Women are paying to get 'designer nipples' so they can channel Kendall Jenner's look
With all the body positivity efforts being made by brands and models alike, it's no surprise that women are feeling more empowered and proud of their bodies than ever. Part of that is the #freethenipple movement, which is against the censoring of female nipples (which are often blurred or covered up by Photoshop).
And it seems that people are so into letting their nipples be free that they're choosing to make them stand out even more by getting a specific cosmetic procedure that costs upwards of $700. One surgeon claims that the new trend is inspired by celebrities who don the no-bra look to unapologetically expose their nipples under their clothes. Think Rachel in almost every episode of Friends, or more contemporarily – Kendall Jenner's street style.
People are reportedly coming to plastic surgeons holding photographs of the 22-year-old model waltzing down the street in sheer blouses, teeny spaghetti strap dresses or tank tops that clearly show what she's got.
US plastic surgeon Dr Norman Rowe says that the number of patients coming into his practice requesting work on their nipples has more than quadrupled in recent months. In a video by the New York Post, the surgeon talks about clients coming in to request "designer nipples" so they can look more like their favourite celebrities.
“I think more recently, the more prominent nipple has become a very popular look and a trend, and a lot of our patients want that high beam or headlight look,” he said.
One New Yorker who went to Dr Rowe complained: "My nipples never get hard". She brought in pictures of Kendall Jenner's as inspiration, saying she loved the "pointiness" of the model's nipples.
"I think when it comes to social media, certainly with a relaxation of what's being depicted and an increasing prevalence with nudity and fashion models and photographic shooting, the nipple and the breast is much more revealed," President of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, Professor Mark Ashton, told HuffPost about the increasing trend.
"I love Kendall Jenner and I love that she just doesn't ever wear a bra," Dr Rowe's patient commented. "You can't see her nipples but you can see the pointiness."
The 28-year-old said it looked "sexy and feminine" to see Kendall's nipples through her shirt. "I think it would be really cool to just have protruding nipples all the time," she said, adding that it would "constantly make her feel like a woman".
Dr Rowe said there was a direct relationship between celebrities wearing sheer clothing and outfits that were clearly bra-less and clients wanting to "emulate and mimic" those looks. He charges upwards of $700 for nipple procedures, which usually involve Botox fillers injected into the areola (the circular "base" of the nipple). This makes the nipple protrude more and appear extra "perky", leaving a semi-permanent result that lasts up to two years.
Additionally, women might ask for more symmetrical nipples, a lighter colour or to have the areolae made smaller. While there is a risk of losing sensation in the nipple as well as being unable to breastfeed in the future, new procedures are being developed that could eliminate these consequences.
Despite the potential risk and the high price tag of getting permanently perky nips, it's clear that it is a booming trend. Would you be interested in getting "designer nipples" too?