Questions and Answers About Breasts for Teens

What Teenage Girls Need to Know About Breast Development and Health

"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.