The structure and size of the breasts change throughout life. How does their size change? What does this development depend on? Are large breasts associated with more risk? The answers with senologist Philippe Sebag.
What is the average breast size?
“On average, women have a chest measurement between between 90 and 95 cm, about 92 or 93 cm“, specifies Dr Philippe Sebag. The size of the cup, it, is very variable from one woman to another. As a reminder, the circumference of the chest is measured by placing a meter horizontally at the level of the tip of the boobsunder the armpits and on the shoulder blades.
► During the pubertal phase until young adulthood, the breast will increase in volume and stabilize. “Internally, hormonal activity takes place gradually“, explains the senologist.
► The first pregnancyif there is one, will mark a first change in the functioning of the gland itself.
► “This period is followed by a phase of relative stability in terms of the structure and volume of the breast, between any pregnancies of the woman. and its 40 years“, he indicates.
► “La phase before the menopause, as for it, will be marked by hormonal variations, which can be more or less significant depending on the woman, leading to clinical repercussions on the breasts (tension, pain, sensation of mass) and on the cycles which will be less regular“, continues Dr. Philippe Sebag. On the other hand, there is no variation in volume at this time.
► When the menopause occursthere may be a breast augmentation, variable according to women. “In contrast, there is no change in women who take hormone replacement therapy“, says the specialist.
Is breast size genetic?
“No, the size of the breasts is not genetic in the sense that there is no correlation of the structure and size of breasts between a mother and her daughters“, explains Dr. Philippe Sebag.
What diseases can change breast size?
There are no diseases that change breast size. The size may vary due to certain treatments like radiotherapy. “It causes a gradual shrinkage of the breast structure and skin“, he develops. But this effect is less clear with the sources of current radiotherapy. The pill contraceptive, depending on how women tolerate it, can be the cause of hormonal variations that can modify the structure of the breast, and slightly their volume.
Does breast size change during menopause?
“Often the size of the breasts increaseif there is no hormone treatment, but not necessarily symmetrically“, specifies Dr. Philippe Sebag.
What are the risks of too large breasts?
There is no increased risk of breast cancer associated with increased breast size. “In contrast, clinical examination becomes unreliable with increasing volume chest“, notes the senologist. In addition, the hypertrophy of the breast is harmful to both the shoulders and the back.
Does breast size affect the risk of breast cancer?
“No, there is no correlation between breast size and cancer risk“, decides the doctor.
To increase the size of the breasts, one can proceed to the posingbreast implants. “Lipomodelling, also called lipofillingcan also increase their size by taking fat from another part of the body“, adds Dr. Philippe Sebag.
“The only way to reduce breast size is to perform a breast reduction by surgery“, he concludes.
Thanks to Dr Philippe Sebag, breast specialist, at the Institute of Senology in Bordeaux.