Let your breasts breathe.   Don’t wear your bra at night, and be sure to rinse it thoroughly when you wash it.  Some rashes and irritations can happen because the breasts create a dark, warm environment for organisms to grow.

Think about whether you have changed soaps and lotions.  If you are having problems with skin irritation, switch to an unscented soap for sensitive skin.  Some bath powder under your breast can help absorb moisture that sometimes leads to rashes.

Your breasts and other parts of your body that are growing fast like your hips may develop stretch marks—long lines that crease the surface of the skin.  These are not dangerous, and usually fade over time.  Nancy Redd, author of Body Drama, suggests drinking lots of water to hydrate the skin and help minimize the marks.

A change in the color of your nipples and the darker area around it called the areola can be an early sign of pregnancy.   As mentioned above, if there is a possibility that breast changes are early signs of pregnancy, it is important to see a medical professional.  This is not something that you can ignore or delay because the first three months of pregnancy are vital to the baby’s development.

If your skin symptoms don’t improve, a doctor or nurse will need to check you out to get the right medicines for you.

I feel a lump.  Is it breast cancer?  For teenagers, the answer is almost always no.  Breast cancer during puberty is exceedingly rare.  But some lumps might need to be checked by a doctor.  First of all, let’s talk about what is not a lump.

The first lump-like object you may feel when you enter puberty is called a breast bud.  It is breast tissue that signals your breasts are about to grow.  It is a hard and tender place right under the nipple.

You might be like me and mistake a muscle or rib for a lump because it feels different than the surrounding tissue. The little bumps around the edge of your nipples are called Montgomery’s glands, and they are normal.  Pimples and moles can affect skin anywhere including on your breast, and they are not considered lumps.

Your breasts are composed of milk ducts and lobules connected by fat and other tissue.  When you examine your breasts, you may feel quite a few “lumps.”  Probably what you are feeling is your own pattern of  breast tissue.  Women vary in how “lumpy” their breasts are, so it is important for you to get acquainted with what your breasts feel like.

In Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book, Dr. Love describes how to find a real lump like this, “The lump will stick out prominently in midst of the smaller lumps that constitute normal lumpiness.  You’ll know it’s something different.” 

So let’s say you do find a real lump.  Does that mean you have breast cancer?  Absolutely not.  According to Dr. Love only one lump in twelve found in premenopausal women turns out to be breast cancer.  Almost all of those will be in women well past their teens.