How to check your breasts, and which changes to report

SASian Anderson, Writer and editor, MyGLP. Sources checked 5 November 2026.

What you are checking for

Breasts change through the menstrual cycle, in pregnancy, while breastfeeding and after the menopause. The NHS guide to checking your breasts or chest says the aim is to get to know what is normal for you at each stage, so you spot anything new. You do not need to be an expert. You need to know your own body.

How to check, step by step

1. Stand in front of a mirror with your arms by your sides. Look at the shape, the skin and the nipples.
2. Raise both arms and look again, from the front and each side.
3. Feel each breast or side of your chest with the flat of your fingers in small circles. Use light pressure, then firmer pressure, without pressing hard enough to hurt.
4. Cover the whole area, up to the collarbone and into each armpit.
5. Finish by feeling around and over each nipple.

The NHS suggests doing this around once a month. Many women find the shower easier, or lying down. Breasts can look and feel different through the menstrual cycle, so if your periods are regular, check at the same point each cycle for a fairer comparison.

The changes to report

The NHS breast cancer symptoms page lists these signs:

Pain on its own is not usually a sign of breast cancer, the NHS says. The exceptions: see a GP if breast or armpit pain does not go away, or if you have pain and a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

What happens at the GP

The GP will ask about your symptoms and examine you, with a chaperone if you want one. GPs in England follow NICE guideline NG12 on suspected cancer. It says to refer you on a suspected cancer pathway if you are 30 or over with an unexplained breast lump, with or without pain, or if you are 50 or over with discharge, retraction or another change of concern in one nipple only. Skin changes and an unexplained armpit lump at 30 or over should also be considered for urgent referral. Once the decision to refer is made, NICE says the referral should go within 1 working day.

Under 30, NICE suggests a non-urgent referral for an unexplained lump. If you are under 30 and worried, say so. You are allowed to ask why a decision has been made and what would change it. Our guide to getting heard at the GP has words to use.

Breast density

Breast density describes how much glandular and fibrous tissue your breasts hold compared with fat. The NHS screening leaflet lists dense breast tissue among the things that may make breast cancer more likely.

In England you will not be told your density after routine screening. The NHS Breast Screening Programme position statement, published in October 2023, says the programme does not assess or record density at present. The UK National Screening Committee is still reviewing the evidence. Until the policy changes, the practical step is the same for everyone: keep checking between screens and report any change.

Losing weight and your breasts

If you lose a lot of weight, on a jab or any other way, the size and feel of your breasts may change. Treat a new shape as a new normal to learn. Do one slow, careful check once your weight has settled, so you know your starting point. A lump that appears while you lose weight still needs a GP visit. Do not put it down to the diet.

After surgery, and for trans and non-binary people

The same checks apply to chest tissue after breast surgery and for trans and non-binary people. The NHS guide is written for breasts or chest for this reason, and adds sores or ulcers on the chest to the list of changes to report. The NHS breast screening page says a mammogram is unlikely to be possible after top surgery, so talk to a GP about any change in your chest tissue. If you were assigned male at birth and have taken feminising hormones for more than 2 years, you can have breast screening, and should check your chest in the same way.

Screening and self-checks work together

NHS breast screening runs from 50 to your 71st birthday, every 3 years. Self-checks do not replace screening, and screening does not replace knowing your body. Our screening guide covers the ages for every NHS programme.

Who is at higher risk

If close relatives have had breast or ovarian cancer, tell your GP. Family history is one of the reasons the NHS gives for seeing a GP about breast pain, and your GP can tell you whether you need checks beyond routine screening. If you are taking HRT and worried about breast risk, our HRT in numbers guide sets out the figures.

Sources

1. Breast screening: when you'll be invited and who should go (NHS)
2. How to check your breasts or chest (NHS)
3. Symptoms of breast cancer in women (NHS)
4. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NG12) (NICE)
5. NHS breast screening: helping you decide (GOV.UK)
6. Position statement on breast density in the NHS Breast Screening Programme (GOV.UK, October 2023)