On Point

Apparently, People Are Getting Injections to Make Their Nipples Look Like Kendall Jenner's

Kendall Jenner wears sheer red shirt with nipples exposed
Getty Images

I've heard of people bringing reference photos of celebrities to their plastic surgeon for lip injections, nose jobs, and even breast implants, but I never imagined celebrity nipples would become the latest body part to inspire cosmetic procedures. That seems to be the case, however, if a recent New York Post video is any indication of a rising demand for customized — or as one plastic surgeon is calling the procedure, "designer" — nipples.

"I love Kendall Jenner, and I love that she just doesn't wear a bra. You can't see her nipples, but you can see the pointiness. I think there's something really sexy and feminine about it," says the anonymous 28-year-old patient in the video. She's sitting in an exam room, explaining to New York City plastic surgeon Norman Rowe how she doesn't like that her nipples never get hard.

"I think it would be really cool to just have protruding nipples all the time," she tells him. So Rowe uses a hyaluronic acid-based filler, which he says adds volume to the nipples and ensures their silhouette can be seen through fabric. (When asked, Rowe didn't specify which hyaluronic acid filler he prefers for patients, but he did say he uses injectables with "varying lengths of effect.") Pricing for said filler starts at about $700 and typically lasts about two years.

"I have been giving my female (and male) patients designer nipples for years," Rowe tells Allure of cosmetic nipple procedures, which apparently aren't limited to just using fillers for a more prominent look. "It recently became popular with patients desiring nipples like their favorite reality stars." Patients also request "smaller areoles, smaller nipples, larger areoles, larger nipples, a change in color and/or change in the shape of the areola, or any combination thereof," he says. None of these procedures take more than 30 minutes and they can be performed on any type of nipple, including inverted ones.

Like Rowe, Darren M. Smith, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, has noticed an increase in patients requesting more noticeable nipples that mimic celebrities', but he prefers a different approach. "I would generally guide patients towards a biocompatible implant-based solution as we have more control over this kind of procedure given the delicate nature of the surrounding anatomy," he tells Allure.

Smith cautions that there are risks involved with injecting filler directly into the nipple. "The nipple is a very sensitive structure that is packed with nerve endings for sensation and milk ducts for breastfeeding," he says. "I would exercise great caution before injecting fillers into the nipple as the risk of damaging these structures is real. Filler could clog milk ducts or inhibit blood supply to the nipple which could interfere with breastfeeding, sensation, or even damage the nipple itself."

When we asked Rowe what the risks are, however, he had a much different answer: "The risks are getting too many compliments."


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