Self Breast Assessments: A How-To Guide
Written by Madeline McNeill. She is a public health intern with Going Beyond the Pink and a public health student at UNCW. *Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
Learning how to complete regular breast assessments on yourself can make a big difference in possibly detecting breast cancer earlier. Doctors often recommend that everyone complete a self assessment once a month. Listed below is a step-by-step instruction on how to successfully inspect your breasts on your own.
“Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.” - Johns Hopkins Medical Center
Important things to note before you begin:
A lump or abnormality does not automatically mean it is cancerous
Breasts are not going to feel the exact same way in each area
For women who still menstruate, the ideal time to complete a breast assessment would be several days after their period ends
Self breast assessments should not be a replacement for mammograms, it is recommended that you do both
If anything seems of concern to you upon completing the self assessment, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor
You don’t have to be a certain age to start doing breast assessments! Here’s a great resource if you or a family member are interested in wanting to check your breast health at a younger age: "Taking Care of Your Girls: A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens"
Step 1: Visual Check
Stand in front of a mirror with your shirt and bra off
With your arms down by your side, look to see if you see any changes in the size or shape of your breasts, any dimples in your skin, and any changes to your nipples.
Next, raise your hands straight up into the air and look for those same changes again.
Lastly, you are going to look for those same changes one more time by putting your hands on your hips and flexing out your chest muscles
A fun video demonstrating the positions! The "How to Look in the Mirror" Dance
Step 2: Hands-On (Standing Up)
**recommend doing this step in the shower**
Keep your shirt and bra off
With your right hand, use 3 fingers and press down on each part of your left breast. Start off pushing lightly and slowly push down harder each time. You are going to feel for any lumps/bumps in the breast.
Tip: Breast tissue is more than just the protrusion from the body. Self assessments should include all the tissue in a rectangular pattern - side to side between underarms and up/down from bottom of clavicle to top of rib cage
With your left hand, repeat the same steps as above on your right breast
Gently squeeze each nipple to check for discharge
Step 3: Hands-On (Lying Down)
Keep your shirt and bra off
Lay down and put your left arm above your head. With your right hand, use 3 fingers to press down on each part of your left breast. Start off pushing lightly and slowly pushing down harder each time. You are going to feel for any lumps/bumps in the breast. (You are repeating the same method as in step 2, however, this time you are lying down)
Stay laying down. Repeat the step above by putting your right arm above your head and checking with your left hand.
Lastly, gently squeeze your nipples to check for discharge again
Now that you have completed your self-assessment, you should contact your doctor if you have any of the following:
Swollen/painful breasts
Bloody discharge from the nipples
Dimples on the skin
Lumps or bumps on the breasts
Any other abnormalities of concern
Although it is recommended that you do self assessments once a month, feel free to check yourself more often than that! (when in the shower, applying lotion, getting dressed, etc.). Intimate partners may also be the one who notices if there is a change with your breasts.
Need help keeping track of it? Check out this log book: "Breast Exam Chart Log Book"
For additional information on self assessments + more, feel free to check out Joy Wade’s “What’s Normal, What’s Not” workshops - https://www.facebook.com/whatsnormalwhatsnot