Fix it like Beckham! Men are having their NIPPLES reconstructed to look like those of football stars as part of bizarre $5,000 cosmetic trend, top plastic surgeons reveal

David Beckham is envied by men all over the world for his chiselled facial features, toned physique and ever-changing hairstyles.

But now men are paying thousands of pounds to have their nipples reconstructed to look more like those of the football star, top plastic surgeons have told DailyMail.com.

“This is one thing, people want David Beckham’s nipples,” says Dr. Marc Everett, who runs a clinic in Manhattan, New York.

Dr. Elie Levine, who also has a practice on the Upper East Side, said it was “definitely a growing trend.”

He now performs about one procedure every two weeks, which involves removing breast tissue from under the nipples and sewing it back up to make it look smaller.

According to them, the trend is driven by the trend towards wearing tight-fitting shirts, which makes the nipples appear more prominent.

Beckham, 48, has nipples that experts describe as ‘ideal’ – because of their small almond shape and symmetry.

Dr. Everett told DailyMail.com: ‘This is something. For example, a patient from New York came to me on Friday…he said he always wanted his nipples to look like David Beckham’s.”

The operation costs up to $5,000 for both nipples and is very convenient: men can return to work within an hour.

This is done by cutting along 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 can also cut away most of the nipple’s protrusion (the pointed part in the center of the nipple) to make the nipple smaller and more almond-like.

Before the operation, men are asked to shave the hair on their chest. It is done using local anesthesia to numb the area being operated on.

A few have also been men who have developed breast tissue around the nipple, which may be caused by supplements such as androgens – a steroid used by bodybuilders – and even marijuana.

Dr. Levine said patients also came to him for nipples “like David Beckham’s.”

“I’ve had this,” he told DailyMail.com.

‘The patients who ask about it often come from Europe and South America, but they are also often ordinary men who grew up in the US and just know (are aware of) him.’

He added: ‘Nipple reduction surgery is definitely a growing trend.

‘It’s not the most common procedure I perform, but it’s certainly one that is on the rise.

‘Two years ago I rarely did this procedure, a handful of times a year.

David Beckham is pictured above in a modeling photo for Emporio Armani underwear that debuted in 2007

“But now I would say it’s not uncommon at all these days. I do this operation about every other week.’

Some men may have noticeable nipple protrusions, which are completely natural.

Others may also be concerned about an enlarged nipple area (areola), the dark-colored skin around the nipple.

Dr. Levine said, “Men are becoming more conscious of how they dress and how they look.

‘If they wear something with a form-fitting shape that makes the nipples more visible, they may feel uncomfortable.

“They don’t want the focus of what they’re wearing, if they’re wearing a tight-fitting shirt, to be the nipple.”

He said about 80 percent of his patients lived in New York City, while the rest came from the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Deniz Sarhaddi, a plastic surgeon in Missouri, said she has also seen patients come to her for nipple reductions — often bodybuilders.

“Because of the supplements and hormones they take, this can enlarge the breast tissue and it doesn’t just go away,” she said.

‘Men generally don’t come for plastic surgery, but when they do, it usually has something to do with the breast.

“They often call my office and say, ‘My nipples are too big.’