When puberty starts, young women go through a number of hormonal changes. Often, the most prominent of these affects breast development, which occurs over five or six years, usually starting around age 11 or 12. Breast development can be disconcerting for young women who worry about what is "normal" and what isn't in their changing bodies.
Time Frame
Breast development can begin as early as age 7 or 8, but for some young women it might not start until age 13. It continues on until age 17 or 18. There are five stages of breast development, and each can take a few months or a few years.
Five Stages
The first stage of breast development is the pre-pubescent breast. It is the breast that young children have, which is to say flat, with no sign of development.
Usually between the age of 8 and 13, the second stage occurs. It is generally called the "breast bud" stage, The milk ducts and fat tissue that will be the breast start to develop behind the nipple, forming a small mount.
In the third stage, the breast themselves become rounder and fuller.
In the fourth stage, which usually occurs later in puberty, the nipple and areola (the circular area around the nipple, usually darker in color) begin to differentiate themselves more fully from the rest of the breast.
The fifth and final stage exhibits breasts that are round and full, with a protruding nipple area. They resemble adult breasts.
Considerations
Sometimes, especially during puberty, a young woman's left breast and right breast might not be the same size. One might develop faster than the other. During the early stages of puberty, one breast will begin to develop as many as six months before the other. Usually, if there is a significant size difference between the breasts, it will decrease as a woman nears the end of puberty. However, it is perfectly normal for women to have breasts that are different sizes. All kinds of sizes and shapes are normal and healthy.
Size
The breast is made of up fat and milk glands, not muscle. Ultimately, the breast size of each woman stems from a number of factors, including family history, hormones and weight. Because there is no muscle in the breast, exercise cannot increase breast size. However, young women might notice that overall weight gain and weight loss can cause breasts to grown and shrink.
Usually young women begin to wear training bras when their breasts enter the "bud stage." Consulting an older woman or a doctor about properly fit a bra to one's breast can be helpful for an adolescent, especially as breasts change size significantly during the course of their development.
Other Factors
Toward the end of development, young women might have hair growing out of their areolas.
Rapid development might lead to stretch marks around the breast, which look like spokes. These marks are caused when fast growth causes delicate layers of tissue under the skin to tear. The stretch marks are usually pink or reddish at first, but tend to lighten with time to become skin-colored.
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