Why and what to do if one breast is larger than the other. Why one breast of a woman or girl may be larger than the other and how to fix it

Mammary glands, according to mammologists, can be of different sizes. However, such asymmetry, which is congenital or acquired during puberty, most often turns out to be minimal. What to do if one breast has become larger than the other and it is very noticeable? It is necessary to decide what causes this and how to eliminate them.

Main reasons

Mammologists determine factors that influence changes in the size of one mammary gland, such as: congenital and acquired. Speaking about the latter, it is necessary to note mechanical injuries, the presence of tumors, as well as the period of pregnancy and subsequent breastfeeding.

In order to accurately determine why one breast is larger, it is necessary to undergo an appropriate examination by a mammologist. Further, based on the results of the diagnosis, a rehabilitation course will be prescribed, which will eliminate this or that disease, if possible. Please note that specialists strongly do not recommend self-treatment or the use of folk remedies that simply cannot eliminate certain health problems.

Congenital factors

First of all, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that each of us has a different body structure. It depends on the spine, the width of the hips and many other nuances. Including posture, the degree of curvature or evenness of the spinal column have a direct impact on what the mammary glands are like. This is why they may appear to be different sizes, although in fact they are simply located at different levels. About diagnostics.

If this is the main reason, then it is recommended to visit a specialized specialist who will tell you whether it is possible to correct your posture in this particular case.

Speaking about other congenital factors that have nothing to do with posture or the spine, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that:

breasts can develop completely differently even during puberty. This is connected not only with hormonal changes, but also with other processes, for example, the presence of certain gynecological abnormalities;
by the age of 17-20, in the vast majority of cases, the difference between the sizes of the mammary glands, if there was one within the framework of puberty, turns out to be insignificant;
at the same time, if by the age of 20 it remains just as noticeable, this is evidence that the anomaly will not go away on its own. Treatment may be necessary if the woman wants and is ready to undergo it.

In addition, if congenital anomalies exist, the difference between the sizes of both mammary glands may change further during pregnancy. In order to cope with this, you need to contact a mammologist; today, plastic surgeons are excellent at dealing with congenital changes in breast size. Of course, this does not eliminate the main cause, but the cosmetic defect is completely eliminated. Factors.

Acquired asymmetry factors

Speaking about acquired factors, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to mechanical damage and injuries. In some cases, breast damage occurs in childhood if the child was careless. It is important to consider that the very fact of injury is forgotten over time, while mechanical damage to the structure of the mammary gland is “remembered.” The most complex and problematic cases are those in which the so-called delayed reaction occurs. It lies in the fact that the body only reacts to injury over time. ABOUT .

So, if mechanical damage was received in childhood, its consequences may appear during puberty or during pregnancy.

In this case, a thorough diagnosis will be required if the woman really wants to find out why one breast is larger than the other. If an inflammatory reaction is formed in the damaged area, then this process can spread to the second breast, which significantly worsens the recovery of the body. In order to avoid all this, even if the damage seems minor, it is recommended to contact a mammologist as soon as possible.

The next reason is a tumor in the breast area. This problem is certainly considered the most serious among all those presented. The fact is that as a result of the growth of pathological tissue in this area, one of the breasts begins to increase in size more seriously. This condition can only be managed through the use of hormonal components or through surgery.

In the vast majority of cases, a woman independently identifies a tumor in the mammary gland if she regularly conducts self-examination. In addition, tumors can be detected through diagnostics, which, ideally, should be carried out once every six to eight months. It is strongly recommended not to delay appropriate treatment, because different tumors can behave in completely different scenarios.

So, in the vast majority of cases they are harmless and do not threaten a woman’s life. However, in some cases, for example with fibroadenoma, the potential danger increases significantly. It is no less significant in the development of diffuse mastopathy, in which tumors can degenerate into malignant formations. Taking all this into account, women, if they have identified neoplasms, are advised to visit a mammologist.

Another group of factors due to which one breast is larger than the other deserves special attention. It should be noted that the reasons can be very different, namely:

a nursing mother does, however, in one of the mammary glands the process of its formation is much faster, which provokes subsequent asymmetry. It should be borne in mind that in this case it develops extremely quickly and provokes numerous painful symptoms, even if the woman began treatment and pumping on time;
night feeding, but one that is carried out by only one of the mammary glands;
the child sucks milk more thoroughly from one breast, which may be due to, say, the convenient shape of the nipple.

In addition, there are cases in which the lactation algorithms of one of the mammary glands are suppressed due to some factors.

This may be due to hormonal imbalances, chronic or inflammatory diseases, or blocked milk ducts. You can cope with this only if you carry out special treatment.

An equally rare factor should be considered a condition in which milk production is suppressed. This is usually associated with mastopathy or other breast diseases that the woman has encountered before. In order to avoid this, mammologists recommend undergoing a special test at the stage of pregnancy planning, which will make it possible to determine whether such a predisposition exists and how likely it is that lactation will worsen.

It is also necessary to remember that cracks can complicate the process of breastfeeding or make it impossible. It is as a result of this that a woman, consciously or not, takes a more gentle approach to the feeding algorithm for one of the mammary glands. In this case, experts recommend not to neglect basic hygiene standards and adherence to all feeding rules. Another unconditional rule should be the use of various creams and gels that are responsible for the healing of the affected area.

In general, when talking about how to cope with such a problem, mammologists are of the opinion that various vitamin complexes should be used. They are good because they make it possible to strengthen all the functions of the body, as well as improve the degree of its resistance. It is also strongly recommended to treat certain endocrine and gynecological diseases in a timely manner.

Considering the significant number of factors that could potentially influence asymmetry in the breast area, I would also like to note that there is no universal treatment method.

In each case, the rehabilitation course and its features must be selected in a separate order, based on all the nuances in the health status of the female representative.

Thus, the situation in which one mammary gland is larger or smaller than the other cannot be left without attention and appropriate treatment. It is also strongly recommended not to self-medicate, even if all factors for the development of pathology are 100% known. It is a visit to a mammologist, correct diagnosis and further treatment that will be the key to maintaining ideal health and correcting the shape of the breast, for which you do not need to do anything particularly complicated.

Important!

BREAST CANCER IS APPEARING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY IN WOMEN! TAKE THE TEST AND FIND OUT IF IT IS A THREAT FOR YOU!

Time limit: 0

Navigation (job numbers only)

0 out of 11 tasks completed

Information

You have already taken the test before. You can't start it again.

Test loading...

You must log in or register in order to begin the test.

You must complete the following tests to start this one:

results

Your time:

Time is over

Do not forget to periodically see a mammologist! These visits will help YOU prevent the risk of cancer!

Determining your risk of breast cancer

This test retains the reliability of calculations for a Caucasian woman, without identified hereditary genes for breast cancer, without a previously established diagnosis of this disease, and subject to an annual examination by a mammologist.

Test result

Risk of getting breast cancer -0.1 %, 1.1 %, 3.2 % accordingly.

Probability don't get sick over 10, 20 and 30 years is 100.1 %, 98.9 %, 96.8 % accordingly.

This test is not entirely suitable for girls under 20 years of age and women over 50 years of age (there may be slight errors).
We advise you to read the materials we have prepared about the structure of the breast, risk factors for breast cancer and breast self-examination skills that every adult woman should know.

With answer
With a viewing mark

Task 1 of 11

Your age?
Task 2 of 11

At what age did you start having monthly bleeding?
Task 3 of 11

How many biopsies with “benign” results have you had?
Task 4 of 11

At what age did you give birth to your first child?
Task 5 of 11

Do you have 1st degree relatives diagnosed with breast cancer (sisters, daughters, mother)?
Task 6 of 11

Was atypical hyperplasia discovered on biopsy?

Depending on the depth of the problem, how much one breast is larger and the other smaller, you can select correction methods without surgery or opt for surgery by scheduling a consultation at a plastic surgery clinic.

General points

It’s definitely not worth panicking if one breast is larger and the other smaller. The human body is asymmetrical; different paired organs, as a rule, differ from each other in shape, volume, location and, sometimes, structure. The chest in this case is also no exception. A slight difference between the volume, shape of the areola or nipple is observed in a large number of women and is perfectly corrected by a properly selected bra. If the visual difference is striking, which depresses the woman’s emotional background and puts her in a state of discomfort, then it is most likely impossible to do without an examination by a plastic surgeon and the operation he recommends.

Consultation with a mammologist is very important if the breasts were naturally almost symmetrical, but recently began to suddenly increase in volume. Hormonal imbalance, neoplasms of various origins, tumors, mastopathy, fibroadenoma and cysts can cause breast growth. Palpation of the gland by a competent specialist and a full examination in the clinic in this case are extremely necessary, since detection of any disease in the early stages increases the likelihood of more effective treatment.

Causes of breast asymmetry

Disproportion of the mammary glands can be either congenital, genetically determined, or acquired due to any reasons, such as mechanical injuries, changes in hormonal levels, or, what is much sadder, certain diseases of the mammary gland.

Breast hypoplasia, a delay in the development of one of the breasts, is a congenital defect that can be corrected surgically.

Any mechanical injury that leads to impaired blood circulation at the site of impact can also be the cause of chest asymmetry, since oxygen and nutrients necessary for proper muscle development, due to impaired blood supply to the injured area, are supplied in insufficient quantities, causing a delay in muscle growth.

Hormonal changes occurring in the female body can cause muscle atrophy in women who have crossed the threshold of menopause; the decrease in volume sometimes occurs unevenly, causing asymmetry of the mammary glands.

After breast augmentation surgery by endoprosthetics, an unpleasant complication may occur such as prolapse or displacement of the implant, or the development of capsular contracture. The chest is naturally far from symmetrical.

Rice. Asymmetry: one breast is larger, the other is smaller

The main reason why one breast has become smaller than the other is the process of breastfeeding, as a result of which an aesthetic defect such as breast asymmetry can be visualized. Why this happens, why one breast has become larger than the other is a question that haunts young women who have finished feeding their baby. The fact is that lactation directly depends on the stimulation of the mammary glands. Therefore, the breast, which for some reason is more convenient for you to choose for feeding him, and which the baby sucks with great pleasure, accordingly stimulating it more strongly, will eventually increase in size from the larger amount of incoming milk. If this process is not adjusted in time, it will be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to restore the equality of the shapes and volumes of both breasts without the help of a plastic surgeon.

There are several simple rules for feeding a child to help avoid breast asymmetry in the future:

During the day, the baby should be fed evenly from both breasts;
When feeding at night, try to give your baby a smaller breast;
the breast must be expressed in equal volumes, or even increase the volume of expressed milk in a smaller breast, stimulating the intensity of its flow;
if an unpleasant sensation appears in the larger mammary gland from being full of milk, you can attach the baby to it, but not until it is completely saturated, but only until the discomfort in the chest disappears;
camphor compresses, sometimes used in the old fashioned way to reduce the negative consequences of milk stagnation, should be forgotten, since they have a suppressive effect on lactation and can completely stop it. This is especially dangerous if the compress is applied to the chest, which is less developed.

Methods for correcting breast asymmetry

Modern plastic surgery has several methods for eliminating the problem of breast asymmetry. For women who keep up with the times, for whom not only the functionality of the breast, such as feeding offspring, is important, but also its aesthetic appearance, there are several surgical tactics. These measures are radical, but the most effective and safest to date.

Having contacted the clinic with the question: “Why are one breast larger than the other?” after a thorough examination and history study by a qualified plastic surgeon, the lady will receive a comprehensive answer and recommendations for correcting this defect.

Depending on the form of pathology and the degree of asymmetry, there are a number of surgical techniques, including mastopexy, or in other words, breast lift, endoprosthesis replacement with silicone implants of one or both breasts at the same time, as well as reduction mammoplasty of a larger gland. The result, which can be assessed after just three months, will pleasantly surprise even the most convinced skeptic, since this is the most progressive method that allows you to achieve almost perfect symmetry of the mammary glands in a fairly short time.

Surgeries are contraindicated for patients suffering from diabetes, arterial hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular pathologies, as well as nursing mothers.

If a woman has one breast larger than the other, but photos of the surgery nevertheless put her in a state of horror, there are several non-surgical methods for correcting breast asymmetry. They will not lead to a long-term and pronounced result, however, with a slight difference in the volume and shape of the mammary glands, when one breast is slightly larger than the other, they can serve as a good alternative to surgical intervention. Massage, a set of physical exercises, myostimulation, breast lipofilling and wearing a corrective bra - here is a small list of conservative and quite affordable means to eliminate the unequal ratio of both mammary glands.

The results of statistical studies indicate that only a few women have perfectly symmetrical breasts. Almost every female representative has some degree of asymmetry of the mammary glands. Whether congenital or acquired, for example, after childbirth or due to age-related changes, they cause a large number of complexes in a woman, sexual disorders and often cause depression. But the reasons for women’s despair can be safely called vain, since today this aesthetic flaw is not a death sentence. The main thing is not to give up and set a goal, and an experienced plastic surgeon can help you achieve it.

The most common causes of bust asymmetry include:

Hereditary predisposition;
Underdevelopment of glandular tissue;
Incorrect breastfeeding technique, untimely expression of milk, cracked nipples. After finishing feeding it usually goes away;
Disturbed hormonal balance, hormonal changes during menopause or during adolescence;

Recent surgery to enlarge the bust;
Burns and other injuries;
Some diseases, for example, mastopathy;
The presence of neoplasms and cancer (requires an immediate visit to a doctor).

Correction

If one breast is lower or higher than the other, or there are differences in the parameters, shape and volume of the bust, surgical intervention may be performed to eliminate these defects. The following methods of surgical correction of thoracic asymmetry exist:

Enlargement with unilateral underdevelopment. To do this, the surgeon installs an implant that meets the normal parameters;
Decreased with excessive unilateral development. Reduction mammoplasty is performed to reduce the parameters of an excessively large gland to normal levels;
Tightening when lowering. The surgeon performs an intervention that lifts the bust to a normal level and improves its shape and volume;
Bilateral implantation. If the asymmetry is bilateral, it is possible to install two implants that will correct the problems of each gland;
Simultaneous lifting and unilateral implantation;
Correction of the areola and nipple area. The surgeon surgically normalizes the shape, position and other parameters of the nipples and areolas.

The intervention is performed under general anesthesia; the techniques are selected (and, if necessary, combined) by a specialist based on the patient’s problems. Depending on the type and scale of the operation performed, it can last from 1.5 to 4 hours.

There are also non-surgical techniques that help mask asymmetry or even eliminate it completely:

Camouflage bra with pads in cups of different sizes;
Physical exercises selected by an experienced trainer sometimes help make the bust more symmetrical;
In some cases, vacuum massage is effective;
While breastfeeding, pumping and learning proper feeding techniques can help.

It is considered normal when both mammary glands are approximately the same size and are developed proportionally. If the left breast is larger than the right, it does not look very beautiful, and may also indicate certain disorders.

Many women would like to know why the left breast is larger than the right. In fact, the problem of uneven development of the mammary glands is quite common. It’s just that the degree of its severity may vary. If the defect is not very noticeable, the fair sex does not pay much attention to it. Some women are not even aware that they have one breast larger than the other. You can see the difference only when you look at yourself in detail in the mirror.

Sometimes the difference is very noticeable, this can be called a serious problem, especially when one mammary gland is 1-2 sizes larger than the other. What are the reasons for this phenomenon?

Breast growth begins in girls during adolescence and ends by 17-18 years. During this period, the mammary glands actively develop, but this does not always happen evenly. If at this stage a slight difference is noticeable, there is no need to sound the alarm. By the end of puberty, the size of both mammary glands should be equal. If a teenage girl or her mother is worried about something or the difference in the development of the left and right breasts is significant, you should definitely consult a gynecologist or mammologist.

There may be several reasons for uneven development of the mammary glands. The most common is hormonal disorders. The development of secondary sexual characteristics occurs under the influence of hormones, but sometimes the body malfunctions, resulting in asymmetry. It is for this reason that breasts may not develop quite correctly in young girls.

The left breast may be larger than the right if the woman has been injured. Unfortunately, glandular tissue is very sensitive to external influences. Sometimes even wearing a bra that is too tight can cause slight asymmetry. This seems surprising to many women, but tight underwear can lead to a number of problems. And improper formation of the mammary glands is far from the worst thing on this list.

If you choose the wrong bra, one or both breasts can be compressed, which can result in mastopathy or even a benign tumor. The cause of this disease can also be hormonal imbalance, severe stress, and lack of pregnancy in women over 30 years of age. With mastopathy, breast tissue becomes denser and nodules can form in the breast. Visually, this may well lead to an increase in the size of the mammary gland.

Hormonal disruption occurs during pregnancy. During this period, the breasts become heavier and increase in size. Sometimes it is after childbirth that women notice that one mammary gland becomes slightly larger than the other.

Breastfeeding can have a significant impact on your bust size. It is at the end of the lactation period that many women begin to notice that the left breast has become much larger than the right, or vice versa. After childbirth, milk is produced in the mammary glands. This is a natural process. During this period, the breasts fill out and increase significantly in size. If you feed your baby correctly, there should be no problems with your bust shape. You need to remember one very simple rule - the more the baby is applied to the breast, the more milk begins to be produced. It is very important to alternate breasts when feeding. If the mother gives the baby the left breast, next time she should give the right one. Some women do not follow this rule. Sometimes they don’t consider it significant, and sometimes they even prefer to feed while lying on the same side. All this leads to more milk being produced in one mammary gland. Accordingly, its size gradually increases. At the end of the lactation period, the difference can be very noticeable. In this case, the differences will concern not only the size, but also the shape of the breast. The mammary gland that was used more than the other for feeding is much more likely to sag. This is especially true if the woman does not wear a special bra.

If the left breast suddenly becomes larger than the right, and the woman did not notice this before and there are no serious reasons for the development of asymmetry, you should immediately consult a doctor. Unfortunately, an increase in breast size can occur due to the development of a benign or malignant tumor. The appearance of chest pain or focal redness of the skin or a burning sensation should alert you.

Only a doctor can understand the reasons for the appearance of asymmetry. You should not make any diagnoses yourself. If the formation of a defect can be detected in a timely manner, certain attempts can be made to stop this process. For example, mastopathy and other diseases are treated and after complex therapy and surgery, the size of both mammary glands can become approximately the same.

When nothing else can be done, you can try to visually hide the defect by wearing special underwear. For example, push-up bras are always equipped with special inserts that visually increase the volume of the breast. You can remove the tabs from the left cup, making the breasts look symmetrical. In some cases, when the asymmetry is severe, you can try ordering a bra from a special studio. Some lingerie companies make bodices with different cup sizes.

If a woman wants to get rid of this problem once and for all, you can consult a mammologist or plastic surgeon. Currently, breast enlargement or reduction surgery is extremely popular. Many specialized clinics offer them. You should not be afraid of plastic surgery if the difference in the size of the mammary glands interferes with your life and instills certain complexes. When the defect is very pronounced, this is the only way to correct the situation. The doctor will correct not only the size, but also the shape of the mammary glands, while adding self-confidence and irresistibility to the fair sex.

Surgery is prohibited if the girl is under the age of 18 or is breastfeeding. There are other restrictions, but it is best to discuss them directly with your doctor.

If the left breast is much larger than the right, this can even negatively affect your health. In this case, the load on the spine will not be uniform, so curvature and other problems with the musculoskeletal system may develop. To prevent the occurrence of a defect, you need to carefully monitor your health and follow all the recommendations of specialists.

If the left breast is larger than the right, it is imperative to understand the cause of this defect. When the difference is not too noticeable, you can correct it with the help of a successful selection of underwear. In other cases, surgery may be necessary.

These differences, as a rule, are invisible to others, and even the woman herself can hardly discern them. However, there are cases of more pronounced discrepancy in the shapes and sizes of the mammary glands, the diameters of their areolas and the shape and direction of the nipples. Arising due to any circumstances or being a congenital defect, they can cause a woman to develop an inferiority complex, sometimes leading to deeper problems of a psychological nature.

Why are breasts different sizes?

There are a number of reasons for breast asymmetry:

hereditary factor, manifested by hypertrophy of the organ, in which one of the breasts is significantly ahead of the other in growth;
hypoplasia of glandular tissue, which is a congenital disease manifested in delayed development of one of the mammary glands in relation to the other;
failure of the endocrine system that occurs after the use of drugs containing hormones;
neoplasms in the mammary glands of various origins;
malignant tumors that cause breasts of different sizes and require complete or partial resection of the mammary gland;
injuries during the formation of the breast, which could lead to damage affecting its development during growth, or received during unsuccessful surgical interventions at a later age;
breast asymmetry in adolescence, when the growth of one breast is faster than the growth of the other. As a rule, this volume discrepancy begins during puberty and is minimized towards the end of this period;
the reasons for different breast sizes may lie in the atrophic processes that occur with age in the mammary glands, as a result of natural aging, aggravated by uneven sagging of the bust;
unsuccessfully performed augmentation breast replacement, in which there is ptosis or displacement towards the implant;
improper feeding of the child, in which the mother, for some reason, places the baby predominantly on one breast, which stimulates it more intensely than the other, as a result of which it becomes significantly larger in volume. This explains why busts are different sizes after lactation.

These are the main reasons for different breast sizes. Depending on the degree of asymmetry of the mammary glands, there are different methods for their correction.

There are three degrees of breast asymmetry:

mild, asymmetry in which it is insignificant and does not require surgical correction;
medium, when one mammary gland is approximately one third larger than the other;
severe - asymmetry, in which the difference in size is much more significant, from half the volume or more.

If your breasts are of different sizes, what should you do to correct them?

A mild degree of asymmetry either does not require correction at all, or can be corrected independently using simple methods such as massage, including vacuum, physical exercises aimed at growing the pectoral muscle, various cosmetics that increase blood circulation in the breast tissue and, most importantly, perhaps a simple method is a corrective bra, which skillfully hides this defect from prying eyes.

Rice. Photos of breasts of different sizes before and after correction

To correct the second and third degrees of asymmetry, plastic surgery will be required, depending on the depth of the problem, involving several techniques, such as endoprosthetics, mastopexy, correction of the position and shape of the nipples, and reduction mammoplasty.

One of the methods for correcting different breast sizes is lipofilling. Its implementation consists of filling the smaller breasts through injections with the patient’s own fat, removed from her own problem areas. Thus, you can immediately solve two problems: reduce the size of the waist or hips, while bringing the chest to symmetry.

On a note. Breasts of different sizes imply not only insufficient volume of one of the mammary glands compared to the other, but also their differences in the shape, location and size of the areolas and nipples, and the descent of one breast lower than the other.

After undergoing a full examination by a mammologist and plastic surgeon, a comprehensive laboratory examination, in consultation with an anesthesiologist and provided there are no contraindications, the woman is ready to undergo surgery, the purpose of which is breast correction and bringing the size of her mammary glands to symmetry.

The operation lasts on average up to 3.5 hours and is performed under general anesthesia. The rehabilitation period is not too long, and bruises and swelling completely disappear after about a month, depending on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.

Photos of breasts of different sizes can be found in sufficient quantities on the Internet. This spectacle is not aesthetically pleasing, so the desire of every woman suffering from this defect to get rid of it as quickly as possible is understandable. Having set this goal, with your own efforts or with the help of an experienced plastic surgeon, achieving an ideal bust shape, taking into account the modern development of mammoplasty, is quite feasible today.