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by
Tracee
Cornforth
"Come
on grow!" said a 15-year old girl I knew when I was a
teenager. She was giving her breasts a pep talk as she
looked hopefully down her blouse. Teenage girls, and grown
women, have long worried about their breasts or lack of
breasts. Some girls like the one above, worry about their
breasts not growing enough, while other girls worry about
having breasts that are too large.
Breasts
come in all shapes and sizes. Nipples can be large or small,
they can stick out or be inverted. Some girls have breasts
that are not the same size with one being large while the
other is small. All of these are perfectly
normal.
Some
girls develop breasts early at eight or nine, while other
girls are still waiting at 14 or 15. While this is normal,
it is often hard for the girl who is 13, 14, or 15 to
understand why her friends have developed breasts and she
has not.
Breast
maturity can occur very slowly, or almost overnight for some
girls. The important thing to remember is that everyone is
different and each girl will develop breasts in her own
time.
How
Big Will My Breasts Grow?
How big
breasts eventually grow depends on a couple of
factors:
- Heredity
plays a key role in the size and shape of
breasts.
- The
amount of fatty tissue in the breast is a major factor in
how large or small breasts will become; however, this has
little to do with body weight.
Many
girls try to increase their breast size by exercising the
pectoral muscles (the muscles under the breasts). While
exercising the pectoral muscles might increase the firmness
of that muscle, it has nothing to do with the amount of
fatty tissue in the breasts and will do little to increase
breast size.
Do
I Need to Wear a Bra?
Wearing
a bra is less popular than it once was, and is basically a
personal decision. If you feel comfortable without wearing a
bra, then don't wear one. But if wearing a bra makes you
feel better, or feel you look better, then wear it. If you
are going to wear a bra, it's a good idea to go to a large
department store and be fitted by the sales lady. A
properly-fitted bra will be comfortable and will not cause
red marks on your shoulders or around your chest.
Why
Do My Breasts Swell and Feel Tender?
Swelling
and tenderness of the breasts just before your menstrual
cycle is normal for many girls and women. This happens
because breast tissue tends to retain fluid before your
period starts. Even if you don't normally wear a bra,
wearing one when your breasts are swollen, tender, and
feeling extra heavy might help to relieve some of these
symptoms--just be sure that the bra is
well-fitted.
Will
I Get Cancer If I Bump My Breast or Something Hits My
Breast?
While
getting a hard hit to your breast may feel pretty bad, it
won't cause breast cancer. Your breasts may bruise, but
unless the bruising is severe you should have no cause for
concern (and it still won't cause breast cancer).
Help!
There's Hair Growing On My Breasts
Don't
worry, you are not turning into the hairy-chested lady at
the circus. Many, many girls and women have some hair on or
around their breasts. Some girls have only one or two hairs,
while others have many more. If it is an issue that you are
not comfortable about, talk to your health care
provider.
What's
Wrong With Me? I Have a Discharge Coming Out My
Nipples
This
can be quite scary, but unless the discharge has pus or
blood in it, or if it is brownish in color (most likely
caused by an infection, although blood can indicate cancer),
it is probably nothing to worry about. It is normal to have
a nipple discharge that is thin and milky, clear, light
green, grayish, or light yellow. Again, see your health care
provider if you are unsure about any nipple discharge that
you may experience.
I
Have a Lump in My Breast. Do I Have Breast
Cancer?
Lumpy
breasts are very common in girls and women. In most cases,
breast lumps are not a sign of breast cancer. Teenagers,
both girls and boys, will often feel a lump called an
"adolescent nodule." An adolescent nodule is a sore, swollen
spot just under the nipple that will go away without any
medical intervention. Although breast cancer is very rare in
teens, anytime you feel a lump it's a good idea to have it
checked by your health care provider.
Learning
and practicing monthly
breast self-exam
is an important step that you can take to protect your
health. Starting monthly breast self-exam as soon as you
begin to menstruate will help to make it a lifelong habit.
Breast cancer sounds very scary, but when detected early
most breast cancers have a survival rate of over 90
percent.
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