Breast Sagging in Teens: What Is Normal and What May Help

Overview

Just as people differ in height, size, color and shape, so do breasts. As much as we may wish for a certain size or shape, breasts are not the same from person to person. The truth is that breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and that is normal.

It is important to remember that the breasts you see in fashion magazines, on television and on social media are not the only kind. Many of those images are advertisements, and many are edited.

If you feel like your breasts are beginning to droop, don’t be alarmed. Some sagging happens at some point in the lives of most women, usually in adulthood and especially after menopause. Sagging in the teen years is less common, but some teens, especially those whose breasts developed quickly, who have larger breasts or who exercise a lot without good support, may notice it.

How Breasts Develop

Breast development begins shortly before puberty and happens in five stages. It starts with a raised nipple; the breast then becomes raised and grows glandular tissue until it fills out into an adult breast. Breast shape and size depend on:

• Body weight
• Genetics
• Hormones

This is why breast shape varies so much from person to person. During development, breast shape can change dramatically. You might find one breast grows faster than the other, or that your breasts don’t seem to have a full shape yet. These characteristics can change as your body changes, so give your body time to grow into its adult shape.

What Affects Breast Sagging

Gravity and Genes

Breasts are made of a mixture of milk glands and fat. Running through them are many bands of connective tissue that attach the breast to the skin and help hold it in place. The breast itself has no muscle, so there is not much natural support structure, and over time gravity pulls breasts downward.

How firm breasts stay depends partly on genes, which influence how much fat, glandular tissue and connective tissue they contain. Generally, the more connective tissue and glands, the firmer breasts are likely to be. Size matters too: heavier breasts put more strain on the skin and supporting ligaments, which, like elastic bands, can stretch under constant pressure.

Doctors call breast sagging “ptosis” and may grade it by where the nipple sits compared with the crease where the base of the breast meets the chest (the inframammary fold). In young breasts, the nipple is usually above this crease; with more sagging, it sits lower.

Weight Changes

Fat is found in two places in the breast. About 70 percent is mixed with the glands and forms the main bulk of the breast; the rest is a layer of padding just under the skin. This layer gets thicker or thinner as you gain or lose weight. Big, repeated swings in weight, such as from yo-yo dieting, can stretch the supporting skin. One of the best things you can do for your breasts, and for your whole body, is to keep a steady weight that is in a healthy range for your height.

Pregnancy, Not Breastfeeding

Many people believe that breastfeeding causes sagging. Research suggests that the expansion and shrinking of the milk glands during and after pregnancy plays a bigger role than breastfeeding itself. Adults can read more in Breast Skin After Childbirth.

Hormones

Estrogen is the main hormone influencing how breasts look. This female sex hormone first makes the breasts grow and helps build the tree-like network of milk ducts leading to the nipple. Each month, as part of the menstrual cycle, rising estrogen can make breast tissue swell slightly and hold water. Much later in life, after menopause, estrogen levels fall, the glands shrink, and firmer tissue is gradually replaced by fat, so breasts may feel softer and less full.

Physical Activity

Exercise can be good for your breasts as well as your health. There is no muscle in the breast itself, but building up the chest (pectoral) muscles underneath, for example with push-ups, can push breast tissue forward and may make the chest look fuller and more lifted. However, running and other high-impact activities can strain the supporting ligaments if you do not wear proper support. Studies have found that breasts can move around 10 cm up and down, side to side, and forward and back during running. The larger the cup size, the more support is needed.

Everyday Habits That May Help

Dr. Dalal Akoury, MD, MPH, notes that it is easier to support the breasts early than to try to address sagging later, which is why everyday habits matter:

• Wear a bra that fits properly. Get measured, for example at a department store, and measure again as your breasts develop so that every bra you buy is the right size. Breasts should not spill over the cup, and the bra should feel snug but comfortable and should not ride up at the back.
• Wear a sports bra during physical activity. Good support during sports and running may help protect the ligaments that hold the breasts up.
• Eat healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins give your body the nutrients it needs to grow properly and to develop healthy skin and muscles.
• Stay active. Try to be active for 30 to 60 minutes a day with something fun, such as sports, dancing or hiking. Don’t focus on being skinny or light; focus on being healthy.
• Keep your weight steady. Avoid crash diets and rapid weight loss, which can stretch the skin.

Do not be taken in by advertisements for creams, oils, pills, vitamins or exercises that claim to change your breasts. Exercise can strengthen the chest muscles, but it does not change breast tissue itself.

Body Image and Feelings

Changes in your breasts can affect how you feel about yourself. Some people feel self-conscious, unattractive or less confident. These feelings are common, and you deserve support. Talk with a parent, a trusted adult or your doctor, especially if worries about your body are affecting your mood, your eating or your daily life.

When to Talk With a Doctor

Breast changes in the teen years are usually normal. Talk with your pediatrician or doctor if you notice a lump, pain, skin changes or discharge from the nipple, if one breast is very different from the other and this worries you, or if concerns about your body are upsetting you.

Cosmetic breast procedures are meant for adults whose bodies have finished developing. They are not a solution for normal breast changes in the teen years.

Have more questions? Talk with your pediatrician or doctor. Adults can read Breast Skin After Childbirth or browse our Health Library.