Why wear a bra? No-one needs to wear a bra, but bras protect and support breasts, they help to make you feel comfortable when you are dashing around doing sport, they can help a girl feel good by giving a shape that she likes to her body and they can make a girl feel less self conscious when wearing tee shirts around those 'immature' boys in her class or friendship group. Boys can be such a pain sometimes, twanging bra straps and making silly comments - can't they? So what kind of first bra will you buy? Sports bras are a great first bra because they are comfortable, they don't dig in anywhere and they hold the breast firmly.

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Breast development happens in certain stages during a woman's life: first before birth, again at puberty, and later during the childbearing years. This starts with a thickening in the chest area called the mammary ridge or milk line. By the time a baby girl is born, nipples and the beginnings of the milk-duct system have formed.
What is normal breast development?
Karen is 18 years old and presents because she is concerned about the small size of her breasts. She says that her breasts started to develop in her first year at high school but then seemed to stop growing, although she started menstruating at the age of 13 years and has had regular periods ever since. Her breasts show minimal development, with budding equivalent to Tanner Stage 2 of puberty. Karen has no other health concerns and is fit and active. Skip to main content. Clinical case review.
There is evidence of early puberty leading to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer — particularly breast cancer. Until now, unfortunately, scientists have poorly understood the processes that make some girls develop younger than others. But new findings from our research at the University of Glasgow solve a large part of the mystery and could have important health implications as a result. It is usual for girls to develop breasts around the age of ten, though plenty start earlier or later and this is often seen as normal and harmless.