She explains: "A lot of people want their nipples made darker. Its the fashion. Some people think theirs are too pink or their boyfriends want them done. I think sometime they are doing it because they are conscious of them being pale and they think its fashionable to have dark nipples. They'll look at the magazines and page 3 and unfortunately a lot of it might be peer pressure.
The girls get them done so they can go topless and not be embarrassed, or when they're in a changing room and getting changed. They can go on holiday in front of their partners, go for massages, spray tans and just not be conscious of their body."
The two-hour procedure, which can cost up to £1,200 for both nipples, lasts around 12 to 18 months and top-ups are recommended to restore any colour lost as the ink fades over time. The nipples are made to look natural by matching ink colours to skin tones, which are then shaded and tattooed on to the anaesthetised nipple. Several weeks after the procedure, it is all repeated to restore fading and add finishing touches.
In Liverpool, a number of salons already offer nipple tattooing and there at least 15 independent technicians based in the area. It is rapidly catching up with vajazzles, designer vaginas and boob jobs as the latest cosmetic procedure available to women nationwide.
Danielle Price, an Essex-based technician says: "A lot of people still dont know about it, but it is definitely getting more popular. I have seen a huge change in clientele. They used to be so much older and professional. Now I'm getting really young girls aged 18 to 25.
Some girls do come to me and say their boyfriends will like it more. Its a bit worrying to think they would go out and get it done just because of that, and I wouldnt do it for them until they were sure they wanted it. The younger generation are so hung up on everything being just so, its quite sad really.
Claire Jagger, 38, had her nipples tattooed after having a boob job. She says: To me, it was the finishing touch after getting my breasts done. My nipples were quite fair in colour, no different from any ordinary girl, but I wanted to enhance them to make them darker. I wanted the shape to be perfect, and now I feel great because I have absolutely perfect nipples.
The idea of 'perfect nipples' may be born out of page 3 girls and glamour models, but many women are having their nipples done for other reasons. Danielle explains, "Often women have one breast bigger than the other, so having their nipples tattooed can create symmetry. For women who have pale or patchy nipples as a result of skin conditions, it can restore the colour. It can also define the areolae for women whose nipples have changed after breast implants."
Michelle, a 32-year-old mum, had her nipples done to make them bigger and darker. My nipples were very small and childlike. I felt like a young girl, she says. My boobs grew when I was younger but my nipples didnt, and they didnt have rings, so they looked a bit wrong. I decided to get it done and it was quite a simple procedure, really straightforward, quick and didnt hurt.
"It was one of the best things Ive ever done. I know my boobs arent on show but it has still given me so much more confidence. My new nipples are better than any natural ones I could have had. When I go swimming now Im not self-conscious about my nipples showing through my bikini. With my partner I didnt want to take my bra off before but now thats gone, so our relationship is better. I feel more out-going and more content in my body.
Graham Offer, from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, stresses: If people are going to get it done they need to go to a proper medical tattooist rather than down to the local tattoo parlour.
He warns that although the procedure is medically safe, women must think about the effects. I'd recommend people give it consideration and thought because its permanent and you don't know what the effects will be as the breast changes over time. The nipple-areola complex will change with pregnancy, so people need to think about their future."
Women like Claire and Michelle are already thinking of their future - a future filled with spray tans, bikinis and perfect nipples.
Radhika Sanghani is a trainee reporter for The Telegraph, working on its graduate scheme.
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