Breast Friends Forever

Theyve been with you since puberty, but how much do you actually know about your boobs and how theyll change throughout the different stages of your life? Heres a breakdown.

- Sophie Hong & Cheryl Lim

In your 20s: enjoy the perks!

This period is when your breasts look and feel the firmest, as they comprise more fibrous connective tissue than fatty tissue. And while your breasts have fully developed, they can still change in size due to fluctuations in hormone levels and your weight.

In your 30s: same same, but different

Your breasts will retain much of their elasticity and firmness, but will feel softer as you approach your late 30s and more connective tissue is replaced with fat. If you’ve gone through pregnancy, the skin of your breasts might start to stretch due to weight fluctuations.

In your 40s: sags and the city

Breast sagging and declining elasticity is inevitable. This is because your breasts will become less dense as you age and the sag-preventing collagen starts to break down. The older you are, the higher the risk of breast cancer, so go for regular checkups and mammograms.

During pregnancy: get swole

This is a whole topic unto itself, but in a nutshell, your breasts will become bigger and have darker veins, your nipples will get bigger and stick out more, and your areolas will become darker.

After childbirth and breastfeeding: milk it for what it’s worth

Some women who didn’t breastfeed find that their breasts pretty much returned to how they were before prepregnancy, while others reported changes in cup size and shape. If you breastfeed, you’ll find that your breasts become less dense after you stop, since your body will stop producing the milk that’s filling them up. The size of your breasts will revert back to how it was pre-pregnancy, but know that it won’t be as perky as before.

After menopause: thanks for the mammaries