It is important to be sure you’re thoroughly healed following a localized surgery before seeking a piercing in the region. It is prudent to wait at least a year, and possibly two, for the tissue to fully normalize before piercing.

It is also vital to be carefully evaluated before repiercing a nipple that is scarred from a problematic prior piercing-especially if there was significant migration or rejection.

If you have scar tissue directly at the site where the jewelry should go, this might make piercing inadvisable. Consult with a professional piercer to examine the area and discuss any specific considerations and concerns with you.

It is critical that the skin is pliable. If your scarring is so pronounced that the tissue (where the piercing belongs) is hard, dense, and inflexible, the piercing is apt to be much harder-or maybe even impossible-to perform, or to heal. Migration and rejection are far more likely when the tissue is not pliable.

It is not normally problematic for individuals who have undergone breast reduction or augmentation surgery to receive nipple piercings. The areolar scarring that results from such procedures is not usually located where a piercing would be placed, and is therefore seldom prohibitive. If healing from surgery was troubled and unusual scarring remains, that could potentially be an issue.

If you have implants, use sound judgment when selecting a piercer and strictly comply with all post-piercing guidelines. The risks are more serious: an infection from a nipple piercing can spread to your implant, possibly require surgical intervention, and potentially result in the loss of your augmentation.

Those who have experienced diminished sensation from breast surgery often report positive results from nipple piercing!

A surgical procedure that can make nipple piercing impractical or unsafe is when the nipple tip is trimmed down, as is commonly done in FTM (female-to-male) chest surgeries.

Also, if you have undergone radical breast surgery and reconstruction with nipple replacement using non-areolar tissue, you are generally not a good candidate. Piercing might be possible if the donor tissue is a type that heals easily, such as from the labia minora. An expert piercer and your surgeon should both be consulted before proceeding. The two-year wait time would be advisable in these cases.