How To Perform A
Breast Self-Exam
Did you know that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime?
That’s a shocking statistic. But taking care of your breast health doesn’t have to be hard, as long as you have healthy habits and access to trusted information.
Today, we want to encourage you to be more proactive and take action in the fight against breast cancer.
Becoming familiar with your breasts will help you to identify lumps or any physical changes. It's especially important that you perform a self-check exam once a month. We understand that because of the demands of everyday life, it is easy to forget; however, an early detection plan, as simple as checking yourself monthly, could easily save your life.
How should a Breast Self-Exam be performed?
IN THE SHOWER
Put light, medium, and firm pressure on the entire breast and armpit area with the pads/flats of your 3 middle fingers.
Each month, feel both breasts for lumps, thickening, hardened knots, or any other changes.
IN FRONT OF A MIRROR
With your arms at your sides, examine your breasts visually. The next step is to raise your arms high in the air. Check the contour of the breast, the skin for any swelling or dimpling, or the nipples for any changes. Press firmly on your chest muscles while resting your palms on your hips.
There is a very high chance that the left and right breasts will not exactly match- few women's breasts will match exactly, so look for any dimpling, puckering, or changes in one breast in particular.
LYING DOWN
With the pads/flats of your 3 middle fingers, check the entire breast and armpit area pressing down with light, medium, and firm pressure. Check both breasts each month feeling for any lump, thickening, hardened knot, or any other breast changes. Use light, medium, and firm pressure. Squeeze the nipple; check for discharge and lumps.
Repeat these steps for your left breast.