TW: Chest and surgery
Tl;Dr Has anyone had their nipples pierced after top surgery and can offer insight on issues?
I had top surgery 10 years ago. During the surgery my nipples were completely removed and relocated. My nipples are not very pronounced with only a little bump.
I tried to get nipple piercings at a very reputable piercing shop this week but the piercer advised that the piercing would basically be a surface piercing, and would slowly migrate out over years resulting eventually in my nipples tearing and leaving "gnarly scars".
Have any of you had nipple piercings for multiple years after top surgery? Any issues like he worried about? I'm also debating if it would be worthwhile to get them pierced but set a time limit to remove them after a few years.
Thanks ahead of time.
I got mine after top surgery, but I did not get double incision or nipple grafts. I had a small chest, so I got periaeraolar, so I only have the small scars around the lower areolar edge. The nipple 'stalk' was severed during my surgery, but they were not completely grafted, so my results may be different than the norm.
I actually got mine pierced for medical as well as aesthetic reasons, since my left nipple inverted after I got top surgery and kept getting irritated and inflamed when stuff would get stuck in it. I got them both pierced with no issues, and have gone about two years with relatively few issues.
However, I have been told by some cis friends that not everyone can get their nipples pierced. Some people have thinner skin on their nipples, which can massively increase the chance of migration or tearing. Some people will have their bodies reject the piercing, and previous rejections make this more likely with subsequent piercings. Shape isn't always a factor, but can be in certain circumstances if the skin is very tight or inflexible.
I would recommend asking for a second opinion at a different location and see what they say. If someone else on here has a situation more similar to yours, I would definitely take their advice over mine though.
TL;DR: Top surgery shouldn't prevent you from getting your nipples pierced, but your particular nipples may not be suited for piercing, which can happen.