WOMEN’S BODIES: SOME PROBLEMS DURING BREAST DEVELOPMENT

Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 4:34 pm

Sore breasts Breasts may become tender while growing or before periods, they’re very uncomfortable it can make you tired and ‘touchy’, and can interfere with your enjoyment and performance during sport or when playing musical instruments.

Uneven breasts Sometimes one breast grows much more quickly than the other. The second breast usually catches up later on. Most of us finish up with more or less evenly matched breasts, though they’re never exactly the same. Rarely one breast remains much smaller than the other, or even more rarely fails to develop at all. This can be an embarrassment and can make it difficult to find clothes that fit properly. In such cases it’s worthwhile considering padding in the bra on the small side, and perhaps discussing the possibility of surgery to make the breasts more even.

Stretch marks These can develop on the skin of the sides and undersides of the breasts when growth is very rapid. Wearing a support bra at this time may help reduce the number and size of marks.

Extra nipples Many mammals (animals that breast-feed their young) that have multiple babies in a litter have more than one breast on each side. Humans are mammals, but as we rarely have more than two babies to feed, we need only one pair of mammary glands. However, like other mammals, before birth we develop a strand of tissue called the milk line that extends in a curve from the armpit to the groin. The cells along this line have the potential to form breast tissue, but our human genes usually ensure that only one pair of breasts develop on the upper chest. Nevertheless, sometimes humans can develop some nipple tissue at other places along the milk line. The most common sites are in the armpit, 8-10 cm below the usual nipple or just below the waist, rarely elsewhere. Extra nipples, which are present from birth, can occur in both males and females.

My textbook says that about one in ten people have extra nipples, but after examining many thousands of men and women, they seem less common to me. But you’ll often see them; take note next time you’re at the beach. Extra nipples are usually smaller and often irregular in shape. They can look like a mole or freckle; many of those who have an extra nipple don’t recognize it.

Sometimes an extra nipple can become sensitive and a bit puffy at puberty. If this worries you, ask your doctor to look at it so that you can be reassured that you are unlikely to have trouble and treatment is unnecessary.

About stretch marks

Stretch marks develop when a part of the body grows more quickly than the skin that covers it. They may appear on the breasts, thighs and abdomen if these parts enlarge very quickly during adolescence and pregnancy. They may develop in both men and women during periods of rapid weight gain.

Stretch marks appear because breaks develop in the fibrous and elastic tissues of the deeper layers of the skin in response to the pressure of expanding tissue beneath.

These breaks can be compared to a deep cut, except that the wound comes from inside rather than from outside the skin. Like a deep cut, the tears in the tissue cannot heal without scarring.

Stretch marks first appear as red or purplish wavy lines. After about six months the colour fades and the lines start to contract. After a year or so the lines become fine white or silvery.

There is, alas, nothing that will take stretch marks away. No diet, cream, oil or other cosmetic has ever worked. Massage may help the colour to fade a little more quickly.

Perhaps the amount of stretch marking of a rapidly enlarging part may be reduced by supporting the part against gravity. This hasn’t been proved but is worth a try, especially by supporting the breasts during times of rapid growth in adolescence and pregnancy.

Breast care

Now is the time to start looking after уour breasts. Make a habit of doing a breast check after each period finishes. You’ll learn how your breasts normally feel and how to pick up changes that should examined by your doctor. Pamphlets that tell you how to check your breasts can picked up from any doctor, hospital, health centre or family planning clinic.

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