Added projection without surgery — using a product that can be reversed if you change your mind, and that doesn't show up on a mammogram.
Nipple filler uses hyaluronic acid injected at the base of the nipple to increase projection and improve symmetry — no incisions, immediate results, and reversible with hyaluronidase if you don't want to keep it. Published data on the technique reported an average projection increase of 3.0 mm using around 0.35 mL per nipple. Results typically last 6 to 12 months. At Plump Medical Spa in Newport Beach, assessment and injection are performed personally by Dr. Amir Mortazavi, MD.
Hyaluronic acid filler is placed intradermally at the base of the nipple, adding volume beneath it so the nipple sits higher and holds its shape. It's the same category of product used for facial volume, applied to a different anatomical problem.
Patients seek it for flattened or minimally projected nipples, loss of projection after breastfeeding or significant weight change, asymmetry between sides, and projection that has diminished with age. It's also used following breast reconstruction, where flattening of a reconstructed nipple is a common outcome.
A study of hyaluronic acid filler for nipple projection following breast reconstruction treated 22 breasts across 12 patients with a single injection session. The average volume used was 0.35 mL per nipple, producing an average increase in nipple height of 3.0 mm, with a range of 2.5 to 4.5 mm. All treated nipples remained soft to the touch. At a mean follow-up of 7.5 months, projection was unchanged from the post-injection measurement, and no complications were observed.
Sue GR, Seither JG, Nguyen DH. Use of hyaluronic acid filler for enhancement of nipple projection following breast reconstruction. JPRAS Open, 2019.
Those numbers are from a reconstruction population, so they're not a direct prediction of what any individual cosmetic patient will get. They are, however, the closest thing to objective data available on this treatment — and they set a realistic frame. This adds millimeters of projection, not centimeters.
Calcium hydroxylapatite — the material in Radiesse — is radiopaque, meaning it appears on radiographic imaging and can interfere with interpretation. In most areas of the face that's irrelevant. In breast tissue it isn't.
Hyaluronic acid fillers are not radiopaque and are not expected to obscure or complicate mammographic reading. That's a specific, deliberate reason to use HA in the nipple-areolar area rather than a longer-lasting biostimulator, and it's the kind of decision that should be made by someone thinking about your imaging history rather than your treatment menu.
Regardless of product used, tell your radiologist about any filler treatment before breast imaging.
The most important thing to establish before booking is whether filler is even the right tool for your anatomy. For inverted nipples specifically, that depends entirely on grade.
Filler also doesn't change areolar size, reposition the nipple-areolar complex, or address breast shape. Those are surgical questions, and if that's what you're actually after, you'll be told so at consultation rather than treated anyway.
Treatment is not performed during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Filler is placed at the base of the nipple rather than into the duct system, and hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring — but there is limited published data on breastfeeding following nipple filler, and that gap in evidence is reason enough to wait.
If you're planning a pregnancy in the near term, it's worth raising at consultation. Projection often changes through pregnancy and breastfeeding anyway, so timing treatment afterward usually makes more sense.
Appointments are private and by appointment only — there's no shared waiting area. Dr. Mortazavi performs the assessment and the injection personally, so there is no additional staff in the room and no handoff between a consultant and an injector.
For a number of patients who book this, that's the deciding factor rather than anything clinical.
Most people who ask about this have thought about it for a long time before saying it out loud, and they've usually assumed the only option was surgery. It often isn't. But I'd rather tell someone with grade three inversion that filler won't work for them than take the appointment and have them disappointed — that's the conversation that matters most in this treatment.
What is nipple filler?
Nipple filler is a non-surgical treatment in which hyaluronic acid dermal filler is injected at the base of the nipple to increase projection and improve definition or symmetry. It requires no incisions, produces immediate results, and is reversible with hyaluronidase if the patient does not want to keep the result.
How much projection does nipple filler add?
Published clinical data on hyaluronic acid filler for nipple projection following breast reconstruction reported an average increase in nipple height of 3.0 millimeters, with a range of 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters, using an average of 0.35 mL of filler per nipple. Individual results vary based on baseline anatomy and how much filler is appropriate.
Does nipple filler interfere with mammograms?
Hyaluronic acid fillers are not radiopaque and are not expected to interfere with mammographic interpretation. Calcium hydroxylapatite fillers such as Radiesse are radiopaque and can appear on imaging, which is a specific reason hyaluronic acid is the appropriate product choice for the nipple-areolar area. Patients should still inform their radiologist about any filler treatment before breast imaging.
How long does nipple filler last?
Results typically last 6 to 12 months before the hyaluronic acid gradually metabolizes. Published follow-up data on nipple projection after filler found results unchanged at a mean of 7.5 months. Longevity varies with the product used, the volume placed, and individual metabolism.
Can nipple filler fix inverted nipples?
It depends on the grade of inversion. Mild inversion that can be drawn out easily and stays out may respond to filler placed at the base to support projection. Higher-grade inversion caused by shortened or fibrotic lactiferous ducts does not respond to filler, because the tethering is structural — that requires surgical release. Assessment before treatment determines which situation applies.
Is nipple filler reversible?
Yes. Because hyaluronic acid filler is used, it can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if the patient wants the result reversed or adjusted. This is a meaningful advantage over surgical nipple procedures and over permanent or semi-permanent filler materials, which cannot be removed.
Does nipple filler hurt?
The nipple-areolar complex is sensitive, so topical anesthetic is applied and given time to work before treatment. Most patients describe pressure and brief stinging rather than sharp pain. The injection itself takes only a few minutes per side.
Will nipple filler affect breastfeeding?
Filler is placed at the base of the nipple rather than into the duct system, and hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance. That said, there is limited published data on breastfeeding after nipple filler, so treatment is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and patients planning to breastfeed in the near future should discuss timing at consultation.
Can nipple filler correct asymmetry?
Yes, asymmetry in projection is one of the more straightforward things filler addresses, since each side can be treated with a different volume to match the other. Asymmetry in areolar size or position is a different problem and is not addressed by filler.
Who performs nipple filler at Plump Medical Spa?
Dr. Amir Mortazavi, MD performs the assessment and the injection personally. Treatment is not delegated to nurses or physician assistants. Appointments are private and by appointment only.
Private consultation with Dr. Mortazavi — including an honest answer if your anatomy needs something filler can't provide.
4667 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 310 — Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 568-7544 — info@plumpmedicalspa.com
Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm — By Appointment Only