Questions About Health: Breasts By Debra Kent
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 We happen to live in a time in which larger breasts are promoted as attractive and sexually appealing.
I just started developing, and my breasts are kind of sore and tender. l'm really worried about this. Could it mean there's something wrong with me, like that I have breast cancer?
Breast development usually begins a year or two before a girl starts menstruating (which most of ten happens between the ages of ten and sixteen), and it's normal for breasts to feel sore or tender as they grow. A lot of girls and women find their breasts are tender the week or so before their period every month, too.
The incidence of breast cancer among teenage girls is extremely low (two in a million). if it's something you're worried about, though, you might want to get in the habit of examining your breasts every month, a few days after your period ends. (Ask your doctor for a pamphlet describing self-examination, or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.)
Occasionally soreness is caused by a small, tender lump that can develop under the nipple in both teenage boys and girls, which eventually disappears on its own. And lots of women have healthy breasts that just feel lumpy, especially before their period. Even so, if you discover a lump, it's a good idea to have a doctor check it out. Also see your doctor if there's a discharge from your nipple, if there's a puckering or dimpling of the breast skin, or if a nipple that usually sticks out turns inward (called an inverted nipple).
l'm a senior in high school, and I have a smaIl chest. I've tried to get used to it over the years and accept it, but lately it's on my mind all the time. I feel selfconscious in anything I wear. Is breastenlargement surgery a good idea?
Women's breasts come in all sizes and shapes. In a perfect world all sizes and shapes would be considered just fine, and nobody would feel compelled to have her breasts surgically altered in order to be comfortable with her body-or to fit current fads.
We happen to live in a time and culture in which larger breasts are promoted as attractive and sexually appealing. Breast size has nothing to do with a woman's ability to feel sexual pleasure or breast-feed a baby, but it's easy to see that many women-and men-believe that bigger breasts are somehow better.
lt may sound really radical, but consider this: If your breasts are healthy, why not be happy and try to accept them as they are? Learning to love your body is no easy task these days, but if you can manage to do it; the rewards will last a lifetime.
Ultimately, breast-enlargement surgery is an option, but it's not something anyone should do lightly, and in any case, now wouldn't be the time to go through with it. For one, your breasts may grow yet; some women continue breast development into their early twenties. Plus, it's not until your body's fully developed and you're fully grown that you' II know how everything fits together. If you want bigger breasts because you think having them will make you more popular with guys, you should know that that's not a great reason. Guys are attracted to a girl because they find the overall person attractive. Big breasts don't make a girl universally appealing-and they certainly don't make anyone more likable.
You also may learn over time to appreciate the advantages of having smaller breasts, which include physical comfort and ease of movement as well as the knowledge that when guys do approach you, it's not because of your bra size.
In old movies girls are always doing exercises to make their busts bigger. Are these just myths?
Since breasts are composed primarily of fatty tissue, exercise-or creams or vitamins, for that matter-won't make them bigger. Exercise can strengthen the underlying muscle, however, and this may increase your overall chest size.
My body is slim, but I have fat on my breasts (I wear a size 32D bra). Is there any type of exercise to make my breasts smaller? Please help me. l'm a target for rude comments from guys at school.
Since you say you're slim, it's unlikely that exercise will reduce the size of your breasts. While it's true that breasts are composed of fatty tissue, this isn't the kind of fat you can exercise or diet away unless you're overweight to begin with.
It sounds as if what bothers you most is being teased by classmates. The fact is that women of all sizes (and ages) can be targeted for rude comments, though girls with larger breasts seem to get a greater share of remarks. lt's not always easy to know how to react, either. If you're mostly embarrassed by the comments, try to ignore them. Since half the fun of teasing someone is getting a reaction, if you don't react, they'll probably stop sooner. if you're angry about what people say, let them know it. You may not be able to change guys' behavior, but you don't have to suffer in silence.
And try to get used to--and even come to like-your body, just as girls who have smaller breasts should. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the more people will be able to take the way you look for granted. One practical thing you can do is spend time shopping for a good bra-one that's comfortable and is designed to minimize rather than maximize breasts.
The last resort is breast-reduction surgery, which doctors don't recommend unless your breasts are so large that they cause physical discomfort, like back pain. Breastreduction surgery does carry risks, and it results in severe scarring, so it should really only be considered by women who are fully grown and who feel themselves to be literally handicapped by their breast size.
Source: Seventeen Magazine
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