Why is one breast larger than the other? One breast is larger than the other - causes of asymmetry One breast swells more than the other.

Most girls' breasts are not symmetrical. If the difference is small, then it does not cause discomfort. With a significant difference in shape and size, the girl feels, at a minimum, embarrassment from the aesthetic appearance. A change in breast symmetry can be observed at different periods of a woman’s life. Let's figure out what is normal and in what situations you should visit a doctor.

What types of asymmetry are there?

Diagnosed breast asymmetry can be of the following types:

Hyperplasia of one mammary gland: a hypertrophied state of enlargement of one gland in relation to the normal second.
: asymmetrical enlargement of both glands.
Hypoplasia of one mammary gland: underdevelopment of one gland with normal shape and size of the second.
Hypoplasia of two glands: underdevelopment of the entire breast to varying degrees, possibly combined with breast ptosis - ptosis.
Hypoplasia of one gland and hyperplasia of the other: asymmetry with underdevelopment of one breast and enlargement of the other.
Unilateral underdevelopment of the chest area, mammary gland and pectoral muscles.

Why is one breast larger than the other?

There are only 2 causes of asymmetry: congenital and acquired.

Main reasons

The most common reasons are:

Hormonal imbalance during puberty.
Pregnancy and lactation period.
Trauma and mechanical damage.
Neoplasms.

Congenital factors

Congenital breast anomaly leads to either micromastia, that is, reduced size, or hypermastia, an enlargement of the mammary gland.

If there is asymmetry, pay attention to posture. The degree of curvature of the spinal column can determine appearance mammary glands. For example, the breasts may appear different sizes, but with a bent back. When your posture is straightened, your chest becomes symmetrical. This is due to the fact that with scoliosis, asymmetry of the entire body occurs and the two breasts may be at different levels. Therefore, even mammary glands that are completely identical in shape and size look different.

If breast asymmetry is not only visual, then this is due to improper development and growth of the mammary glands during puberty. Hormonal imbalances and gynecological diseases can significantly affect the proper formation of female breasts.

By the age of 17-20, the breasts are fully formed. In this case, a slight difference may be observed, which is normal. If by the age of 20 asymmetry of the mammary glands is noticeable, then you need to visit a doctor. The mammologist will examine the breasts and conduct diagnostics. Afterwards, you may need the help of a plastic surgeon. If the strong difference in the mammary glands is ignored, then during pregnancy it becomes more noticeable.

Acquired asymmetry factors

Breasts may have asymmetry for acquired reasons:

Trauma and mechanical damage: even injury in childhood may respond many years later during breast formation.
Neoplasms: with unhealthy tissue growth, when a neoplasm is formed, the breasts change both in size and shape.
Pregnancy and lactation: asymmetry after these stages is not the norm.
Hormonal disorders.
Inflammatory diseases of the breast and reproductive system.
Blocked milk ducts.
Age asymmetry.

In the case of an acquired reason for the formation of a difference in the mammary glands, you should definitely visit a mammologist.

Impact of pregnancy and lactation

During pregnancy, women notice changes in their breasts. There's a shift happening hormonal levels, which leads to swelling of the mammary glands.

Next comes the process of lactation. In this case, uneven feeding occurs when a woman prefers to feed with one breast. During feeding, asymmetry can be combated by artificially expressing milk from the breast that is less used when breastfeeding the baby.

With the correct course of the lactation period, signs of asymmetry disappear after the end of the feeding period.

If one breast is larger than the other in a little girl

Various reasons can cause breast asymmetry in girls. It depends on the age of the child.

Asymmetry of the mammary glands before adolescence

Parents are alarmed when their little daughters have breast asymmetry.

In newborn babies, an enlargement of one or both glands may be associated with a sexual crisis. The pituitary system begins to work intensively. This phenomenon normally disappears by 2-3 weeks of life. In this case, the mammary glands may shrink and even out in shape, or remain the same, but without further enlargement. A rare exception is regression of the mammary glands at 8-10 months. This is not the norm, therefore, you need to visit a pediatrician.

During natural feeding, some of the hormones enter the child’s body, which affects the condition of the girl’s mammary glands. When breastfeeding is stopped, signs of asymmetry in the baby's breasts should disappear.

A change in the size of one or two mammary glands can be observed in girls aged 1-3 years, or 6-8 years. This phenomenon occurs during premature sexual development. This thelarche is isolated in nature. Other signs of puberty are not detected, such as hair growth in the armpits, pubis, distribution of adipose tissue over female type, menstruation, growth spurt. Mastalgia occurs with the development of adipose tissue of the gland ducts. The left mammary gland is growing more.

Premature thelarche brings discomfort to the child. It indicates the presence of abnormalities in the body. For example, temporary cystic changes in the ovaries, increased sensitivity to hormones, hypothyroidism, etc.

Monitoring by a pediatrician is required. In the absence of serious causes of pathology, the girl’s health is simply monitored.

Breast asymmetry in adolescence

Adolescence in girls is characterized by the acquisition of the forms of an adult woman. This process does not happen quickly, over several years.

A strong hormonal change occurs. In this case, the mammary glands most often develop unevenly. So, at the age of 11 to 15 years, the mammary glands can differ significantly in shape and size from each other. There is no reason to panic if lumps are not palpable in the chest, there is no pain or tingling, and there is no decrease in the girl’s appetite or weight.

Normally, this difference should decrease by 17-20 years. If this does not happen, you need to consult a mammologist for consultation and examination.

If one nipple is larger than the other

Nipple size or asymmetry is normal, even if they are different. This individual feature body. If your nipples have not become dramatically different, then there is no need to worry.

Changes in nipple size can occur during lactation. After stopping feeding, the nipple either returns to its previous shape or does not continue to grow.

If one nipple has suddenly become larger, this may indicate a hormonal imbalance. For example, like this by-effect may occur due to improper use of oral contraceptives. Also, an enlargement of one nipple is observed when one becomes overweight.

If, in addition to changes in size, swelling and lumps are observed in the breast near the nipple, then you need to visit a mammologist. When conducting a diagnosis, the doctor will either deny the presence of a neoplasm or confirm it.

What to do if one breast is larger than the other: correction methods

Before prescribing correction of breast asymmetry, the doctor must identify the cause. So if the asymmetry is caused by feeding the baby, then lactation adjustment is possible. This will help avoid surgery.

If there are tumors that affect the size of the mammary gland, they are surgically excised. Other cases of differences in breast size and shape are corrected through plastic surgery.

Preparing for breast surgery

First of all, a consultation with a breast surgeon and/or a plastic surgeon is necessary. Next, the doctor listens to the patient’s preferences and the result she would like to see from the operation.

The next step is a breast examination. The doctor measures the size and explains the nuances that explain the asymmetry.

After discussing the operation, the patient's health is examined. It is necessary to go to specialists and take tests:

examination by a mammologist;
Breast ultrasound;
mammography (mandatory for women over 45 years old);
blood and urine tests;
consultation with an anesthesiologist (in some cases carried out immediately before surgery).

10 days before the operation, you should stop taking medications containing lecithin and vitamin E. The evening before the operation, you should take a bath. Allowed light dinner no later than 19 pm. On the day of the operation, eating and drinking, including water, is prohibited.

Endoprosthetics

It involves the addition of a silicone endoprosthesis to the mammary gland. Indications for this operation may be hypoplasia of one of the mammary glands. It is also possible to adjust the size of both mammary glands. So, a larger implant is inserted into a smaller mammary gland, and a smaller one into a larger breast. As a result, the size and shape of the glands are visually equal.

Endoprosthetics begins with tests and diagnostic procedures. Then the doctor carefully individually selects the implants according to shape and size.

Reduction plastic

Designed to reduce the size of the mammary gland. If a woman has smaller breasts as normal, then larger ones may undergo this operation.

In this case, part of the breast and skin is excised. Formed new breasts smaller size, which is equal to the normal smaller mammary gland. As a result, the chest is aligned.

Mastopexy

Used in cases of ptosis or sagging breasts. This can be either a congenital anomaly or the result of improper feeding during lactation, or a sudden loss of excess weight.

In this case, the breasts can not only be lowered, but also vary in shape and size. The breasts are corrected by tightening the skin. The mammary gland is not affected.

Before the operation, the doctor selects the method of breast excision and makes markings. The result is a breast that is the same natural size and has a round, normal shape.

Recovery period after surgery

After surgery, the body needs to adapt after anesthesia. During this period, you may feel dizzy and have headaches. Sometimes the doctor prohibits sleep after anesthesia to prevent complications.

Bandages must be applied to the chest and a holding bra must be worn. Then the doctor prescribes a course of dressing changes and a time for suture removal, if necessary. The doctor prescribes antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent complications from the operation.

After the sutures are removed, scars may appear for the first time. To reduce them, you can ask your doctor to prescribe special ointments. After 2 months, the scars are less noticeable and disappear bright color, convexity. After six months they become almost completely invisible.

After the operation, a woman must see a mammologist at least once a year.

Differences in the size of the mammary glands are a common occurrence in women of different ages. A visit to a mammologist will help you understand the causes of this asymmetry. If the difference is very noticeable and confuses the owner, then plastic surgery is necessary. Can be used to eliminate asymmetry of surgery with or without endoprostheses. As a result, the woman gets beautiful, healthy breasts perfect shape and size.

Sometimes it happens that a woman has one breast larger than the other, and it is unknown for what reasons such a violation occurred. Basically, the mammary glands, like any organ of the human body, cannot be absolutely the same. But only those cases where the difference is very small are considered the norm. If the difference is 1-2 sizes, inspection and intervention by specialists is required. Such violations can have a negative impact on a woman’s health.

Sometimes it happens that a woman has one breast larger than the other, and it is unknown for what reasons this violation occurred

Modern medicine knows a large number of cases where one breast differs in size from the other. Mammology divided the problems of the appearance of this defect into 2 groups: congenital and acquired.

In the first case, everything depends on the girl’s hormonal maturation. If, during the development process, the body encounters disorders or the appearance of ailments, a visible difference arises in the size of the mammary glands. During the examination of the patient, specialists should pay special attention to the correct ratio of two important hormones - estrogens and progesterone.

This is due to the fact that they are the ones responsible for correct height breasts Estrogens play a major role in the proper development of cellular structure. Progesterone is responsible for the formation of the required number of alveoli and milk ducts.

Unfortunately, during the examination and examination, not all specialists pay attention to the correct ratio of hormones. If you choose the right course of treatment, a girl's breasts will become identical by the age of 20.

As for the acquired disorder, in this case experts have identified a number of decisive factors. First on the list is pregnancy. It is for this reason that most often one breast is larger than the other.

Modern medicine knows a large number of cases when one breast differs in size from the other

More dangerous reasons This disorder is mastopathy. The appearance of benign breast tumors quite often leads to a difference in breast volume. In this case, the woman needs to be regularly examined by a specialist to avoid complications.

The reasons for the appearance of asymmetry often lie in mechanical influence. The consequences of such disorders are quite pronounced: swelling occurs, the size of the injured gland differs significantly from the normal breast.

If one breast is larger than the other (video)

Asymmetry during pregnancy

Quite often, the causes of asymmetry are pregnancy. This process rarely has a strong effect on breast growth. The appearance of the difference is influenced by the period of lactation and feeding of the baby.

This is due to the anatomical structure of the female mammary gland. It is known that the breast contains a large number of alveoli, which are formed by glands that secrete milk. The ducts drain fluid into the milky sinuses. It is in this part that milk accumulates before feeding begins. Around the alveoli and ducts there are connective and adipose tissues, which determine the volume of the breast.

Quite often, the causes of asymmetry are pregnancy

As for the appearance of milk, its production directly depends on oxytocin and prolactin. Here are some reasons why breasts vary in size during lactation:

the presence of cracks in the nipples;

development of breast diseases;

improper preparation for the feeding process.

Basically, to prevent the development of asymmetry during pregnancy and lactation, you need to adhere to the basic rules prescribed by your doctor.

A young mother needs to feed equally from both breasts.

A prerequisite is regular breast toileting. This prevents the development of inflammatory processes.

Development of mastopathy and tumors

Often the reason that one breast has become larger than the other is mastopathy. In this case, you should immediately seek help from a mammologist. Benign breast tumors cause one breast to be much larger than the other. In this case, the specialist examining the patient is faced with the task of determining the benign quality of the process.

If no cancerous episodes were detected during laboratory tests, the doctor prescribes drug treatment. The use of therapy is aimed at restoring the proper functioning of the body, especially with regard to sexual and reproductive functions. Over time, the mammary glands will become normal size. This is explained by the active production of necessary hormones.

Correcting your diet will help you cope with the problem of breasts of different sizes. From the daily menu you need to exclude foods that cause disturbances and disorders in the gastrointestinal tract. Such changes lead to hormonal changes. This also applies to metabolic processes.

In order for the bust to acquire the same size, it is recommended to include fish, seafood, dried apricots and raisins in the diet. A prerequisite is the use of vitamins.

How to get rid of violations

If a woman has different breasts, drug treatment is most often used to solve this problem. To eliminate this problem, special hepatoprotectors are used. The action of these drugs is aimed at quickly normalizing metabolic processes in the body.

Various psychotropic drugs are used during treatment. The use of drugs is mandatory in situations where the patient suffers from various phobias regarding breast diseases.

Vitamin complexes will help improve your condition. Homeopathic medicines are often used for treatment.

Surgical intervention

If the breasts differ not by one, but by several sizes and the woman experiences severe discomfort, the only way out of the situation is Plastic surgery. First, the doctor must establish why the breast is different from the second in size and whether it will be dangerous surgical intervention for the patient's health.

Surgery is often used if drug therapy has not brought any particular results.

Today, there is a huge list of techniques that can eliminate this problem. Even if the mammary glands differ significantly from each other in size, plastic surgery will quickly and efficiently restore normal volume. A special implant is used for this.

The mammary glands, like any other organs of the human body, are not exactly the same in size. If the difference is small, this is considered normal and does not require medical intervention. When one breast is one or two sizes larger than the other, such a violation negatively affects the woman’s psyche and requires examination. But such an anomaly occurs quite rarely, and most often asymmetry mammary glands associated with the period of lactation and disappears after its completion.

Types of asymmetry

Women of any age experience differences in breast size. Often their asymmetry is invisible to others, and the girl herself does not pay attention to it. But with a noticeable difference in the volume, direction of the nipples and the diameter of the areola, serious complexes can develop, leading to deep psychological problems.

In medicine, there are many cases where one breast is noticeably different from the other. This feature can be congenital or acquired.

Charactersymmetry	Causes	Explanation
Congenital	Asymmetry depends on the hormonal development of a young girl. Occurs when her body encounters various disorders and diseases	It is necessary to pay attention to important female hormones such as progesterone and estrogen. These hormones are responsible for the proper growth of the mammary glands. Estrogen regulates proper development cellular structure. Progesterone is responsible for the required amount of alveoli, milk ducts and milk itself
Acquired	Asymmetry occurs as a result of injuries, abortions, sudden fluctuations in weight, previous diseases and diseases of the mammary glands themselves. This type includes changes in the shape and size of the breast during pregnancy and lactation.	During pregnancy and breastfeeding, there is a sharp release of hormones. Mechanical impact on the breast also affects its abnormal growth and formation. Trauma to the chest area increases the risk of breast asymmetry

Existthree degrees of asymmetry:

light: unnoticeable;
medium: one mammary gland is one third larger than the other;
heavy: when the second half is larger than the first or much lower than it.

Asymmetry is subdividedfor the following types:

underdevelopment of only one breast;
varying degrees of sagging;
different nipples and pigmentation;
bilateral asymmetric hyperplasia;
unilateral underdevelopment of the chest and muscles.

How can I correct the size difference myself?

If the asymmetry is small, it can be corrected using simple measures:

1. Perform physical exercises aimed at strengthening the pectoral muscles. By giving them tone, you can achieve the necessary tightening.
2. Wear a corrective bra. It is a complement to physical exercise.
3. Do vacuum massage, helping to improve blood circulation in the chest area.

Minor differences in size can be easily corrected visually by using little tricks such as:

push-ap bra;
jacket or dress with polka dots;
clothing with diagonal stripes and ribs on the fabric;
print, checkerboard and other patterns on clothes;
collar in the form of a collar;
neckerchief and shawl collar.

All these clothing additions and graphic colors mask the problem.

If one breast is significantly larger in size than the other, they resort to surgical methods, which are the most effective way to resolve this problem. But it has many contraindications, including age under 25 years.

Pregnancy and lactation

Breast asymmetry during pregnancy and lactation is determined by the anatomical structure and hormones.

The female breast contains a large number of alveoli, which are formed by glands that secrete breast milk. The fluid is discharged through the ducts into the milky sinuses. Milk accumulates in them. Between the ducts and alveoli passes connective and adipose tissue, which is responsible for the size of a woman’s bust.

Reasons why there is a difference in breast size during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

improper preparation for the feeding process;
incorrect feeding;
cracked nipples;
development of diseases of the mammary glands (mastitis, mastopathy).

When pregnancy occurs, hormonal changes occur and glandular tissue grows.. Because of this, the mammary glands swell and increase in size. Often at this time the left breast becomes larger than the right (or vice versa). This should not be a cause for concern, as it is a temporary condition and usually goes away after breastfeeding ends.

During lactation, the following factors influence the difference in size:

1. One breast produces more milk than the other.
2. The baby does not latch onto the nipple correctly.
3. Milk remains in the breast because the baby does not suck it out completely.
4. Expression occurs incorrectly and unevenly.

With breastfeeding, you don’t have to worry that the difference in size will remain forever. And even more so, stop the period of natural feeding. After the end of lactation, the asymmetry will disappear or will be noticeable only to the woman herself. Physical exercises will come to her aid, tightening the muscles and giving them tone.

Measures to eliminate asymmetry during lactation

To ensure that the mammary glands are not of different sizes, you must follow the recommendations of your obstetrician-gynecologist:

1. Feed the baby from both breasts for the same duration.
2. Express the remaining milk.
3. Maintain nipple hygiene by treating them with anti-inflammatory ointment to avoid infection.

If a nursing woman has noticeably more milk in one breast, the following measures should be taken:

1. Start feeding with the smaller breast, and then with the one with more milk.
2. If the baby falls asleep while sucking on the breast, give him the one that contains less nutritional fluid.
3. When feeding at night, do not use a larger size.
4. When in larger breasts When discomfort occurs, briefly hold the baby to her until he sucks the milk that is bothering the mother.

All these measures will certainly lead to an increase in milk in the smaller mammary gland and will equalize the difference in breast size.

Menopause period

All changes in the mammary glands that occur between the ages of 43 and 48 (the onset of menopause) should be cause for concern. First of all, the woman examines them herself, and then turns to a mammologist. Not only asymmetry and differences in size can be alarming, but also tissue compaction, changes in the shape of the contours and halos around the nipples. All this signals serious diseases that cannot be left untreated.

Sometimes skin laxity and uneven sagging are observed, they are corrected with the help of plastic surgery. But plastic surgery at this age is resorted to in exceptional cases. Since it is not the shape of the breast that is important, but its health. And during menopause, a woman’s breasts are one of the vulnerable organs.

It is necessary to do breast ultrasound and mammography twice a year to monitor the condition of the breast. Especially if asymmetrical sagging and size differences are noticeable.