The Question:
I'm a man in his 20's and used to be a really heavy kid. I had gynecomastia (ie. man boobs).

I've now lost a lot of weight, but my right nipple has a bigger aureola and is sort of puffy (like nipples that women have). It's sorta embarrassing, and I plan on surgery in a few years. I have heard that a piercing will result in arousal of the nipple, and might give me a permanent solution. I got this idea from bodybuilders forum discussing gynecomastia.

So... Will a nipple piercing tighten the nipple and aureola, giving a more masculine appearance?

My Answer Was...

Nipple development from piercing is unpredictable but it almost universally tends to make them appear larger, not smaller. I've often seen male nipples develop to be shaped like gum drops once they are pierced. A male friend of mine once had only one of his nipples pierced, and they would up looking entirely different, with the pierced one becoming extremely large and pronounced compared to the one which was not pierced. My guesstimate would be that piercing would just further enlarge the nipple tissue, and not actually "tighten" it up. Piercing does not result in a permanently erect or aroused nipple, as I can attest to after nineteen years of being a pierced person. Also, once pierced, the development of nipple tissue does not reverse or "go down" if the piercing is removed. Any tissue thickening or growth is permanent.

If right now, your nipple more closely resembles a woman's nipple, most likely piercing would cause it to develop further, making it look like a woman's nipple does after nursing a baby. This is what happens to most immature female nipples when they are pierced. The aureola isn't really changed by piercing, and the tissue area that is forward of the rings tends to grow larger and thicker.

Most likely piercing would make the size/shape differences between your nipples even greater.

To learn more about piercing, you might like Body Piercing: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, And Annotated Research Guide To Internet References by Icon Health Publications.

For body piercing aftercare, you might like Tattoo Goo Deluxe Tattoo & Piercing Care Kit or X-Pression & Blue Wave Piercing Aftercare Kit