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Telling a woman that her breasts are changing because of menopause may explain the timing. It still leaves her with practical questions: What is changing? What can she care for at home? And what needs medical attention?
Breast care becomes more useful when we give each of those questions a clear answer. That is where I want this conversation to begin.
Breast changes after menopause are common, but "just aging" is only the start of the answer. What changes: glandular tissue shrinks, fatty tissue makes up more of the breast, and the skin on your breasts and chest gets thinner and drier. What daily care can do: look after that skin with gentle touch and a well-chosen oil, and help you know your normal. What needs a clinician: any change that's new to you. I'm Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS, a pelvic floor physical therapist, and in 21 years I've worked with more than 22,000 women through midlife.
Key Takeaways
What topics does this guide cover?
Glandular tissue shrinks, fatty tissue takes up more room, and the skin gets thinner and drier.
With less estrogen, the glandular tissue in your breasts shrinks, and fatty tissue makes up more of each breast.1,2 Many women notice their breasts look less full, and some describe them as softer.1
The connective tissue that supports your breasts also becomes less elastic with age, so they can sit lower, and their size and shape can change.1 If your bra no longer fits the way it did, a fresh fitting is the practical answer.
The change that matters most for daily care is your skin. Lower estrogen after menopause is linked to thinner, drier, less elastic skin, and that includes the skin on your chest and breasts.3
Collagen is part of the reason. Skin can lose up to 30% of its collagen in the first five years after menopause.3,4
When I teach breast care, this is where I start. Many women read these changes as aging, decide nothing can be done, and stop paying attention to their breasts.
The changes are real. That conclusion is the part I want to change.
Here's the whole picture in one place, including when to involve your clinician:
| What changes | Why | What daily care can support | When to see a clinician |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breasts look less full (many women say softer) | Glandular tissue shrinks and fatty tissue makes up more of the breast1 | Nothing changes the tissue itself. Knowing your normal helps. | Any change that's new to you |
| A lower shape, or a change in size | Supporting connective tissue is linked to less elasticity with age1 | A fresh bra fitting for comfort | A new change in one breast, or one you can't explain |
| Density (see the next section) | Usually falls with age, and many women stay dense2 | Touch can't change it or tell you about it | Ask what your mammogram report says |
| Thinner, drier skin on the breasts and chest | Lower estrogen is linked to thinner, drier skin and less collagen3 | Daily moisture with a well-chosen oil | A new rash, sore or skin change |
| Tenderness | Period-linked tenderness usually eases after the transition5 | Gentle touch, and stop if anything hurts | New tenderness, or tenderness after starting hormone therapy |
Density usually falls with age, but you can't feel it. Only a mammogram shows it.
Breast density describes how much glandular and fibrous tissue your breasts have compared with fatty tissue.2 It usually falls with age, and many women still have dense breasts after menopause.2,6
Density can't be felt. A radiologist sees it on a mammogram. How firm or soft your breasts feel to your hand tells you nothing about it.2
Dense breasts are common, and they aren't a disease.2 They can make a mammogram harder to read, which is why mammography providers in the US now tell women whether their breasts are dense.2
If your report mentions density, ask your clinician what it means for you and whether it changes your screening plan.
Touch can feel pleasant, an oil can ease dryness, and you learn your normal. It can't lift, firm or replace screening.
Honest expectations matter, so let me be precise. Breast massage itself has barely been studied outside breastfeeding. What we know comes from research on touch and skin in general:
Then there's my own teaching. I believe in massage as whole-body care: abdominal massage, breast massage and vaginal massage.
I also teach breast massage as a way to learn your own landscape, meaning how your breasts normally look and feel. Medical groups encourage the same habit and call it breast self-awareness.10
What daily breast care can't do, stated just as plainly:
Any breast change that's new to you belongs with your doctor or clinician.
Common, gradual changes are part of aging. A new change is different, and the guidance is simple: contact your doctor about any change you notice in your breasts.11
Tenderness shows the difference well. The kind tied to your periods usually eases once you're through the menopause transition.5
For some women, hormone therapy can bring breast tenderness back.12 If that's you, it's a question for the clinician who prescribes it.
Your mammogram stays part of the plan. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends a mammogram every two years for women 40 to 74.13
A note from me: please contact your doctor or clinician about any breast change that's new to you, for example a change on one side, or one that doesn't settle. The daily care I teach is self-care. It adds to your screening and never replaces it.
Your clinician and your daily care work together. Your clinician looks at what's new, and your daily care is how you look after your body in between.
Daily moisture, a barrier-friendly oil, light gliding touch, and a patch test first.
Thinner, drier skin needs gentle, consistent care. That's the part of breast care that's yours every day.
My full routine takes about five minutes. This one-minute starter is a shorter adaptation of it, for the days you want to begin simply.
Skip it after recent breast surgery or treatment unless your doctor says it's fine.
This routine puts an oil on thinner, drier skin every single day. That makes the oil itself a real decision.
Name every ingredient, avoid synthetic ingredients, look for glide, and patch test. I created B-Healthy to meet that standard.
When I teach breast care, I give women the same short checklist for any oil they put on their breasts:
When I created B-Healthy, I wanted an oil that met my own standard for breast care, so I made it to meet that checklist:
That's the reason to choose it: you know everything that's in it, and nothing is in it I'd have to explain.
It's a clean blend, meaning nine ingredients and nothing else. Four are nourishing ingredients: grapeseed oil, primrose oil, rosehip oil and vitamin E. Five are essential oils: frankincense oil, yuzu oil, Bulgarian rose oil, pine needle oil and geranium oil.
You can see the full product details on the B-Healthy page.
B-Healthy, in short:
Use code BHEALTHY for 10% off a one-time order, through Sunday, October 25, at 11:59 PM ET.
Or choose Subscribe & Save for 20% off every order, so your daily care isn't interrupted. The code and Subscribe & Save don't combine, so choose the one that suits you.
"I can't sing enough praises for this oil—it not only feels incredible but also boasts an enchanting scent (and trust me, I'm quite particular about fragrances). It beckons you to indulge in a little extra self-care time."
Maria L. Maria was in Isa's 2023 pre-launch test group and received B-Healthy free to try.
60-Day Money-Back Guarantee. No questions asked.
Q: What's in B-Healthy?
A: Nine ingredients: four nourishing ingredients (grapeseed oil, primrose oil, rosehip oil and vitamin E) and five essential oils (frankincense oil, yuzu oil, Bulgarian rose oil, pine needle oil and geranium oil). It has no synthetic ingredients, no preservative and no added base oil.
Q: What does B-Healthy feel like on the skin?
A: It's a little thick until you warm it in your palms, and then it glides. To me, it has a beautiful, gorgeous scent.
Q: How do I use B-Healthy, and how often?
A: Use a few drops as directed on the label. Here's how I use it: I try to use it every day. Use it in the shower. My one-minute starter takes about a minute and my full routine about five, which is my routine rather than a studied dose.
Q: Is B-Healthy right for me if I'm sensitive to fragrance or essential oils?
A: B-Healthy contains five essential oils, and essential oils can irritate sensitive skin. Patch test on your inner arm first and skip it on broken, red or irritated skin. If you've reacted to fragrance or essential oils before, check with your clinician before you use it.
Q: What does the 60-day guarantee cover?
A: B-Healthy comes with a 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee. No questions asked. If it isn't right for you within 60 days, contact our team for your money back.
Q: Can I massage my breasts if I have implants?
A: Check with your surgeon or doctor first, since they know your implants and any scars. With their okay, keep the touch light and gliding, and stop if anything hurts.
Q: Is a breast massage the same as a breast self-exam?
A: No. A breast massage with oil is not a breast self-exam, and it is not a clinical breast exam. It doesn't check for anything. It's self-care that helps you know how your breasts normally look and feel, which medical groups call breast self-awareness, and anything new goes to your clinician.
Learn more about the author, Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS, at isaherrera.com.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your qualified healthcare provider about your individual symptoms and before making changes to your care.
Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS is a licensed physical therapist, international best-selling author, and a leading pelvic floor and women's health specialist.
She holds a BA in Psychology and Biology from Fordham University and a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Hunter College.
Over the course of her career, Isa has helped more than 21,000 women heal from pelvic floor dysfunction, vaginal pain, incontinence, and intimacy challenges.
She pioneered integrative modalities including Maya Abdominal Massage, Low Level Laser Therapy, Sound Healing, and Andean Energy Techniques at Renew Physical Therapy, her NYC-based healing center, where she has practiced since 2005.
Isa is the author of five books on pelvic health, including the international best seller Female Pelvic Alchemy and Ending Female Pain: A Woman's Manual.
She is the founder of PelvicPainRelief.com, an online school dedicated to helping women and health professionals access evence-based pelvic floor education.
