the implant is inserted, that rubber band is stretched to the limit to accommodate the new shape. The stretching can “shock” the nerve for a short time so that can very well explain that the nerve may close and stop sending signals (numbness). Also, it can irritate the nerve to such an extent that the nerve misfires and sends chaotic, rapid-firing signals (hypersensitivity). In fact, such nerve damage is not permanent; it is a nerve shock. Recovery time is basically the time it takes the nerve to get used to its new extended position.
The “Zingers”: Electric Shocks and Hypersensitivity
On the one hand, numbness is frightful and on the other hand, hypersensitivity is actually a pain that you can feel. For instance, one patient said that even the time, the softest silk or cotton t-shirt touching her nipples felt like sandpaper for at least the first few weeks. Another patient got sudden, sharp and shooting pains like electric shocks coming out of nowhere.
We name those pains “zingers,” and interestingly, the are reasons for celebrating these is. What these sharp pains represent is regeneration, the nerves just get excited and reconnected. It is like the static of a nervous system that is being restarted. Despite the discomfort, the period of most intensiveness usually is around the third or fourth week and after that it fades away. Painless fans who want to relieve the pain to the greatest extent often wear a tight and padded sports bra. Having the fabric press lightly but firmly on the skin prevents the pain-inducing, light, tickling motion.
The Asymmetry of Healing
One of the most puzzling and worrying things during recovery is asymmetry. Patients, many times, panic and call us saying: “My left nipple is OK but the right one is so numb it does not feel anything at all.” It is perfectly normal that way. The left and right parts of you are not identical twins but rather they are “twins”. It is very possible that the nerve paths on one side have been stretched more than the other, or the swelling has compressed the nerves in different ways.
In general, we advise patients that the sensory changes of the final phase are usually a matter of 12 to 18 months. So, a six-month numb area doesn’t automatically mean that it’s there forever. The nerves are so small that they grow at a rate of even one millimeter per day. If the patient experiences monthly minor changes or improvements in sensation the process is still going on.
Does Incision Choice Matter?
Where on the body the surgeon decides to make the cut essentially determines the chance that sensation will be lost permanently. A Periareolar cut (around the edge of the nipple) is the one that is the riskiest in this respect. It is actually this cut that causes the nerve network to be severed since the surgeon needs to create the pocket in this way.
At Lin Europe Clinic in Istanbul, we are mostly using the Inframammary Fold (IMF) incision, which is the hidden crease under the breast. By coming from beneath the breast, we are able to position the implant under the tissue and muscle without necessarily damaging the nerves that provide nipple sensation. The result is an innovative surgical technique that is very likely to maintain one’s sensation and even the ability to breastfeed.
The Role of Implant Size
Obviously, the bigger the implant the longer the sensory changes last. The bigger the implant the bigger the tissue expansion required. The more the nerve is stretched, the longer the “stunned” phase will last. If you choose an implant size that completely changes your natural anatomy (transitioning from a cup size A to DD, for instance), then you must accept a slight increase in the risk of having numbness or altered sensations for a prolonged period of time. During your consultation, we balance your desire for volume with the biological limits of your tissues.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nipple Sensitivity
Nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation usually varies for a period of 6 to 12 months, during which there can be phases of numbness and hypersensitivity before it is back to normal.
The electric shocks or “zingers” that you experience are a normal part of nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation, showing that the nerves are being regenerated and waking up.
Permanent loss of nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation is very uncommon (less than 5-10% of cases) but it is possible especially when very large implants or periareolar incisions are involved.
If you are experiencing very painful hypersensitive nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation, wearing a padded bra to avoid friction and performing desensitization exercises such as gentle massage with various textures can help.
In fact, bigger implants can make recovery of nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation last longer because they cause more stretching of the nerves than smaller, moderate implants.
Tebbetts, J. B. (2002). Transaxillary subpectoral augmentation mammaplasty: Long-term follow-up and sensation. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Hamdi, M., et al. (2010). Nipple-areola complex sensation after breast augmentation. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery.
Ducic, I., et al. (2002). Sensory changes in the nipple-areola complex after reduction mammaplasty. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
