Breast Growth & Development in Girls

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Breast development is usually the first sign of puberty in girls. “Breast buds generally appear in healthy girls at about 11 years of age, but the age may range from 9 to 13 years,” writes Kent Van De Graaff. And actually, this is based on outdated information; the age range now runs between 6 and 11. “Approximately 3 years are required after the appearance of breast buds for maturation of the breasts. Pubic hair usually begins to appear shortly after the breast buds become apparent, but in about one-third of all girls, sparse pubic hair appears before the breast buds. Auxiliary hair appears a year or two after pubic hair.” (2000, p. 759)

How breast development begins

In the early stages of breast growth, girls will usually get a hard lump directly behind their nipple. It may start on one side or the other or develop in both breasts at the same time. These breast buds can be sensitive or even painful to the touch, causing a shock when they get whacked (such as with a soccer ball).

Breast development in girls is often uneven

Many girls grow concerned because their breast growth is uneven; one breast grows faster or starts before the other, making their size uneven. This is normal. The two breasts will eventually even out in the end. There can even be small variations between the right and left breast in adults, though these differences are usually too small to be noticeable by anyone other than the woman herself.

Breast development in girls & concerns about breast cancer

Some young girls interpret early breast growth as a sign they might have breast cancer, especially if they know of someone in their family whose been diagnosed with this. After all, there’ s a lump there that wasn’t there before, and it can be sensitive or painful.

When 9-year-old Jamie Margulies noticed a lump on the left side of her chest behind her nipple, she was terrified. Her mother had just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and this discovery seemed like history repeating itself. “I thought that since she had breast cancer, I would definitely get it,” says Jamie, now a sixth-grader. A trip to the doctor revealed it was just the start of her breast development. Her doctor, Marisa Weiss, says she’s seen a growing fear of breast cancer among young girls as awareness of the disease has permeated the media. “They are still young girls without the dialogue skills to ask the questions, air their concerns, and replace the myths with facts,” says Dr. Weiss.

So as your daughter nears puberty, you might want to have a talk and explain what to expect. It could save her a lot of worry.

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