Brava is the pre fat grafting system we use to help create a space to graft fat into and increase the fat survival once moved.
This is part of a series from one of my eloquent patients who wanted to share her insights and experiences with the BRAVA.
Todays topic? The nipple.
This patient had more of an issue than some of my patients. As always, everyone is different. To quote her directly, “Brava is brutal on nipples. The suction causes them to get large, pale, and hypersensitive.”
Why would this happen? Anytime you are stretching breast skin, the nerves in the skin get mad. When nerves are mad they can act in different ways: pins, needles, burning, itching, numbness, and hypersensitivity. Not everyone has the same response. It is the same thing which happens when you are pregnant or when you start to breastfeed. That initial engorgement causes a quick stretch of the skin. For those with hypersensitivity, anything touching your nipple (including clothing or people) can make you want to holler.
What to do?
- Nipple sensitivity improves. As your skin accommodates to the new stretch, the nerves calm down. This patient said it lasted for a couple weeks “until my breasts were used to the suction.” Again, everyone is different.
- Cover the nipple. If your nipple can’t rub on things, it won’t get as irriated. The issue here is bandaids and other adhesives can cause an issue with the Brava system and give you a “welt.” This patient used Op Site over her colored areola portion, but said she saw the areas covered with the bandage did not respond to the suction.
The increased “hypersensitivity” sensation in the nipple is not something unusual to BRAVA and breast augmentation with fat transfer- I see it in almost all breast surgeries. Again, it is due to the stretching of the breast skin. It tends to be a temporary thing.
So hang in there.