David Beckham is envied by men around the world for his chiseled facial features, toned physique and ever-changing hairstyles.
But now men are paying thousands of dollars to have their nipples reconstructed to look more like the football star’s, top plastic surgeons told DailyMail.com.
“This is one thing, people want David Beckham’s nipples,” said Dr. Marc Everett, who runs a clinic in Manhattan, New York.
Dr. Elie Levine, who also has a practice on the Upper East Side, said it was “definitely a growing trend.”
She now performs about a procedure every two weeks, which involves removing breast tissue from under the nipples and sewing them back together to give them a smaller appearance.
The trend, they say, is being driven by the tendency to wear tighter shirts, which make nipples appear more prominent.
David Beckham is pictured above leaving the field after defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy team at The Home Depot Center, Carson, Los Angeles, in September 2009.
Beckham, 48, has nipples that experts described as “ideal” due to their small, almond-shaped and symmetrical shape.
Dr Everett told DailyMail.com: ‘This already exists. For example, a patient who lives in New York came to see me on Friday…said he always wanted his nipples to look like David Beckham’s.’
The surgery costs up to $5,000 for both nipples and is very convenient: Men can return to work in just one hour.
It is done by cutting around the sides of the nipple to remove some of the skin and any extra breast tissue that may have formed, before reattaching the nipple.
Surgeons can also cut off most of the nipple bump (pointy area in the center of the nipple) to make it smaller and more almond-shaped in appearance.
Before surgery, men are asked to shave their chest hair. It is performed with local anesthesia to numb the area being operated on.
Some have also been men who have had breast tissue form around the nipple, which may be due to supplements such as androgens (a steroid used by bodybuilders) and even marijuana.
Dr. Levine said patients also came to him looking for nipples “like David Beckham.”
“I’ve had this,” he told DailyMail.com.
“Patients who ask are usually from Europe and South America, but many are also average men who grew up in the US and simply know [aware] of the.’
He added: ‘Nipple reduction surgery is definitely a growing trend.
‘It’s not the most common procedure I perform, but it’s definitely one that’s trending upward.
‘Two years ago I rarely had this procedure done, a handful of times a year.
David Beckham is pictured above in a modeling photo for Emporio Armani underwear that debuted in 2007.
But I would say that nowadays it is not at all unusual. I will do this surgery every two weeks.’
Some men may have prominent nipples that are completely natural.
Other people may also be concerned about a larger nipple area (or areola), which is the dark-colored skin around the nipple.
Dr. Levine said, “Men are becoming more conscious of how they dress and how they look.”
“If they’re wearing something tight that shows their nipples more prominently, it might be uncomfortable.”
“They don’t want the focus of what they’re wearing, if they’re wearing a tight shirt, to be the nipple.”
He said about 80 percent of his patients lived in New York City, with the rest coming from the United States and abroad.
Dr. Deniz Sarhaddi, a Missouri plastic surgeon, said she has also seen patients come to her for nipple reductions, often bodybuilders.
“Because of the supplements and hormones they take, this can increase breast tissue and this doesn’t just go away,” she said.
‘Men don’t usually come in for plastic surgery, but when they do, it’s usually for something to do with the chest.
“A lot of times they call my office and say, ‘My nipples are too big.’