Does size matter?
Unfortunately, we are conditioned from such a young age to think that a Barbie doll figure is the ultimate standard, that we should have big boobs, no tummy, a bubble butt and also a thigh gap. We internalize these totally unrealistic beauty standards and then have terrible self-esteem, constantly dissatisfied with our bodies and feeling as if we’re not good enough.
Many women with small boobs wish they had bigger boobs because they think it would make them more attractive, but some women with big boobs also wish they had smaller boobs—big boobs can hurt your back and it can also be exhausting dealing with the unwanted attention they receive. (We have really got to stop staring at and commenting on people’s boobs!)
All boobs are great boobs, whatever their size. Not only are they an absolutely beautiful form, capable of providing you with a lot of pleasure, they also have the capacity to nourish life—how magical! Even though I myself don’t plan on having any children, I do think that’s pretty amazing.
So, love your boobs. Look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate how lovely they are. Accepting your body is a major step towards better self-esteem and happier relationships.
Why is one boob bigger than the other?
It’s very likely that each of your breasts is a little bit different from the other.
Maybe one is a little bigger or rounder or pointier; maybe one boob is placed slightly higher or lower on your chest than the other. Maybe you’ve wondered whether you should freak out about it.
While stuff like pop culture, porn and magazine covers have misled many of us into believing that boobs should be perfectly round and symmetrical, guess what, most boobs are not.
For some people, the differences are subtle, while for others they might be more apparent. Many folks even have a whole cup size difference between their boobs. And that’s fine!
Boobs, like most of the body parts that come in pairs are sisters, not twins.
If you look carefully at your hands, feet, eyes, ears, butt cheeks, or even, say, just the left side of your nose versus the right side, you’ll notice that, in fact, perfect symmetry is present almost nowhere.
You probably have some fingers that are a bit less straight than others, one eye that’s a bit bigger or droopier than the other, etc., etc., etc. And it’s these little asymmetries that make you look uniquely yourself. It’s no different for boobs. So embrace the asymmetries instead of freaking out about them.
A lot of what one’s breasts look like is simply down to genetics—but fluctuations in weight can also impact boob size. When you gain or lose weight, it doesn’t always happen perfectly uniformly all over your body. Also, stuff like breastfeeding can impact boob symmetry—all of this is nothing to be embarrassed or panic about.
Nipples and Areola
Nipples come in a range of shapes and sizes. Some can be tiny and round, some are larger or more oblong, some are flatter or more protruding. Some people may have inverted nipples—nipples that turn inwards. It’s all All Okay!
The circular area of pigmented skin immediately around a nipple is called the areola.
Areolae can vary from the size of a coin to the size of a saucer, and the colour of nipples and areolae can vary from very light pink to very dark brown, and is often related to one’s overall skin colour.
The size, shape and colour of nipples and areolae can also change gradually over the course of one’s life, due to factors such as puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause and general ageing.
As with boobs, there’s a lot of variation and diversity when it comes to what nipples can look like and, again, that’s normal!
Why do nipples get hard?
The nerves in the nipples react to stimuli, both physical and psychological. While sometimes it can be a response to arousal such as a sexual touch or thought, nipples getting hard isn’t always or inherently sexual. It can also happen due to something as simple as change in temperature, such as when you feel cold, or even something as simple as the fabric of your shirt or undergarments brushing against your skin. So it’s really no big deal and nothing to worry about—it’s just the body being the body and doing its thing. And whether hard or not, so what if nipples are sometimes visible through your clothing—they’re just a part of the body! It’s something we shouldn’t have to feel so conscious about.
Why It’s Important to Examine Your Boobs?
If you haven’t really given much thought to the well-being of your boobs before, it’s worth taking the time to familiarize yourself with how they normally look and feel.
Don’t be alarmed—normal boob tissue does not feel like a perfectly smooth jelly, to begin with. There are lots of milk glands and ducts under the skin that give it a unique texture. Hormonal variations and your menstrual cycle can also make your boobs feel bigger, or lumpier, and also sometimes cause soreness or tenderness.
Once you figure out what normal looks and feels like for you, make it a point to examine your boobs yourself once a month so that you notice in case something suddenly changes.
All you’ve got to do is stand in front of a mirror with your arms up, one at a time, using the pads of two fingers to check each breast and armpit area.
Look out for unusually lumpy or dimpled skin, changes in your skin color or texture, and nipple deformation or discharge.
If you feel an unfamiliar lump or a sudden increase or decrease in the volume of a breast, especially if accompanied by other symptoms like skin retraction, thickening, dimpling, or a change in the color of the skin on your breast, it’s worth consulting a doctor, as changes like these can sometimes indicate breast cancer.
There’s a very good possibility that it’s nothing at all or that if there is anything, it’s benign—but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer—but it’s also one of the most treatable, if detected early
Let’s learn to appreciate our boobs, whether big or small or asymmetrical and let’s make sure we look after them!
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