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Women can and should examine their own breasts starting in their 20s. Performing regular self-exams allows a women to get to know how her own breasts look and feel, which may make you more likely to report any changes to your doctor. If you choose to do a breast self-exam (BSE), you should have your technique reviewed by a medical professional
There are three ways of performing a breast self-exam:
- Circular
- Start at the outer edge of your breast, and move fingers around the entire breast in a circular motion.
- Vertical
- Start at your underarm area, and move your fingers downwards and back up until you have checked your entire breast.
- Wedge
- Start at the outer edge of your breast, and move your fingers towards the nipple and back to the edge until you have checked the entire breast in small wedge-shaped sections.
And remember...
- Use the pads of your three middle fingers to feel your breast.
- Always check your underarm and upper chest as well.
- Apply different levels of pressure while doing a self-exam.
- Look at your breasts in a mirror to check for any visual changes, such as changes in breast shape and/or swelling.
To learn more about the breast self-exam, watch the video below:
Reference
Video from: About.com