Prosthetic nipples. Technician making prosthetic nipples and areolae (the area surrounding the nipple). The technician is filling a mould with silicone. The mould would have either been taken from the patient's nipple before removal, or, if only one nipple was removed, from the patient's remaining nipple. The prosthetic will attach to the patient's breast with an adhesive. Nipples often need to be removed when a patient has breast cancer. Prosthetic nipples have advantages over other means of reconstructing nipples, such as surgery, which requires multiple surgical procedures, or tattooing, which often produces disappointing results.