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Home › Expert Q&A › Health › My 16-year-old daughter's left breast is much smaller than the other. Is there a treatment for this?

Expert Q&A

 

By David L. Fay, M.D.
Family Physician
Associate Director, Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program

My 16-year-old daughter just told me that her left breast is much smaller than her right breast. She is embarrassed by this. Is there a name for this type of abnormality? I would like to know if there is some type of treatment, or will she just have to live with it? She is devastated and was too embarrassed to tell me. She is very modest and was hoping it would change on its own.

Breast asymmetry is normal in women with the left side usually being slightly larger than the right. During puberty, this can be more pronounced, but the breast on one side is usually less than 3 centimeters larger than the other. If the difference is larger than 3 centimeters, this is usually followed up over time, since by the age of 18, 75 percent of girls will have had "catch-up" growth. In the interim, padding of the bra on the smaller side will minimize the difference. If, by the age of 18, the breasts are still significantly different, surgical options can be explored.

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