:quality(85):upscale()/2025/06/04/961/n/49351082/fd9b73666840c31b667e52.60845944_.jpg "Jessie J Getting to Keep Nipples Amid Breast Cancer - This Procedure May Be Why")
For many breast cancer patients, diagnosis is just the start of a tumultuous medical journey. There may be several questions related to treatment, surgery, and recovery. Among these: do you get to keep your nipples? And if so - how? While the exact answer varies from patient to patient, some celebrities with breast cancer have recently shed light on the topic, even sharing the specific procedures that helped them keep theirs.
Jessie J, for instance, recently opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis in a candid Instagram video. "I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard," she said in her June 3 post. "I'm getting to keep my nipples, so that's good. It's a weird topic and a weird situation."
Olivia Munn was also previously transparent about her breast cancer treatment. In a May 2024 interview with Vogue, she went into depth about the "nipple delay" procedure she had to save her nipples (something Angelina Jolie also opted for, per The New York Times). "I knew that they were going to take everything out of my breasts, but that was all on the inside," Munn told Vogue. "When I realized things were going to change in ways people could see, too, I really realized things were going to be different."
These conversations have since raised deeper questions about what a nipple delay is and what it has to do with breast cancer. To get all the details, PS asked oncologists and surgeons about what a nipple delay procedure is, how it works, and how it can help breast cancer patients in the long run. Read on to get the full rundown.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Amy Bremner, MD, is a breast surgical oncologist and medical director of breast surgical oncology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center.
Sameer A. Patel, MD, FACS, is a reconstructive plastic surgeon and chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
John Shuck, MD, is a plastic surgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
What Is a "Nipple Delay?"
A nipple delay is a surgical step that helps preserve the nipple. The procedure is typically used in conjunction with a nipple-sparing mastectomy - a type of mastectomy that attempts to "spare" the nipple. The nipple can then be used during breast reconstruction. "In the past, we would always remove the nipple and areola with the breast tissue," says breast surgical oncologist Amy Bremner, MD. "But more recently, if we can try to save the nipple, we will."
Without a nipple delay, there's a chance the nipple and areola will die due to lack of blood supply (even with a nipple-sparing mastectomy). The nipple delay procedure is "a surgical technique that allows a nipple-sparing mastectomy to be done with potentially a greater chance of survival of the nipple areolar complex," explains reconstructive plastic surgeon Sameer A. Patel, MD, FACS.
How Does a Nipple Delay Work?
"The delay procedure takes advantage of a known principle and phenomenon in plastic surgery: when one component of blood supply is cut to a structure, alternative blood supply is augmented," Dr. Patel says. In other words, the blood supply to the nipple is partially cut off (by removing breast tissue), forcing the nipple to find an alternative blood supply. This increases blood flow to the skin, and improves the nipple's blood supply in general, says plastic surgeon John Shuck, MD.
"When you do the nipple-sparing mastectomy later, the blood supply is better and there is hopefully a 100 percent chance of the nipple surviving," Dr. Shuck explains. The nipple delay procedure is usually done anywhere from a week to a month before the actual mastectomy, Dr. Shuck adds.
What's Nipple Delay Recovery Like?
Patel describes recovery from a nipple delay as "minimal," noting that it's usually done as an outpatient procedure with "no more than a one to two day recovery." Recovery from a mastectomy, however, is much longer. "It's usually four to six weeks, depending on the reconstruction type," Dr. Bremner says.
While Jessie J didn't share whether she planned on having a nipple delay herself, and Munn didn't reveal whether her nipple delay was successful, talking about the procedure can help inform and empower other breast cancer patients. Munn phrased it perfectly in a May 2024 Instagram post about her Vogue interview: "I hope by sharing this, it helps other women who are fighting this terrible disease feel less alone."
Related: I Froze My Eggs After Being Diagnosed With Breast Cancer - Here's What No One Tells You- Additional reporting by Chandler Plante
Korin Miller is a writer specializing in general wellness, health, and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, Self, Health, Forbes, and more. Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. Read More Details
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