Typically developing adolescents, not knowing what to expect, sometimes worry that there is something seriously wrong with them---that they are deformed, diseased or abnormal. Learning about the predictable ways that breasts develop can help put your mind at ease during this transition.
Stage One: Childhood
Girls are in what is considered the first stage of breast development from birth until puberty. The breasts are completely flat. The nipples are the only parts that stick out from the chest.
Stage Two: Breast Budding
Breast buds grow under each nipple and can sometimes feel like a lump. These buds make the nipples protrude more from the chest as they form. The nipples may also become a bit sore. According to author and sexuality educator Debra Haffner, MPH, "breast budding is the first sign of puberty" for girls. This stage can start as early as age 7 and as late as age 14, but most girls begin this phase of breast development when they're between the ages of 8 ½ and 11. This phase usually lasts from 2 to 18 months.
Stage Three: Breast Growth
The breasts themselves begin to swell and grow during Stage Three. The darker circle of skin around each nipple, called the areola, gets larger and the nipples may get bigger as well. This phase typically takes 2 to 24 months to complete.
Stage Four: Nipple Mound
Nipples and areolae become bigger still during Stage Four. Kathy McCoy, Ph.D. and Charles Wibbelsman, M.D. explain that during this stage, the nipple and areola can look like a distinct mass or mound atop the breast. The length of stage four ranges from approximately 8 to 24 months.
Stage Five: Adulthood
Adulthood is the last phase for breast development. The nipple and areola become reintegrated into the fundamental shape of the breast, and the breast grows to its mature size, which varies from woman to woman. It is well within the normal range for girls to complete their breast development by age 16, but some girls do not complete it until they are older.
Breast Development in Boys
Boys experience a growth in the size of their nipples and their areolae get darker and larger during puberty. Some notice that their breasts become more sensitive. Many boys also experience a non-permanent breast development called gynecomastia. The boy's breasts get somewhat bigger. Haffner says, "Boys sometimes worry that they are growing breasts or even turning into a girl . . . [but] this is just a variation of male pubertal development." The amount of growth varies and usually goes away within 12 to 18 months, but it can last longer than 2 years before it goes away. Some boys may feel a lump in their breast during this period.
References
- "Growing and Changing"; Kathy McCoy, Ph.D., and Charles Wibbelsman, M.D.; 2003
- "Beyond the Big Talk: Every Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Teens"; Debra W. Haffner, MPH; 2002
