This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Buffalo chapter.
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month is coming to an end, I wanted to highlight the importance of checking your breasts every month. It is crucial that both women and men check themselves and know their bodies to possibly prevent any issues with breast cancer.
- Step 1: Place both hands behind your head and look for visual abnormalities. Do you see any lumps? Do you see any redness? If there are no problems that you can see with your own eyes – move to step 2.
- Step 2: Keep one hand behind your head. Use the pads of all your fingers on the other hand to check each breast. Check for any lumps, sensitive spots, and more. You want to make sure you are doing this in a circular motion and in an up and down pattern. Move to step 3 if you do not see any issues on both of your breasts.
- Step 3: Check the nipples for any abnormalities. Check for nipple deformation, color change, or if your nipples are leaking. If not then you’re all set.
Complete these steps monthly, and if you are a woman – you want to do this when you are not going through your menstrual cycle. If there are any issues – don’t hesitate to see the doctor for further examination!