Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : October 4, 2017 10:42 AM IST
Breast development is one of the most visible signs of puberty in girls. Some develop breasts as early as eight years and in some, there is a delayed development. However, as the estrogen hormone is secreted, it starts to signal the body to store fat tissues in the chest area which leads to the breast development. It is a continuous process and doesn t happen in a couple of days. In fact, the process starts in the womb and continues till adulthood. But during puberty, the changes are felt and observed the most. There are five stages of breast development girls have to go through before they attain full shape and size of the breast. Here are eight signs of puberty in girls that every parent needs to know.
Stage I
The first stage of development is the preadolescent stage where the nipples or papilla starts to get elevated from the chest level. However, breast tissues are not formed at this time. So, the breast is still flat with the nipples just come out visibly. This can happen anywhere between age 8 to 13 depending on the genetic make-up of the person.
Stage II
In the second stage of breast development, milk ducts and fat tissues are formed which makes the breasts to slightly rise above the nipple area. This stage involves the formation of the breast bud which elevates the nipples as well as develops a small mound of breast tissue along with enlargement of the diameter of the areola. The average age of girls at this time might be around 11 years.
Stage III
The third stage of breast development is actually a continuation of the second stage where the breasts keep growing in size and so does the areola. There is still no contouring of the breasts which means they lack the round shape of the fully matured breasts and are usually conical in shape. The areola appears to look darker and puffier. On an average, a girl reaches this phase at around 12.5 years of age.
Stage IV
The fourth stage is the transitory stage between the third and fifth stage where the breasts and areola continue to grow along with the nipples. As the nipples and areola start to project out, it completes the fourth stage of development. It is during this time when a girl also faces hormonal changes and experiences her first period. As the body starts secreting estrogen fat tissues get deposited in the breast area making it grow further. While estrogen initiates fat storage in the breast area, progesterone another hormone which is secreted during menstruation leads to the development of milk glands in the milk ducts. On an average, a girl might be 13 or 14 years when she reaches this stage.
Stage V
It takes around four to five years to reach this stage on an average from stage I. This stage is marked with proper contouring of breasts and it starts to look more mature with the areola covering the tip of the breasts and the nipples getting erect. The breasts still keep growing and give the womanly curves that are unique to every girl. While this stage might make one's breasts look fully mature but they grow and change in shape once again during pregnancy triggered by the hormonal changes that happen during that phase.
What to watch out for:
Every girl grows at her own pace, but what one should know that if the first stage of breast development doesn t happen at age 14, it is better to go to a doctor to get checked.
Reference:
Javed, A., & Lteif, A. (2013, February). Development of the human breast. In Seminars in plastic surgery (Vol. 27, No. 01, pp. 005-012). Thieme Medical Publishers.
Image source: Shutterstock
