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 to have their nipples reconstructed to look more like the soccer star’s, top plastic surgeons have told DailyMail.com.
‘This is a thing, people want David Beckham’s nipples,’ said Dr Marc Everett, who runs a clinic on Manhattan, New York.
Dr Elie Levine, who also has a practice in the Upper East Side, said it was ‘definitely a growing trend’.
He is now carrying out around one procedure every two weeks, which involves extracting breast tissue from underneath the nipples and sewing them back up to give a smaller appearance.
The trend, they say, is being driven by a trend towards wearing more tight-fitting shirts, which make nipples appear more prominent.
David Beckham is pictured above leaving the pitch after defeating team Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center, Carson, Los Angeles, in September 2009
Beckham, 48, has nipples that the experts described as ‘ideal’ — because of their small, almond shape and symmetry.
Dr Everett told DailyMail.com: ‘This is a thing. For example, a patient living in New York come to me on Friday… he said he always wanted his nipples to look like David Beckham’s.’
The surgery costs up to $5,000 for both nipples and is highly convenient — with men able to return to work in just an 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 stitching the nipple back together.
Surgeons may also cut out most of the nipple protrusion — pointed area in the center of the nipple — to make the nipple smaller and more almond-like.
Before the surgery, men are asked to shave the hair on their chest. It is done using local anesthetic to numb the area being operated on.
A few have also been men who have had breast tissue form around the nipple, which may be driven by supplements like androgens — a steroid used by bodybuilders — and even marijuana.
Dr Levine said patients were also coming to him for nipples ‘like those on David Beckham’.
‘I have had this,’ he told DailyMail.com.
‘The patients who ask are often those from Europe and South America, but a lot are also average men who grew up in the US and are just cognizant [aware] of him.’
He added: ‘Nipple reduction surgery is definitely a growing trend.
‘It is not the most common procedure I perform but it is definitely one that is trending upwards.
‘I was doing this procedure rarely two years ago, a handful of times a year.
David Beckham is pictured above in a modeling shot for Emporio Armani underwear which debuted in 2007
‘But now I would say it is not at all uncommon today. I am doing this surgery about every other week.’
Some men can have prominent nipple protrusions which are totally natural.
Others may also be concerned by a larger nipple area — or areola — which is the dark colored skin around the nipple.
Dr Levine said: ‘Men are continuously becoming more and more conscious of how they dress and how they appear.
‘If they are wearing something with a tight-fitting form, that shows the nipples more prominently, that might make them uncomfortable.
‘They don’t want the focus of what they are wearing, if they are wearing a form-fitting shirt, to be the nipple.’
He said about 80 percent of his patients lived in New York City, with the rest coming from the US and abroad.
Dr Deniz Sarhaddi, a plastic surgeon in Missouri, said she has also seen patients come to her for nipple reductions — who are often body builders.
‘Because of the supplements and hormones they take, this can increase breast tissue and this doesn’t just go away,’ she said.
‘Men generally don’t come for plastic surgery, but when they do come in — it is usually something to do with the chest.
‘A lot of the time they call my office and say, “My nipples are too big”.’
