None of us is perfectly symmetrical. Unfortunately, especially for girls growing up in our culture, we spend an inordinate amount of time emulating the seemingly perfect bisymmetry of people like Jessica Simpson, Tyra Banks, and, of course, Barbie. But unless you’re made out of extruded plastic in a mold in some factory in Malaysia, there are probably slight variances between one side of yourself and the other, whether it’s your ears, big toes, or even breasts. And this is especially true when your body is developing during puberty.
The development of breast “buds” (small mounds beneath the nipple and areola) is usually the first sign of the onset of puberty in girls. As your body begins producing higher levels of female hormones, your breasts will go through five “stages” of growth. It is not uncommon for one breast to start growing before the other (sometimes even six months apart) and many girls’ breasts develop unevenly. But this is perfectly normal. And the difference in breast size usually decreases as your breasts develop. Your breasts will reach full maturity by the age of seventeen or eighteen, and their final size is determined by heredity.
Instead of becoming self-conscious and getting all freaked out about things other people probably don’t even notice, you might try ridiculing the bodies of famous people. Making fun of the physical imperfections of celebrities is not only a constructive and enjoyable way to sublimate your own body dysmorphia, but it’s the new national pastime.
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"Why is one of my breasts growing faster than the other?" was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 8:52 pm.