Small breast or tubular? (photos)

Question

Hi im 24 years old. Im 5'6 and weigh 156 Ibs. Ive recently been diagnosed with PCOS. Ive always felt i had odd shaped breast in comparison with Girls my age growing up...who seemed to have full round shaped breast even when small. Ive been measure to wear 36C at victoria secret but even then ive never filled im my bras just right because of my odd mild cone shape. Ive learned pcos can affect breast development and cause them to be tubular. Are my breasts tubular or just small for someone my size?

Marshall T. Partington, MD, FACS · Answer

Judging from the photographs you look to have well formed small to moderate
sized breasts. Tubular breast deformity has been overemphasized and is not as
common as women think.

Kenneth Dembny, II, MD · Answer

Your photographs show that you have a mild tubular or constricted breast shape.  As you have stated, this is evident because of the absence of a fuller and more rounded shape, especially in the inferior portion of the breast.  Your shape would probably fall under the type II classificatio

Typical features of a constricted or tuberous breast include:

A      constricted breast base (the breast occupies less pain on the chest wall)

A      smaller amount of breast tissue

A      deficient skin envelope

Wider      spacing between the breasts

An      abnormally elevated position of the inframammary fold

An      enlarged areolar diameter, when compared to the overall breast size

A "puffy"      nipple areolar complex

A more      cylindrical, pointed, or conical breast shape

Breast probably exhibit all of these features to a mild degree.

The size and shape of a constricted or tuberous breast can usually be improved with breast augmentation.  The highly cohesive anatomically shaped silicone gel implants usually work very nicely with this type of breast constricted shape.  The shape of the implant integrates nicely with the shape of the breast to produce quite a  natural appearance, with a sloping upper pole and good projection.  A breast lift is sometimes needed to improve or elevate the nipple position and/or the overall shape of the breast.  This can generally be performed in a manner that leaves just a circular scar around the margin of the nipple-areolar complex.

If you are interested in improving the shape of the breasts, be sure to see an experience board certified plastic surgeon.  Best wishes.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. You do not appear to have the classic definition of a tuberous breast.  Based on your pictures, you are a great candidate for a breast augmentation, if that is what you desire.  The size of the implant is based on your desired
breast size/shape, your chest wall measurements, and soft tissue
quality.  This decision should be based on a detailed discussion
with equal input from both you and your surgeon.  This entire surgery can be performed with a
small incision technique.  Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most important aspect is to find a
surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation with a
qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD · Answer

Thank you very much for sharing your concerns with us.After having analyzed all the information and photos provided to us, i can identify that you have a underveloped and mild tubular Breast. I recommend you perform a Tubular Breasts Correction with Breast Augmentation using silicon implants, at the same surgical time.There is a surgical technique for Tuberous Breasts correction, by which it is arranged the tuberous areolar ring from inside, without requiring areolar reduction. In this technique we also need silicon implants, to get a better Breast volume and projection.Therefore it is very important that the plastic surgeon who will perform the surgery, has the skills and vast experience in this type of procedure.Respectfully,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS · Answer

I appreciate your question.

From your photos, you do appear to have characteristics of Tuberous breasts.

Constricted or tubular breasts tend to be too narrow with a breast crease that is too high. Tight ring-like bands of tissue around the areolae and nipples may create the appearance of protruding or puffy areolae. A higher than normal breast crease may make your nipples appear to be too low or down pointing. Constricted breast features can be very mild or severe. In fact, mild variations are relatively common. To summarize, the features can include:

Inframammary fold (breast crease) too high         Inframammary fold misshapen         Breasts too narrow (disproportionately narrow base width)         Insufficient breast skin         Constricted or tubular shape, resulting from tight bands of tissue within breasts         Protruding or bulging appearance of areolae (pigmented area around nipples)Improvement is possible and generally includes a breast augmentation, sometimes combined with a lift (mastopexy). The lift is usually limited to an incision around the areolae. During the procedure, I release the tight, constricting bands from the inside, allowing the skin to expand properly. I also lower the inframammary fold to a more ideal position and improve its shape. Breast implants help create the right amount of volume and improve breast contours, resulting in a more rounded or tear drop shape.

The best way to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam.

Please see a board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative plastic surgery.

best of luck!Dr. Schwartz

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

#RealSelf100Surgeon

#RealSelfCORESurgeon

Deborah Sillins, MD · Answer

From your photos it appears you display a constricted breast. It appears the distance from the bottom of the areola  to the fold is short . It also appears the shape of your breast is more on the tubular side than rounded. An in person exam is more helpful than photos at times

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

You have small breasts. They do not appear tuberous. Best of luck with your decision to move forward.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

We get many of these questions concerning a tuberous breast, and strictly speaking your breast does have a tight fold and your chest is slightly wide, though not quite tuberous. There are many different breast shapes and you are correct in that PCO does tend to an wider chest and breast spacing and smaller breast size. Breast augmentation can help as it will expand the breast and push the breast fold lower, and a moderate profile implant might also improve the spacing. A board certified plastic surgeon can start you in the right direction.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question and pictures. Semantics can sometimes be more confusing than helpful; not be surprised if you receive different opinions here.

I think your breast photos do demonstrate some characteristics seen with tubular (constricted) breasts. For example, the distance from the areola to inframammary folds seems to be tight and relatively short. The areola do demonstrate some features associated with tubular breast such as an increased width (and “puffiness”?).

You will benefit from an in-person consultation with well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons. This consultation will allow for accurate advice that is best provided after a thorough history, physical examination, and detailed discussion of your goals. There are a lot of factors to consider when making recommendations; for example your life circumstances ( planned pregnancies, psychosocial situation…) and tolerance for scars are factors that should be taken into consideration by you and your plastic surgeon.

Based on your photographs and description of concerns, it is likely that you will benefit from breast augmentation plus/minus areola reduction/lifting surgery (to improve any "puffy" areola and/or nipple/areola position concerns).

The good news:  in our practice, some of our happiest patients have been patients who have started out with constricted/tuberous breasts. I hope this, and the attached link (dedicated to corrective surgery for patients with tuberous/constricted breasts) helps. Best wishes.

Douglas Leppink, MD · Answer

There are degrees of Tubular Breast deformity, and the definition refers to the tightness of the breast ligaments around the breast gland. There is a system of ligaments (Cooper's Ligaments) which are integrated into the breast gland itself, and support and shape the breast gland. If the ligaments are tight in certain areas of the breast then there can be changes in the shape of the breast gland that the ligaments support. For example, if the ligaments are tight around the areola and nipple, then the areola may look "pointy" and bulge outward away from the rest of the breast. There are degrees of tightness and thus degrees of tuberous breast deformity. While the ligaments are necessary for support of the breast gland (and also the implant if a Breast Augmentation is performed) careful release of the ligaments or stretching of the ligaments can allow for shape changes in the breast to create a fuller round looking breast. Please seek a consultation with a board-certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in Breast Augmentation to discuss your concerns regarding your breast shape and size.

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