Cooke - Breast Health

From size 8AAA to 48J (repeating) or thereabouts, theres an incredible range of bosomry. Size and shape vary but the evolved purpose remains the same: to be able to feed a baby.

Breasts are largely made from breast tissue, meaning a combination of fat cells fed by oestrogen, blood vessels and milk ducts on standby. Aside from oestrogen, relevant bosom hormones include prolactin, which runs the milk business if necessary. Breasts can feel fuller and tender before your period. (Do see my ebooks Sex with the Lot: The Modern Womans Guide to Her Own Sex Life and Period Problems & Solutions: How to Get Out of Hormone Hell for more on all of this kind of business, if you fancy.)

Some women have nipples that always stick out. Others have turned-in ones, called inverted nipples (which are also normal). Inverted nipples usually pop out and say hello if theyre cold or youre having sexy thoughts.

The coloured area around each nipple is called the areola (pronounced arry-ole-ah ); the plural is areolae (pronounced arry-ole-eye ). Each areola forms a slightly mounded or flat shape, which can be round, oval or almost oblong. Some areolae (often on fair skin) are a very light pink or apricoty colour; others are dark plum or deep brown.

Breasts: An Unnatural History by Florence Williams

A book about the odd attitudes and medical notions about breasts in the past, and now.

007b.com/breast_gallery.php

An independent website from the US. Low on fancy graphics but provides real photos of real breasts to show women theres a huge range of normal.

For reconstruction surgery after mastectomy, see .

Used to reconstruct breasts after a mastectomy, or inserted to make breasts look bigger for cosmetic reasons. This surgery makes them bigger, but not less droopy. All patients should make sure their doctor registers their details with the Breast Implant Registry administered by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, so the type of implant they have and other details will be available to their next surgeon (or the same one) if and when they need a further operation or removal. Implants may be filled with silicone or a saline gel. Theyre not sloshy and liquidy, but more the consistency of tofu.

Scar tissue and hardening around the implant as the body tries to get rid of or protect you against the foreign object. Breast implants may not last as long as you do, and may need to be replaced. Women will usually but not always be able to breastfeed after the operation. Implants and breast lift operations make it harder for breast lumps or other conditions to be detected. The implants can move or, in rare cases, leak or rupture. Many implants look different, often odd, if you gain or lose weight. Many implants look unnatural. Sexual sensation may change or disappear. There may be ongoing numbness. See also , below.

Heres yet another ludicrous idea that comes from porn. Some cosmetic surgeons offer services to make nipples more prominent, or move the areolae higher on the breast. This last procedure involves cutting them off and sewing them back on, and will result in some scars, the extent of which will vary. Some cosmetic doctors regularly inject nipples with hyaluronic acid to make them more like grapes than sultanas.

Breast reductions are almost always considered a medical operation, not a cosmetic one. Many women need a breast reduction as their breasts are causing shoulder and back pain and genuine difficulty in daily life. Others, however, have it because theyre sick of their breasts physically getting in the way and becoming a constant issue in social situations. There may be a long waiting list to get the op done on Medicare.