Hello.
I'm almost a month post-op (keyhole technique) and everything is healing well - the scars are almost invisible, swelling has gone down a lot, and so on.
However, there is one problem I don't know what to do with.
My right nipple has shrunk a lot - I have read about this, so it didn't surprise me, but... the other one didn't.
Seriously, my right nipple is not only half the original size, but probably 1/3 or even less (the areola almost disappeard, there's just a tiny ring now), while the other one stayed the same looking HUGE in comparison.
Also, the left bigger one is noticeably lower on the chest, by about 1.5inches (4cm) and it looks really, really bad. It's big, puffy, makes the whole left side look extremely unnatural and it's asymmetrical as hell. It's extremely noticeable and it makes me anxious, because I hoped I would be finally able to go topless this year but with things looking as they do I don't want to show it even to my girlfriend.
Does anyone have any recommendation? Anything I could do to make the left side look a bit more like the right side? Did anyone here have the same experience? Should I maybe bind my chest more? (I stopped two weeks after surgery, so I haven't been binding for two weeks now) Or maybe some kind of ointment, exercise, anything? What would/did you do?
I'm currently using a simple moisturising herbal cream as well as some "pro-age" body lotion that is supposed to make the skin more elastic and do a few(about 10) push-ups every day as recommended by my surgeon.
I'll be incredibly thankful for any help, this really bothers me

PS: I can't go to my surgeon. The health care works differently in my country and unless I have a huge infection or other problem with serious health risks I simply won't get an appointment. That's why I want to know what others who were in the same position or have any experience in medical matters think about this, and how would they deal with it on their own.

I would suggest trying to relax about the whole thing for now.  You are only a month post op.  You probably still have a significant amount of swelling.  Is it possible that it is swelling that could be making the areola look smaller?  Also, maybe the extra tissue on the other side is just swelling.  I wouldn't start working out, unless your surgeon said you should at a certain point (you mentioned push ups).  You don't want to do anything that would inflamme the muscles, skin that are trying to heal. 

You're probably right. The nipple shrinkage is quite common I've read, but it usually happens on both sides, I've never heard about it happening only on one side. That's why I'm asking, to see if anyone has similar experiences, because there's next to none info about the keyhole technique.
The swelling is absolutely minimal, I would be okay if it stayed as it is now, but the problematic side is slightly bigger overall, I guess. It's hard to say, because there's really not much swelling to look at.
And my surgeon told me on our last appointment (two weeks after surgery), that it's okay to start with push ups already, and actually recommended for me to star right away. I haven't felt up to it much though, so I just started two days ago, doing a few push ups every morning. That's another thing I find strange, since I've read everywhere that it's better to rest at first, and I'm exercising the chest muscles after three weeks. But I guess it's individual. I'm reconsidering it now however, because ever since I woke up this morning, the scar on the problematic side has been all.. puffy, the area around it red and it itches a lot. I really wish there were ore people with experience with keyhole because I have no idea what those things mean and how others deal with them.

I agree with Brett (of course why wouldn't I agree with my clone?). I have more swelling (this is 4 months post-op) on the left and this means the placement looks asymmetrical. I believe this is normal up to a year after surgery.


--Jay