The new nip and tuck: Nipple surgery soars as women keen for Posh's pert appearance go under the knife
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Are you desperately unhappy with your nipples? Feel that they're the wrong shape, wrong colour, wrong size? It seems you may not be alone.
London's Harley Medical Group has reported an astonishing 30 per cent rise in nipple surgery over the last 12 months.
Not only that, but a spokesperson for Bosomfriends.co.uk, a website dedicated to nipples prostheses announced they had recorded a “significant increase” in the sale of prosthetic nipples in the past year.
Pert: Victoria's perky appearance is thought to have inspired other women to opt for surgery on their nipples
So what's going on? Victoria Beckham's recent pert appearance in a transparent black t-shirt ignited fresh speculation over whether her nipples are real or fake and it seems she might have launched a new trend.
'Until now celebrities didn't expose their nipples so they were no "nipple role models",' explains Dr Riccardo Frati, a cosmetic surgeon for the Harley Medical Group.
'In the past I've had patients coming to my surgery clutching pictures of celebrities like Katie Price and saying: "I'd like breasts like hers" but now there's a chance that Mrs Beckham's designer nipples could be the next big thing for 2009'.
As shocking as it sounds, nipple surgery is becoming more accessible. 'Until recently, women didn't know they could alter the shape, colour and size of their nipples,' explains Dr Frati.
'But you can. Women's attitudes to breasts have changed. They no longer want large breasts, they want normal breasts - generally around a C cup - and are more bothered by the shape and appearance. Reasons for having work done on your nipples include simply wanting to wear a t-shirt without a bra - or looking nice in a bikini without padding.'
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ShareNipple surgery - which can cost anything up to £2,000 if done privately - is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of treatments. Nipple lifts involve creating several small flaps of skin around the actual nipple which will then push it up and out.
Asymmetrical nipples can be evened out and even the areola (the pigmented area around the nipple), can be tattooed if you are not happy with your nipple colour.
One of the most common procedures is the correction of inverted nipples - when the nipple is flat or concave and refuses to protrude or become erect on it's own. The condition can interfere with breastfeeding and is thought to affect around 1.5 million women in the UK.
Extreme: Nipple surgery is expensive and doesn't guarantee perfect results
Although to date the majority of nipple procedures are performed on post-mastectomy patients, cosmetic surgeons such as Dr Frati are seeing more and more women who simply want the operation for aesthetic reasons.
Still, anyone contemplating such surgery should think carefully. Infection is always a risk, if a minimal one, and nipples may also lose the physical sensitivity as nerve endings are removed.
Furthermore, the success rate for correcting inverted nipples is still relatively low and Dr Frati says that up to 50 per cent of patients may see nipples retracting within six to eight weeks. Even if the procedure does work, the nipple only stays protruding for up to 10 years, during which time, weight loss or pregnancy can alter the effects.
Dr Douglas McGeorge, past president of the The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons warns that 'women may not even be able to breastfeed once they have undergone this particular procedure'.
He suggests temporarily correcting inverted nipples using Nipplettes, little suction caps which help 'pull' the nipple out and are available on the High Street.
Or you can try false silicone nipples, which at a cost of less than £5, are a lot cheaper - and a lot less shocking - than going under the knife.
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