Patient's question:
The question I just asked was about areola atrophy, not nipple inversion. Recently, I've noticed that my areola tends to shrink. When I take a hot shower, it expands again, but once I leave the hot water and it cools down, it shrinks back. It looks fine when I'm wearing clothes, but as soon as I take them off and it gets cold, it shrinks again. I wonder if it's a bit sensitive to cold? What could be the reason? Is it related to breast diseases?Doctor's answer:
Centered on the nipple, draw a circle with an appropriate radius (usually 1.5-2.5 cm). Excise the circumferential areola skin outside this range, while preserving the dermis and subcutaneous vascular network to prevent insufficient blood supply to the nipple and areola. Remove triangular pieces of skin from both the inner and outer sides of the outer circle in the transverse direction to reduce the radius, aligning it with the new areola radius. Finally, slightly free the subcutaneous tissue of the outer circle and suture it back into place.Areola reduction surgery is relatively simple and can be performed using either a circumferential incision or a fan-shaped incision around the areola. The surgery does not damage the nipple or breast tissue, and the incision marks are left at the edge of the areola or within it, generally not noticeable. After the surgery, only gauze is used to cover the area, and bandaging is not necessary. Antibiotics should be taken. Sutures can be removed 7-8 days postoperatively.