Does your breasts grow when you are teenagers? Does it hurt?

The female body will undergo many changes during puberty. These changes that occur in the bodies of these young women often raise many questions on their minds. Especially for things related to breast growth. The following is a complete review of the breasts of newly grown girls.

Teenage breast growth stages

During adolescent development, growing breasts becomes one of the things that is thrilling and awkward. The reason is, the size of her breasts is slowly increasing.

Some teenagers may feel confused and have many questions in their mind, "Is the pain and itching when the breasts grow normal?", "What is abnormal?", And so on.

Launching John Hopkins Medicine, a girl's breasts have actually begun to form while still in the womb. After the child is born, the nipple and the early stages of the duct system have formed.

Breast growth in each child begins at different ages. There are those who experience faster, normal, and slower breast development.

If expected, breast growth in adolescents is common when the child is 8-13 years old.

The breasts of the newly growing teenagers go hand in hand with the ovaries that start producing the sex hormone, namely estrogen.

When the ovaries secrete estrogen, the fat found in the connective tissue begins to accumulate on the anterior thoracic wall, making the breasts begin to enlarge.

When girls have their first menstruation, breast development will continue. This time, secretory gland formation also forms at the end of the milk ducts.

However, this rate of breast growth can vary for each girl.

At that time, the growth of breasts in adolescents indicates sexual maturity. You can also start giving sex education to children when their breasts begin to grow and enlarge.

Signs when teenage breasts begin to grow and the stages of their development

When teenage breasts begin to grow, there are several signs that usually appear, namely:

There is a lump that is quite felt under the nipple.
The chest area feels softer, especially around each part of the nipple.
Itching around the nipples or around the chest area.

Breasts that grow in adolescent girls are of course gradual. This stage starts from birth until girls experience puberty.

The following are the stages of breast development in adolescents that occur:

The nipple has started to grow from birth, but the entire chest area is still flat.
The appearance of a breast lump that is deeply felt under each nipple and will continue to "lift" into the other chest area. This will make the area around the nipple called the areola appear larger.
The breasts will become slightly larger as the breast tissue develops.
The areola and nipple will "rise" and form a second mound over the breast tissue.
The breast becomes round with the nipple that looks raised. This is the last stage of breast growth.

Actual breasts will continue to change and develop during a person's lifetime. Hormonal cycles, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause can all affect the size and shape of a woman's breasts.

In addition, nutrition, heredity, and hormonal changes that occur in the body also affect breast growth.

So, when will breast growth stop?

Usually, breast growth in adolescents will stop when they are 17 or 18 years old. However, it is possible that this growth will continue until the early 20s.

Various questions that are generally asked when teenage breasts begin to grow

Breasts are made up of fatty tissue, blood vessels, and milk ducts which usually begin to grow at the age of 8 to 13 years.

As a parent, you should be able to provide complete and accurate information about breast growth in adolescents.

Here are some commonly asked questions:

1. Will the breasts feel sore when they grow?

There are some girls who feel pain when their breasts grow, but don't worry. The breasts themselves begin to develop when there is the release of the hormones estrogen and progesterone at puberty.

This hormone makes breast tissue grow in adolescents. The skin around the breast area can stretch and this can cause breast pain or discomfort as it grows.

Not only that, this hormone changes the fluid levels in the breast tissue, making the breasts more sensitive and painful.

When menstruation starts, some women will also feel pain in the breast area. This pain is caused by hormonal changes and is a normal part of the menstrual cycle.

2. Why do red marks appear on the breasts?

As breast tissue grows in adolescents, the surrounding skin will stretch to match the size of the larger breasts.

Sometimes the skin can't stretch fast enough, causing red stretch marks to appear. No need to worry, this is perfectly normal.

There are many creams available over the counter to help reduce the appearance of these signs. Over time, these red streaks will fade to white and become less noticeable.

3. Does a lump in the breast mean cancer?

A breast lump that is found as the breasts grow may be harmless. However, if you are worried, going to the doctor can be a solution.

When the breasts in adolescents grow, there will usually be a lump under the nipple. Actually this is normal and is part of the breast growth process.

Most of these lumps are called fibroadenomas or overgrowth of connective tissue in the breast.

Although it is exaggerated, it is likely that the breast lumps that are found during breast growth are harmless.

When teenage breasts have fully grown, provide an understanding if women must be diligent in examining their own breasts regularly.

If you find a lump that is unusual, consult your doctor immediately.

Teach children to wear a miniset or bra

Not only providing information about breast growth in adolescents, parents also need to teach children about minisets or bras.

Moreover, when the nipple buds are prominent. This is also done so that children don't feel left behind when their peers have started using it.

The following is a guide to using a miniset or bra for teenage girls:

1. Start using a miniset at puberty

When the breasts begin to grow and the nipples begin to stick out through the clothes

Watch the nipples begin to stick out through the shirt. If you see small breast buds starting to appear, you can provide a mini set for children to adapt to wearing a bra later.

Miniset is a bra without wire, without foam, with thick rubber on the circumference of the body for support. Mini set models vary depending on the needs of the breast.

If the nipple appears first, you will need a miniset with a slightly thick coating. The miniset is used to cover up the nipple on the child's chest.

2. Cordless bras, ages 13 to 16 years

When puberty has progressed, the nipples in children usually come out completely. Teenage breasts will start to get a little heavier and fuller.

So, during this transition period, your child is advised to start wearing a bra with a cup shape transition that is more elastic, no longer wearing a mini set.

At the bottom, you should use a bra with elastic wire (or maybe without wire, according to taste and function) to support the weight of her growing breasts.

As a child grows older and more mature, the bra that is used will also change in stages. Generally, at this age use a bra with foam or soft padding on the cup.

Also pay attention to the bra strap used. Use a bra with straps that can be resized, because each person has a different body posture and height from chest to shoulder.

3. Age 16 years and over, start using underwire bras

At this age, teenage breasts are fully formed, full and dense. Furthermore, it is mandatory for this age to not use a bra with soft wire anymore.

A bra with soft wire cannot support the weight of an enlarged breast. So use a bra with a harder wire and a thick enough foam cup.

The function of the foam is not solely to increase the thickness of the breasts when viewed from the outside, but to prevent the nipples from rubbing against clothes, jackets or other objects used in the area around the breasts.

When to see a doctor?

Not all girls experience the same breast development, especially in terms of size. Pain, tenderness, and changes in the texture of the breasts that change slightly when the child is menstruating is also normal.

However, you still have to pay attention to the breast changes that your daughter is experiencing. Especially if your child does not experience breast development after passing the ages mentioned above.

You may want to consult a doctor to find out the cause.

In addition, if your child experiences growth that feels abnormal, or if the breasts stop growing when they are not fully grown, consult a doctor.

Some of the signs below are rare in children who are still developing breasts, but you should also see a doctor if your child has the following signs of breast cancer: