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Having breasts of two different sizes is surprisingly common. More than half of women have uneven breast. If you’re uncomfortable about the way your breasts look and would like to make them appear the same, take a look at the following tips to see what can work for you.
Steps
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Pull your hair over the shoulder of the smaller breast. If you have long hair, use it to your advantage by sweeping it over the shoulder of the smaller breast. Doing so will visually “pad” the smaller breast, balancing them out and making them appear to be the same size.
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Wear an asymmetrical top. Asymmetry is a perfect tactic you can use to combat unevenness. It works similar to pulling your hair over one shoulder. An asymmetrical shirt has one side that is different than the other. It could be that the shirt’s neckline or hemline swoops lower on one side more than the other. Find an asymmetrical shirt you like. The unevenness of the shirt will work to balance out the unevenness of your breasts.
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Wear a sports bra and a tight shirt to flatten your chest a bit. The sports bra and tight shirt will press your chest down and compress it together. Binding them in this way will minimize the appearance of their unevenness. It’s best to select a sports bra that fits your larger breast comfortably. This will keep the larger breast from spilling out of the bra.
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Change your posture. The farther away something is the smaller it appears, while the closer something is the larger it appears. Changing your positioning can help to make your breasts appear the same size. This will help whether you’re out in public, or whether you happen to be naked.
- If you’re near other people, position your larger breast away from them. Whether you’re standing or sitting down, you can do this by angling your body so that the shoulder above your smaller breast is directed towards the person or people you’re near.
- If you’re taking a picture, assume the same posture and put your hand on the hip that is farthest away.
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Wear a bra with a lined cup. If there is only a slight difference in your breast size, then this is a simple fix to your situation. Bras with a lined cup include a molded bra, contour bra and a padded bra. [1] X Research source With these types of bras, the bra maintains the natural shape of your breast, allowing both breasts to appear to be the same size. For the best results, purchase a lined cup bra that fits the larger breast.
- Because there is more than one type of lined bra, choose the type of bra that fits your chest the best. A padded bra is the more popular choice, but depending on the size of your breasts, it may not work for you. Because the padded bra contains the same amount of padding on each side, it may have the unfortunate effect of only making your breast bigger, while maintaining their disproportionate size.
- The molded and contour bra may be a better option if there is only a small difference in the size of your breasts. [2] X Research source They work to mimic and hold the shape of your larger breast, as opposed to providing only padding.
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Wear a bra with removable pads. You can get a more even appearance by wearing a bra with removable pads. This may work better than a lined cup bra because you can create better padded support by removing or adding pads on either side of your breast. You can the empty space of your bra where your smaller breast is with more padding, and you can also tone down the padding on top of the larger breast by removing some if necessary.
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Choose the pad that looks and feels best to you. There are different types of padding available for you to choose from, including silicone, foam, water, and gel pads. [3] X Research source Choose your padding based on the size of your breasts and the feel of the pad. Insert double-sided body tape between your bra and the padding to keep it from slipping out.
- Silicone, water and gel bra pads are heavier than foam and fabric pads. If your breast size is on the lighter side, consider the foam or fabric pads.
- If one breast is considerably larger than the other, don’t double up on the heavier bra pads. They may make your breasts look even in size, but one side will appear heavier than the other.
- If you’re going swimming, look for beach silicone pads.
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Have your bra custom-made by a company. [4] X Research source This is likely a more expensive way to make your breasts appear the same, but it is also very effective. A bra shop will go beyond simply adding in extra padding. They’ll adjust the cut of the bra and the cut of the padding, and ensure it matches the look you want. For a less expensive fix, you can have a bra shop sew padding into your bra to make it permanent.
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Wear a mastectomy bra. If you’ve undergone a mastectomy, which is the removal of a breast, or any type of surgery to your breasts, a mastectomy bra will provide the comfort your breasts may need, while also helping to make them appear even. [5] X Research source Due to the likely sensitivity your breasts may be experiencing, this type of bra comes with inside pockets, which allow you to insert either a pad or a prosthetic breast, and provides the support you need without applying much pressure to your chest.
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Determine why one breast is larger than the other. Having different size breasts while nursing can happen often, since one breast may produce more milk than the other. If this is happening to you, you’ll want to figure out why before you try to implement different nursing techniques. You’ll want to make sure it’s not something your doctor or your baby’s pediatrician needs to address. [6] X Research source
- One of the reasons could be biological. Your body might have more working milk ducts and alveoli. Your milk ducts are made up of alveoli, which is where your breast make milk. [7] X Research source More working ducts and alveoli mean more milk and a bigger breast. The shape of your nipples may be different, causing your baby to prefer one breast over the other.
- If you can tell your baby prefers one side over the other, make sure it isn’t because of an illness or injury in either you or your baby. Your baby might have an ear infection or some other illness. If your baby just had a vaccine immunization, he or she may avoid nursing on one side to avoid causing pain to the injection site. Also, if you have a breast infection, the taste of your milk could change causing your baby to refuse that milk.
- Maybe you prefer nursing your baby on one breast over the other, and are consciously or unconsciously offering your baby the larger breast more than the smaller breast.
- If you’ve had surgery on, or injured your breast, the supply and flow of your milk may be limited, resulting in that breast appearing smaller.
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Have your baby nurse on the smaller breast first. Since babies tend to nurse more strongly on the first breast during a nursing session, have them nurse on the smaller breast first. This will encourage the smaller breast to produce more milk.
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Nurse on the smaller breast more often than the larger breast. Make a conscious effort to offer the smaller breast to your nursing baby more often the larger breast. The more suction a breast experiences, the more milk it will produce. Within 3 to 5 days you should notice the smaller breast is larger and about equal in size to the other. Once the breast appears equal in size, you can then offer each breast equally.
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Use your breast pump to stimulate additional milk flow. If your baby is having trouble nursing from the smaller breast, or still prefers to nurse from the larger breast, try using a breast pump to help your breast produce more milk. Use the pump for 5 to 10 minutes after your baby finishes nursing on the smaller breast to encourage more milk production.
- There are many different types of breast pumps available to use, and not all provide the same quality. Refer to a lactation specialist or your midwife or medical provider for suggestions on a good pump.
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Encourage your baby to nurse from the less preferred breast. There are several techniques you can use to get your baby to nurse on the smaller breast, specifically if he or she seems disinterested in it.
- You can try different nursing positions.
- Nurse where there’s little distraction, like a dark and quiet room.
- Try to manually compress your breast to help increase your milk flow out of the slow-flowing breast. While your baby is nursing press, put your hands around your breast and squeeze. Watch your baby’s sucking motions and try to match the length and rhythm of each squeeze with your baby’s sucking. You can also press your fingers against the top of your breast, right below your collar bone, and then slide your hand down towards your nipple. This will also help to express more milk.
- Try nursing your baby on the less preferred breast when he or she is still half asleep and less alert.
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Decide if surgery is right for you. [8] X Expert Source Daniel Barrett, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Expert Interview. 23 July 2020. Camouflaging your chest and wearing padded bras is a temporary fix. If the difference in your breasts size is large enough that temporary fixes won’t work or if you’re suffering emotional distress because of your uneven breasts, then cosmetic surgery may be the option for you. [9] X Research source Undergoing surgery to make your breasts appear the same is a serious step. It’s an invasive procedure that can be painful and risky. If you feel surgery may be the best option for you, talk with a professional. -
Get breast implants. [10] X Expert Source Daniel Barrett, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Expert Interview. 23 July 2020. There are many ways to surgically correct uneven breasts. Breast implant surgery, also known as breast augmentation, is one of those ways. The implant is created when a silicone bag filled with saline, or liquid or gel silicone is inserted behind the breast. Deciding between a liquid or gel implant will depend on preference. A liquid implant will make your breast feel natural, while a gel implant will make it feel firmer. -
Get a breast reduction. If your breasts are large and disproportionate, then a breast reduction may help them look the same. A breast reduction is an operation in which fat is removed from one or both of your breasts. The surgeon will likely reshape your skin and move your nipples to accommodate the new size of your breasts.
- If you decide to go through with this type of surgery, you’ll likely have small plastic tubes sticking out of each breast for up to 48 hours to allow blood and fluid to drain from your incisions.
- You’ll also be unable to work for a short period of time while you heal. And you must not smoke cigarettes for at least one month before the surgery.
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Get fat transferred from other parts of your body into your smaller breast. [11] X Expert Source Daniel Barrett, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Expert Interview. 23 July 2020. Fat transfer augmentation is similar to a breast implant surgery. But instead of a silicone bag being inserted into your breast to make it appear larger, doctors will use your own fat.- A surgeon would perform liposuction to remove fat from other parts of your body, such as your legs, belly and rear-end, and then inject that fat into the smaller breast.
- More women are choosing fat transfer augmentation to increase breast size because it creates a more natural looking breast. Also, some doctors consider it to be a better alternative where an implant is not necessarily needed.
- But it has its drawbacks. The results of the procedure are temporary. Your body will eventually reabsorb the fat, causing your breast to return to its original size.
- Also, re-injected fat can cause calcified lumps, which can turn into cysts. You’ll need to have a lot of extra fat on your body for the doctors to draw from, so if you’re fairly thin, you may not be a good candidate for this procedure.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat causes one breast to be bigger than the other?Dr. Daniel Barrett is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and the owner of Barrett Plastic Surgery based in Beverly Hills, California. With over six years of plastic surgery experience, Dr. Barrett specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, nose and body. He has developed detailed scar management protocols and closure techniques to reduce the appearance of scars for his patients. Dr. Barrett obtained a BS from James Madison University and an MD along with an MS in Physiology and and an MHA (Masters of Health Administration) from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.If someone has breast asymmetry, it generally happens during the developmental phase. Some asymmetrical situations can happen after breastfeeding. But generally speaking, asymmetry people are born with it and they realize it soon after their teenage years and the approach to both of these situations is slightly different and generally involves differential augmentation surgery and mastopexy
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QuestionIs there a surgery to make your breasts the same size?Dr. Daniel Barrett is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and the owner of Barrett Plastic Surgery based in Beverly Hills, California. With over six years of plastic surgery experience, Dr. Barrett specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, nose and body. He has developed detailed scar management protocols and closure techniques to reduce the appearance of scars for his patients. Dr. Barrett obtained a BS from James Madison University and an MD along with an MS in Physiology and and an MHA (Masters of Health Administration) from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.A typical surgery might include placing silicone implants in both breasts. One implant would be probably larger than the other to correct breast size. Oftentimes there's a mastopexy that needs to be performed because the one breast may be too big and needs to be reduced or the nipple position needs to be moved to match the other breast. This is more common with the asymmetry due to breastfeeding
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QuestionI am 13 and my breasts have been uneven for three years. What can I do?Community AnswerUneven breasts are fairly common, although if there's a difference of more than a cup size you might want to get examined by a doctor to make sure that there's no serious medical condition causing it. Most likely, however, you're fine. You can try stuffing your smaller cup with socks or tissues to make them look the same size, or look into buying a prosthetic breast form (check eBay or Amazon). Once you're a bit older, you might want to look into surgery in order to make both breasts the same size. Most of all, remember that you are more than the size of your breasts, no matter how uneven.
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Tips
- Wear additional padding in your bra with a padded bra in order to hide the outline of the bra bad.Thanks
- After adding bra pads to your bra, you’ll need to readjust the straps and back closure of your bra to make sure the fit is even.Thanks
- Use bra tape to keep your bra pads from slipping out of your bra.Thanks
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Warnings
- Risks of breast implants include the actual implant rupturing, leaking or shifting.Thanks
- Breast surgery could cause scarring, affect the sensitivity and blood supply to your nipples, and impact your ability to breastfeed.Thanks
- You might need a follow-up procedure if your initial breast surgery doesn’t work.Thanks
- If you have fat transfer augmentation surgery, know that the risks of liposuction include scarring, bruising and sagging skin. It can also cause calcified lumps and cysts.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.nowthatslingerie.com/bradoctor/blog/bra-fitting-advice/nurture-your-true-nature/2010/02/15
- ↑ http://www.lindasonline.com/uneven-breasts-in-bra.html
- ↑ https://www.nowthatslingerie.com/bradoctor/blog/bra-fitting-advice/nurture-your-true-nature/2010/02/15
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2145518/Lifes-balancing-act-youve-uneven-bosom.html
- ↑ http://www.lindasonline.com/uneven-breasts-in-bra.html
- ↑ http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/lopsided/
- ↑ http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/mammary-duct
- ↑ Daniel Barrett, MD. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Expert Interview. 23 July 2020.
- ↑ http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/cosmetic-surgery/asymmetrical-and-uneven-breasts-corrective-surgery-options-s309902.html
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