Pointy Breasts or Puffy Nipples ? – Do you need Tuberous Breast Correction?

Pointy Breasts or Puffy Nipples ? – Do you need Tuberous Breast Correction?

Posted on 15/07/2022 by Dr Jeremy Hunt FRACS - Specialist Plastic Surgeon

Pointy Breasts or Puffy Nipples may need Tubular or Tuberous Breast Correction

Tubular breast deformity is a congenital defect that prevents the breasts from fully developing during puberty. Tuberous breasts are often underdeveloped with puffy or pointy nipples. They have a cone-shaped or box-shaped appearance with one breast looking visibly smaller than the other.

Breast cosmetic surgery is the only way to treat tuberous breast deformity and fix constricted breasts or puffy nipples. It can be performed without implants if there is enough natural breast tissue. Otherwise, tuberous breast reconstruction is performed with implants to restore the normal appearance and volume of the breast. Medicare and your Private Health Fund may provide a subsidy towards Tuberous Breast Correction if you meet the strict criteria.

Dr Hunt Answers Breast Surgery Questions

 

For less severe cases of breast deformity, fat grafting may be enough to sculpt the breasts and give them a fuller and more natural shape. Moreover, a more advanced hybrid breast augmentation surgery can combine both implants and fat grafts to significantly improve the shape of conical breasts. Dr Jeremy Hunt performs tuberous breast surgery in Australia. Dr Hunt aims to help his patients get fuller and rounder breasts with a beautiful contour.

What Are Tubular Breasts?

Tuberous breasts, also known as tubular breasts or hypoplastic breasts, are underdeveloped breasts that have irregular appearances. Instead of having the usual round or a pear shape, tubular breasts may be:

  • Elongated
  • Snoopy
  • Pointy
  • Puffy
  • Cone-shaped
  • Tube-shaped
  • Box-shaped

Tubular breast deformity can be apparent in one or both breasts and is also known as:

  • Snoopy breasts
  • Herniated areolar complex
  • Domed nipple
  • Narrow-based breasts

Although tubular breasts come in different shapes and sizes, they have common characteristics that include:

  • A constricted breast base
  • A constrictive band in the area around the nipple (areola)
  • Lack of sufficient breast tissue in the vertical and/or horizontal direction
  • They may have a herniated nipple-areolar complex and an enlarged areola or ‘puffy nipple’

Tuberous breast deformity is more common than we think – a lot of women who have snoopy or cone-shaped breasts don’t seek treatment because they might not realise that there’s something that can be done to fix them.

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What are the Characteristics of Tuberous Breasts?

Tubular breast deformity doesn’t cause any health problems or concerns. However, it might be more difficult for you to breastfeed if you have hypoplastic breasts.

Experienced Plastic Surgeons like Dr Jeremy Hunt can tell if your breasts are tuberous based on their appearance. Tubular breasts often have the following features:

  • Underdeveloped breasts
  • Enlarged or puffy areolas
  • The area around the nipple (areola) may appear constricted
  • A large gap between the two breasts (widely spaced breasts)
  • Breasts with an oval, pointed, conical, or square shape instead of a round shape
  • Lack of symmetry (one breast will appear different from or larger than the other breast)

Different Types of Tubular Breast Deformity

  • Type I hypoplasia: a Grade I tuberous breast looks relatively small and lacks tissue in the lower pole of the breast making it look short
  • Type II hypoplasia: in Grade II tuberous breasts, the lower half of the breast looks constricted and the areola is stretched with the nipple pointing downward
  • Type III hypoplasia: this is a more severe form of tuberous breast deformity where the entire breast is affected and lacks tissue. The areola is stretched or weakened and breast tissue herniates through it
  • Type IV hypoplasia: this is the most severe form of tubular breast deformity. Grade IV hypoplastic breasts have extreme constriction and minimal breast tissue

What Causes Tubular Breasts?

Tubular breasts are a congenital deformity (birth defect) that occurs during breast tissue formation. The breasts don’t grow into their full size during puberty.

The exact cause of tuberous breast deformity is still unknown but several theories have been proposed. Scientists believe that tuberous breasts may occur when:

  • The superficial tissue enveloping the breast is abnormally attached to the underlying breast tissue and chest muscle layer. This attachment restricts the normal expansion of the breast forcing it to expand in one direction (forward) and leading to the enlargement of the areola
  • During breast development, a tight ring of fibrous tissue forms around the areola and constricts the growth of the breast. As a result, breast tissue is not allowed to develop normally leading to horizontal and/or vertical breast tissue deficiency. Eventually, breast growth in the presence of this constricting ring causes a herniated areola

Photos of  Tuberous Breast Correction by Dr Jeremy Hunt – Sydney Plastic Surgeon

Tuberous Breast Correction SIDE - Dr Jeremy Hunt plastic Surgeon Sydney

Tuberous Breast Correction

The only treatment for tuberous breasts is cosmetic plastic surgery. Since regular breast augmentation surgery cannot fully correct the appearance of tubular breasts, Dr Jeremy Hunt uses different reconstructive and surgical techniques to give your breasts a fuller and better look. Depending on the shape of your breasts, the amount of natural breast tissue you have, and how severe your breast deformity is, Dr Hunt may perform one of the following procedures to restore the normal shape of your breasts.

Tubular Breast Correction Without Implants

Women with a less severe form of tuberous breast deformity and enough natural breast tissue can have their puffy breasts and pointy nipples corrected without implants. This is done with what is known as a one-step tubular breast correction surgery.

During one-step tuberous breast surgery, Dr Hunt will perform the following:

  • Release the constricted tissue around the base of the breast
  • Release the constrictive band around the areola
  • Evenly redistribute your breast tissue to give tubular breasts a flatter profile
  • Lift the breast and reposition the nipple into a more aesthetically pleasing position
  • Reduce the size of the enlarged areolas

This cosmetic surgery for tuberous breasts can reshape small cone-shaped breasts and puffy nipples all in one go.

Reconstructive surgery for conical breasts can add fullness to your breasts, reduce the size of enlarged areolas, and create a more natural breast shape.

Tubular Breast Correction with Implants

In case you have a more severe type of hypoplastic breast deformity, Dr Hunt will perform two separate procedures to fix your box-shaped breasts.

A two-step tuberous breast correction surgery involves the following:

  • During the first breast surgery, Dr Hunt will release the constrictive tissue around the nipples or base of the breast. He will then insert tissue expanders into your breasts
  • Over the next few weeks or months, the breast tissue expanders will be gradually inflated to stretch your breast skin and the muscles of your chest, creating room for future breast implants
  • Once the breasts are sufficiently stretched, Dr Hunt will perform a second surgery where the expanders are replaced with permanent breast implants
  • After the breast implants are placed, your breast tissue will be uniformly redistributed over the implant to fill in the areas of your breast that lack tissue
  • Following this, Dr Hunt will reshape your breast and nipples into a more natural form

This two-step breast reconstruction procedure can fix breast asymmetry, enhance your cleavage, add volume to your breasts, and bring breasts that are too far apart closer together.

Tuberous Breast Correction with Fat Grafting

Fat grafting is a less invasive procedure that can improve the shape of tuberous breasts without surgery. This procedure is ideal for patients with less severe tubular breast deformities who do not lack too much breast tissue.

Using fat harvested from your own body, Dr Hunt will be able to sculpt your breasts into a more proportional and aesthetically pleasant shape.

During fat grafting procedure for the correction of tuberous breasts:

  • Dr Hunt will use liposuction to remove fat from your hips, thighs, or belly
  • Then, he will strategically inject the harvested fat into different areas of your breast
  • The injected fat will help loosen up the constricted breast tissue and fill in areas of the breast with little breast tissue

Breast fat grafting can fix the appearance of pointy nipples, give your breasts more volume, and accentuate your cleavage.

Tuberous Breast Correction with Composite Breast Augmentation (Implants + your own Fat)

Another option to fix a tuberous breast appearance is composite or hybrid breast augmentation surgery also known as lipo-implant. This advanced cosmetic procedure can give your breasts good cosmetic outcomes. During a composite breast augmentation surgery, Dr Hunt uses both implants and fat grafting to substantially improve the appearance of cone-shaped or boxy breasts.

This type of cosmetic surgery isn’t just about making your breasts look bigger or perkier. It’s more complex than regular breast augmentation surgery because it involves full breast surgery to fix an anatomical deformity.

Dr Jeremy Hunt has significant experience in breast surgery and extensive knowledge of breast anatomy. He combines both his surgical skills with his profound anatomical knowledge to fully reconstruct the breasts and give them a normal shape and a better contour.

FAQs about Tuberous Breasts

Are tuberous breasts small?

  • Although they come in various shapes and sizes, most tuberous breasts do look smaller. You can usually tell if you have tubular breasts if there’s a large gap between your breasts, your nipples appear collapsed or constricted, and your breasts have an underdeveloped appearance.

Can tubular breasts be large?

  • Tubular breasts come in different shapes and sizes and may be small or large. All tuberous breasts share common characteristics such as an irregular breast shape, constricted breast tissue, and underdeveloped breast tissue. However, even though a tuberous breast will look smaller than the other normal breast, it can still be large in some cases.

Is tubular breast deformity rare?

  • Tubular breast deformity is not very common, but at the same time, it cannot be considered rare. Doctors believe that the low number of reported tubular breast cases is because a lot of women who have this deformity do not seek treatment for it.

Can you breastfeed with hypoplastic breasts?

  • It is possible to breastfeed with tubular breasts although it may be challenging. If only one of your breasts is hypoplastic, you will likely still be able to breastfeed with your other normal breast. Even if both of your breasts have some degree of tubular deformity, you might be able to breastfeed if you have enough developed breast tissue. However, the more severe the tuberous breast deformity, the chances of having enough natural breast tissue to produce enough milk for your baby are lower.

What do tubular breasts feel like?

  • Tubular breasts can be defined more by how they look than by how they feel. They usually have a cone-like shape and enlarged or puffy areolas. Nevertheless, the fibrous constrictive ring of tissue at the base of the breast or around the areola can feel dense to the touch. (this constrictive ring is released during corrective surgery)

How can I make my tubular breasts look normal?

  • Currently, the only treatment for tubular breasts is cosmetic surgery. Tubular breast reconstruction surgery can be done with or without implants to make your breasts look normal again. For less severe cases of tuberous breast deformity, fat grafting into the tubular breast can help give it a fuller, rounder, and more normal shape. A composite breast augmentation surgery that includes both implants and fat grafting can extensively improve the shape of breasts with more severe tubular breast deformity.

Further Reading about Breast Surgery

Medical References about Tuberous Breasts

About Dr Jeremy Hunt – Specialist Plastic Surgeon Sydney

dr jeremy hunt

Dr Jeremy Hunt is a specialist plastic surgeon performing breast, body, face and nose surgery. He is a member of FRACS & ASPS and has over 20 years of experience providing plastic surgery in Sydney.

Careful, considerate and honest, Dr Jeremy Hunt works with you to find a solution that is optimal for your body and your lifestyle. Every patient is unique and, through his guidance, can achieve good results.

Dr Hunt’s personal, one-on-one service and attention to detail has given thousands of women and men from the Sydney & Wollongong NSW area and across Australia the aesthetic results they desire.

Dr Hunt’s qualifications and education

Dr Jeremy A Hunt MBBS FRACS graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Sydney University in 1990 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and member of ASPS – the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. He completed a Fellowship at the prestigious University of Texas in the United States, where he learnt from some of the world’s very best plastic surgeons.

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About The Author

Dr Jeremy Hunt FRACS - Specialist Plastic Surgeon

Dr Jeremy Hunt is one of Australia’s leading specialist plastic surgeons. With over 20 years’ experience and thousands of patients, Dr Hunt is the smart choice for your plastic surgery or non-surgical procedure.

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