Breast Asymmetry Can Cause Mental Health Issues In Young Women

Being a teenager can be tough. Many struggle with insecurities as they move on and into adulthood. Yet the teenager years can be particularly daunting for young women, especially when it comes to body maturity.

Recent findings published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reveal that many are often insecure about asymmetrical or overlarge breasts, suffering from poor mental and emotional health due to the problem.

For the study, researchers examined 59 teenagers with breast asymmetry between the ages of 12 and 21. They found that girls and young women scored substantially lower on social and emotional well-being compared to teenagers without breast asymmetry.

Findings showed that young women with macromastia, in which breasts are enlarged, had scores similar to study participants with with asymmetry. Unfortunately, many negative outcomes were linked to eating problems in adolescence and young women with breast asymmetry.

"These findings suggest that patients suffering from breast asymmetry have poorer emotional well-being and lower self-esteem than their female peers. The observed impaired psychological well-being of adolescents with breast asymmetry may indicate the need for early intervention to minimize negative outcomes," researchers wrote, according to a press release.

Researchers noted that surgical intervention for breast symmetry issue is only an option when nutritional change and weight management have failed. Typically, those can solve the problem.