Why are my breasts asymmetric?

Post-natal breast growth in girls occurs between the age of 8 and 13. The mean age is approximately age 11. Occasionally one breast will develop more quickly than the opposite side leading to asymmetry. This can affect the size, volume, shape, and position of the nipple-areolar complex.

Causes of asymmetry include:

• Hormonal changes
• Underlying benign fibroid tumors
• Spine curvature disorders (scoliosis)
• Trauma
• Chest wall deformities
• Polands syndrome (absence of portion of pectoralis muscle, and poor breast development)

The majority of breast asymmetries are minor. In fact, breast asymmetry is the norm and patients that I operate on weekly for breast implant surgery have differences in both volume and position of the nipples regularly. Reconstructive surgery can be performed for severe cases in which different size saline or silicone gel implants may be used to create symmetry.