Women's breasts come in all shapes and sizes. There is no perfect shape or size for breasts.

Normal breasts can be large or small, smooth or lumpy, and light or dark.

Most young women have a lot of questions about their breasts. This guide was created to answer

some of the most common questions girls have about breast health.

How do breasts develop?

The inside of your breasts is made up of fatty tissue and many milk-producing glands, called

mammary glands. The dark area of your breast around your nipple is called the areola. As your

body starts to develop, a small bump grows under the areola and nipple. This bump is called the

breast bud. As the buds get larger and rounder, the breasts grow.

As your breasts develop, the areolae get bigger and darker. Areolae and nipples can range in

color from light pink to purplish to light gray depending on your skin color.

When will I get breasts?

Your breasts start growing when you begin puberty. Puberty is the name for the time when your

body goes through changes and you begin to go from being a child to an adult. During puberty the

hormone levels in your body change and this causes your breasts to develop and your menstrual

periods to start. Heredity (the way certain characteristics are passed down from generation to

generation) and nutrition determine when you are going to begin puberty and develop breasts. Most

girls' breasts begin growing when they are about 10 or 11 years old, but some girls may start

developing breasts earlier or later than this age.

How long will it take to get breasts?

It takes three to five years from the time your breasts start growing until they reach their full

size. The age when you start to develop does not have an effect on the final size of your

breasts. For example, if you develop earlier than most girls, this doesn't mean that you will

have bigger breasts than most girls.

Is there anything I can do to increase the size of my breasts?

Heredity is the most important factor in determining breast shape and size. No creams, exercises,

or clothing will change your breast size. Your breasts may change with weight loss or gain or

after a pregnancy, but for the most part the size of your breasts stays the same once you have

finished puberty. Also, breast size has no effect on whether a woman will be able to breastfeed

her baby.

When and how will my breasts make milk?

Inside a woman's breasts are tiny pockets called alveoli. After a woman gives birth, her body's

hormones tell her alveoli to produce milk. When her baby sucks on her nipple, the sucking draws

milk from the alveoli through the milk ducts and out small holes in the nipple. When the mother

stops breast-feeding her baby, her alveoli slowly stop making milk.