Why should I check my breasts?
How often should I check my breasts?
When is the best time to check my breasts?
How do I check my breasts?
Should I check my armpits too?
I found a breast lump. Does that mean I have cancer?
Does a cancerous breast lump always hurt?
What breast changes should I show my doctor?
Should I wait and see whether a breast lump becomes painful?
Should I wait until after my next period?
I feel embarrassed about having my breasts examined. Can I wait?
What are the benefits of knowing my breasts?
Does breast self-examination replace mammography?
Does every woman need the same breast-cancer screening?
What should I remember most?
How to Check Your Breasts at Home: A Simple Guide to Breast Self-Examination
Why should I check my breasts?
Checking your breasts helps you become familiar with how they normally look and feel, so that you are more likely to notice if something changes.
Many women feel uncomfortable talking about their breasts or examining them. But there is nothing embarrassing or inappropriate about knowing your own body. Breast health is simply part of your general health.
Checking your breasts does not mean that you are expecting to find cancer.
The aim is simple:
Know what is normal for you → notice a new change → get it checked when necessary.
How often should I check my breasts?
You can check your breasts approximately once a month .
More importantly, remain generally aware of your breasts during everyday activities such as bathing, dressing or changing clothes.
There is no need to examine yourself repeatedly or every day. Frequent checking may actually make normal breast tissue feel confusing and can create unnecessary anxiety.
The goal is awareness, not constant searching for disease.
When is the best time to check my breasts?
If you menstruate, a convenient time is approximately 5–7 days after your period starts . At this time, hormonal swelling and tenderness are usually less, making your breasts easier to examine.
If you no longer have periods because of menopause, hysterectomy or another reason, choose an easy-to-remember day each month—for example, the first day of every month.
Do not become anxious about checking on an exact date. Regular awareness is more important than following a rigid calendar.
How do I check my breasts?
You can check your breasts in three simple steps:
Look → Feel → Check the armpits.
Step 1: How should I look at my breasts?
Stand in front of a mirror with your arms relaxed at your sides.
Look at both breasts and notice their:
Size
Shape
Skin
Nipples
General appearance
Do not worry if your breasts are not perfectly symmetrical. It is very common for one breast to be slightly larger or shaped differently from the other.
Now raise both arms above your head and look again.
Then place your hands firmly on your hips and gently tighten your chest muscles.
Look for a new change , particularly:
Dimpling or pulling-in of the skin
A new change in the shape of one breast
Persistent redness or swelling
Thickened skin
Skin that begins to look like orange peel
A nipple that has recently started pulling inward
New changes around the nipple
The important word here is new . You are looking for something that is different from your usual appearance.
How should I feel my breasts?
You can examine your breasts while lying down or while bathing .
If you are lying down, place a small pillow or folded towel underneath the shoulder on the side you are examining and raise that arm above your head.
Use the pads of your three middle fingers , rather than poking the breast with your fingertips.
Move your fingers in small circles while gently feeling the breast.
Try using three levels of pressure:
Light pressure — to feel tissue close to the skin.
Medium pressure — to feel slightly deeper tissue.
Firm pressure — to feel the deeper breast tissue.
You can use an up-and-down pattern across the breast to help ensure that you do not accidentally miss an area.
Try to examine the whole area from approximately:
The collarbone above
The lower edge of the breast below
The centre of your chest
Across towards the armpit
Then examine the other breast in the same way.
You do not need to squeeze, press painfully or repeatedly search the same area.
Should I check my armpits too?
Yes.
Breast tissue extends towards the armpit, and lymph nodes are also present there.
Gently feel each armpit and notice whether there is a new persistent lump or swelling .
Again, finding something does not automatically mean cancer. Lymph nodes can enlarge for many reasons, including infection and inflammation.
But a new or persistent swelling should be medically assessed.
What does normal breast tissue feel like?
This is one of the most important things to understand:
Normal breasts do not necessarily feel completely smooth.
Breast tissue may normally feel:
Soft
Firm
Nodular
Uneven
Slightly lumpy
The texture can also vary from one part of the breast to another.
If you menstruate, your breasts may become more swollen, tender or lumpy at certain times of your menstrual cycle.
This is why trying to decide whether every small irregularity is a “lump” can become confusing.
Instead, pay attention to something that is new, persistent or clearly different from what is usual for you.
I found a breast lump. Does that mean I have cancer?
No. Most breast lumps are not cancer—but every new or persistent lump deserves proper assessment.
There are many non-cancerous causes of breast lumps, including:
Cysts
Fibroadenomas
Hormonal changes
Infections
Other benign breast conditions
However, you cannot reliably determine whether a lump is benign or cancerous simply by touching it yourself.
A doctor may examine you and, depending on your age and findings, recommend investigations such as an ultrasound, mammogram or other tests.
So the correct response is neither panic nor ignoring it.
Get it evaluated.
Does a cancerous breast lump always hurt?
No.
This is an important misconception.
Breast cancer may cause no pain at all, particularly in its earlier stages.
Therefore, a painless lump should not be ignored simply because it does not hurt.
Similarly, breast pain does not automatically mean cancer. Breast pain is extremely common and has many benign causes.
What matters is whether there is a new or persistent abnormality that requires evaluation.
What breast changes should I show my doctor?
Arrange a medical examination if you notice:
A new lump in the breast
A new lump or persistent swelling in the armpit
An area becoming unusually hard or thick
A lump that persists after your menstrual period
A new change in the size or shape of one breast
Skin dimpling, puckering or pulling inward
Persistent redness or swelling
Thickening of the breast skin
Skin beginning to resemble orange peel
A nipple that has newly become inverted or pulled inward
Bloody or unexpected nipple discharge
Persistent crusting, ulceration or eczema-like changes around the nipple
Persistent pain in one particular area
Any other new breast change that concerns you
You do not need to decide by yourself whether the change is serious enough.
If something is new and persists, show it to your doctor.
Should I wait and see whether a breast lump becomes painful?
No.
Pain is not a reliable way of distinguishing cancer from a benign condition.
Some cancers are painless, while many completely benign breast conditions can be painful.
If you discover a new breast lump, particularly one that persists, arrange a medical examination rather than waiting for pain to develop.
Should I wait until after my next period?
If you notice mild generalized lumpiness or tenderness around menstruation, it may improve once your period is over.
However, if you feel a definite new lump , notice a suspicious skin or nipple change, develop bloody nipple discharge, or are otherwise concerned, you do not need to wait.
If an apparent lump remains after your menstrual period, it should be evaluated.
I feel embarrassed about having my breasts examined. Can I wait?
Please do not delay medical care because of embarrassment.
Doctors routinely examine breasts as part of medical care. For your doctor, this is simply a clinical examination—just like examining your abdomen, throat or lungs.
If you would feel more comfortable with a female doctor, you can ask whether this can be arranged.
Your comfort matters, but embarrassment should never become the reason an important symptom remains unexamined.
What are the benefits of knowing my breasts?
Breast self-awareness may help you:
Recognise a new change earlier
Describe the change more clearly to your doctor
Avoid ignoring a symptom for several months
Become more comfortable discussing breast health
Take an active role in looking after your health
Many breast abnormalities are first noticed by women themselves during normal daily activities rather than during a formal monthly examination.
That is why breast awareness is important.
You do not need to become an expert at diagnosing breast disease. You simply need to recognise when something has changed.
Does breast self-examination replace mammography?
No.
This distinction is extremely important.
Checking your own breasts and breast-cancer screening are not the same thing .
Knowing your breasts may help you recognise symptoms, but it cannot reliably detect every early breast cancer.
A cancer may sometimes be visible on mammography before it becomes large enough to feel.
Therefore, breast self-awareness should not replace age- and risk-appropriate breast-cancer screening recommended by your doctor.
Does every woman need the same breast-cancer screening?
No.
Your screening plan may depend on factors such as:
Your age
Family history
Previous breast problems
Breast density
Personal history of cancer
Known inherited genetic mutations
Previous radiation treatment involving the chest at a young age
Your overall estimated breast-cancer risk
Women at higher-than-average risk may require a different screening strategy, sometimes involving mammography and/or breast MRI at an earlier age or at different intervals.
If you have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, a known cancer-predisposition gene mutation, previous chest radiation at a young age, or another important risk factor, discuss an individual screening plan with your doctor.
What should I remember most?
You do not need to examine your breasts fearfully or search for cancer every day.
You simply need to become familiar with your own body.
Know what is normal for you.
Notice if something changes.
Do not panic if you find something—but do not ignore it either.
And remember: a breast abnormality does not have to hurt to deserve attention.
Being familiar with your breasts is nothing to feel shy or embarrassed about.
It is simply another part of taking care of your health.