Girls & young women / Body
Are my breasts and nipples normal?
Breasts rarely develop as matching objects on a schedule. One side may begin first, grow faster, point differently, or remain somewhat larger.
The 30-second answer
Uneven growth is very common. About half of girls have unequal breast size while breasts are developing, and around one-quarter of adult women retain some asymmetry.
Ordinary variation
Breast buds
Tender nickel-sized bumps under one or both nipples are often the first visible puberty sign.
Nipples and areolas
Size, color, texture, direction, and prominence vary widely.
Growth pace
Breasts may grow in starts, pause, and continue over several years.
Things that do not determine whether breasts are normal
- Cup size
- Whether nipples point inward or outward
- Whether one breast began first
- Stretch marks
- How they compare with friends, family, or pornography
When to get care
Routine appointment
A lump persists, asymmetry is sudden or severe, or pain keeps returning.
A lump persists, asymmetry is sudden or severe, or pain keeps returning.
Prompt care
There is bloody or pus-like discharge, redness with fever, or significant swelling.
There is bloody or pus-like discharge, redness with fever, or significant swelling.
Emergency
Major injury causes severe pain or rapidly expanding swelling.
Major injury causes severe pain or rapidly expanding swelling.
Sources and limits: Breast development often begins on one side, and asymmetry is common during and after puberty. AAP teen breast symptoms · AAP puberty for girls
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