Women who smoke could lose their nipples

It turns out smoking may not just put you at risk for lung cancer, but, for women, it also may result in their nipples falling off.

A new cosmetic procedure inspired by the bloodsucking ways of the vampire is offering women the promise of plumper breasts - without having to go under the knife.

It's only for those who have undergone breast surgery but still the thought is still quite terrifying.

According to plastic surgeon Dr Anthony Youn, women who smoke "before or after surgery" are susceptible to having their nipples turning "black and fall[ing] off".

"Smokers who undergo breast lifts are at great risk of losing their nipples," he writes on his medical blog.

He explains the nicotine and carbon monoxide contains in cigarettes reduces the blood flow to certain parts of the body and if it becomes "greatly reduced" that certain body part dies.

The surgeon also recalls a moment this very thing happened to one of his patients.

It's quite shocking to think smoking could cause your nipples to fall off after breast surgery. Source: Getty

"In my memoir In Stitches, I told the story of a smoker whose nipples turned purple while undergoing a breast lift surgery," Dr Youn writes. "Purple is the precursor to black. Black is the precursor to falling off. To save the patient—and her nipples—we turned to the only treatment available."

That treatment was "medieval" — using leeches.

The leeches were used to drain out the old blood "causing [the nipple] to turn from unhealthy purple back to healthy pink".

There you have it ladies, if you're thinking about breast surgery, don't smoke.

Just think of your nipples before you light up that dreaded ciggy.

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