Dr. med. Ursula Tanzella
Chief Physician and specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery
At this location since 2000, Chief Physician since 2021, with an international reputation and leadership experience.
To the profileBreast surgery
The information given is for guidance only. The individual course of treatment and the total cost are determined in a personal consultation at Park-Klinik Birkenwerder near Berlin.
Nipples that point inwards permanently or temporarily are called inverted nipples, retracted nipples or “Schlupfnippel”. One or both nipples can be affected. Often this shape has existed since the breast developed and is a harmless anatomical variation.
Perhaps the retracted nipple bothers you when you look in the mirror. Perhaps above all you are wondering whether you will be able to breastfeed later. Even a small change can matter for how you feel about your body. At our Park-Klinik Birkenwerder near Berlin we discuss your wishes and explain whether a treatment makes sense and which options suit your findings.
In the video you learn which options there are for retracted nipples. Whether a treatment makes sense for you is something we clarify together in a personal consultation.
Inverted nipples that have existed since puberty are usually harmless. However, they can cause difficulties when breastfeeding or be associated with local complaints. If a nipple that previously pointed outwards is newly and permanently drawn in, this should always be checked by a doctor. Such a change can have various causes, including a disease of the breast. A cosmetic correction is only planned once the cause has been clarified.
The nipple contains smooth muscle that lets it stand up in the cold or on touch. Shortened milk ducts and connective-tissue structures, on the other hand, can exert a pull inwards. If this retracting pull predominates, the nipple stays directed inwards temporarily or permanently.
How pronounced the retraction is can differ between the two sides. In the consultation we examine whether the nipple can be gently brought out, how pronounced the finding is and which treatment comes into question. Complaints and a later wish to breastfeed are also part of this conversation.
No. Before you decide on a surgical correction, conservative options can be considered for mildly pronounced inverted nipples. These include, for example, a suitable suction aid such as the Niplette. It creates a gentle negative pressure to draw the nipple outwards. Whether such an attempt is suitable for you and how it should be used is something we discuss individually. A lasting result cannot be assured with it.
If conservative measures do not bring a satisfactory result or offer little prospect of success with more pronounced retraction, a surgical nipple correction may come into question. The aim is to release the retracting structures and to stabilise the nipple in an upright position.
In our surgical correction we make a small incision at the base of the nipple. If it is necessary for the nipple to stand up, we divide the shortened milk ducts and thus release the inward pull. We then close the skin and apply a special protective dressing. Which steps are necessary for your findings is something we explain to you before the operation.
We discuss this question with you particularly carefully. If we have to divide the milk ducts, the loss of the ability to breastfeed on the treated breast has to be expected. Even if the milk ducts are to be preserved, we cannot guarantee later breastfeeding. We explain beforehand which options exist for your findings and what consequences they can have for your wish to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding can also be possible with inverted nipples without an operation. If you wish to have children and want to breastfeed later, you should be sure to raise this before you decide. Breastfeeding counselling can help. The fact that the nipple can be brought out with a suction aid is not a reliable test of whether breastfeeding will succeed later. It can make sense to postpone an aesthetic correction until after the breastfeeding period.
We discuss since when the nipples have been retracted, whether there are any complaints and what you wish for from a correction. During the examination we assess the degree of retraction. Newly occurring changes are specifically clarified before any treatment.
We explain conservative and surgical options and their limits. Your wish to breastfeed is expressly taken into account. The correction is usually performed under local anaesthesia. Additional sedation or general anaesthesia is possible by individual arrangement. You receive instructions for the preparation and for the time after the procedure.
Through a small access, the retracting structures are released and the position of the nipple is stabilised. Depending on the findings, this may require dividing the milk ducts. After the skin has been closed, a special dressing protects the corrected nipple. The procedure takes about 30–60 minutes.
The treatment is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. We explain how to protect the dressing and wounds and whom to contact if you have questions. The first check-up is usually planned after about five to seven days. We agree further appointments and the duration of the protective dressing with you.
After the correction the nipples can be sensitive or swollen. The discomfort can usually be managed well with tailored pain treatment. The special dressing protects the nipples and is meant to support their upright position in the first phase of healing. Please do not remove or alter it without consulting us.
With us, the special dressing usually protects the nipples for about five to seven days. We decide when to remove it based on your treatment and the course of the wound. Your tissue then still needs time to heal. Whether stitches have to be removed depends on the technique used; if so, this takes place after about seven days.
Sport, friction and pressure on the nipples should be avoided during early healing. When you may shower again, do sport and put more strain on the breast is something we discuss at the check-ups. The small scars often become less noticeable over time but can remain visible. We accompany your healing and are available by telephone for questions after the operation.
An inverted nipple correction can achieve an outward-pointing shape that can last in the long term. The result depends, among other things, on the degree of retraction, the technique and healing. Renewed retraction or differences between the two sides are possible. A permanently unchanged shape cannot be guaranteed.
After the correction, swelling, small bruises or altered sensitivity can occur temporarily. As with any surgical procedure, bleeding, infections and disorders of wound or scar healing are also possible; rarely, the blood supply to the nipple can be impaired. What significance the treatment can have for your ability to breastfeed is something we discuss particularly carefully beforehand. We take time for your questions and explain how you can support healing.
If you have markedly increasing pain, fever or conspicuous changes to the wound or skin colour, please contact us immediately. That way we can assess your findings early and treat you if necessary.
Price incl. 19 % VAT, plus anaesthesia; one or both sides: scope of services to be clarified in the personal quotation
A correction of inverted or retracted nipples costs from 1.450 € at our Park-Klinik Birkenwerder – including 19 % VAT and plus anaesthesia. The exact price depends on your findings, the treatment of one or both sides and the planned scope. In the personal consultation you receive an individual cost estimate.
You will find an overview of our treatments in the price list.
Yes, at Park-Klinik Birkenwerder near Berlin, regular aftercare after your inverted nipple correction is already included in the agreed treatment price. This includes all planned follow-up appointments as well as additional interim check-ups – at no extra charge.
Because your care with us does not end with the operation. Our experienced specialists accompany you personally throughout the entire healing phase, monitor the healing process and are at your side with any questions or uncertainties. For your safety, optimal healing and a lastingly beautiful result.
A possible insurance benefit for medical complaints should be clarified in writing before the treatment.
The Park-Klinik Birkenwerder is a state-licensed private clinic according to § 30 GewO and does not bill statutory health insurance. If you wish to have the treatment carried out through your statutory health insurance, please contact an appropriately approved hospital already for the consultation.
Private health insurance companies can partially or fully cover the costs of a medically necessary treatment depending on the tariff. A written clarification should be obtained before the operation.
“Even a small change can mean a great deal for how you feel about your body. It is important to me to understand your wishes and to advise you honestly. With inverted nipples, this includes in particular the question of whether you want to breastfeed later.”
Would you like to know whether a treatment of your inverted nipples makes sense? With us you may also raise questions that perhaps feel uncomfortable. We examine the findings and discuss together which option suits you and your life planning. Book your appointment at Park-Klinik Birkenwerder near Berlin.
Chief Physician and specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery
At this location since 2000, Chief Physician since 2021, with an international reputation and leadership experience.
To the profile
Deputy Chief Physician and specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery
With many years of expertise and leadership experience in international and national institutions.
To the profileThe terms are mostly used for nipples that point inwards.
No. A harmless variation that has existed for a long time needs no treatment if it causes no complaints.
Yes. The degree and the cause can differ between the two sides.
Often shortened milk ducts and connective-tissue structures pull the nipple inwards.
A new retraction must be examined in order to rule out, among other things, diseases of the breast.
No. There are harmless causes. Even so, a new change must not be left unchecked.
With mild forms they can be worth a try. A lasting result is not assured.
Please have the cause clarified by a doctor first.
Often yes, but not always without problems. Qualified breastfeeding counselling can help.
This cannot be promised. The operation can also worsen the ability to breastfeed.
The loss of the ability to breastfeed on the treated breast has to be expected.
Depending on the findings and the technique, this can be attempted. Suitability and availability are clarified individually.
No. Even then a limitation can remain.
If breastfeeding is important to you, waiting can make sense. What matters is your personal weighing-up.
About 30–60 minutes, depending on the findings and the number of sides.
We usually perform the correction under local anaesthesia. We discuss additional sedation or general anaesthesia with you if needed.
We usually perform the correction as an outpatient procedure.
Small scars remain. How noticeable they become depends on the technique and on healing.
We usually see you again for the first check-up about five to seven days after the procedure.
The duration depends on the technique and on healing. You receive a personal plan.
After sufficient healing and medical clearance. Pressure and friction should be avoided at first.
Yes. A relapse is possible despite a careful correction.
Temporary or permanent changes in sensation are possible.
At our clinic, the inverted nipple correction costs from 1.450 € including 19 % VAT, plus anaesthesia. Which number of sides and services your personal quotation covers is something we discuss with you before the treatment.
Park-Klinik Birkenwerder is located directly on the northern edge of Berlin (Hubertusstraße 22, 16547 Birkenwerder) and can be reached from central Berlin in about 25 minutes. By car, take the A111 motorway (exit Stolpe/Birkenwerder) or the B96; by S-Bahn (lines S1 and S8) you can travel without changing from Berlin-Mitte, Friedrichstraße or Gesundbrunnen to Birkenwerder S-Bahn station.
Our experienced specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery take the time for your wishes and questions. Book your consultation at Park-Klinik Birkenwerder near Berlin – for more well-being and quality of life.
Feel in safe hands.
Content medically reviewed by Dr. med. Ursula Tanzella, Specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery
Last medically updated: