Breast Development & Hormones

QUESTION: Dr Hansen, I'm Jenny, I'm 20+ female. I'm really short and skinny that
no one believe me if I said born on 83. I look like a 10 years old girl. I don't have breast that I have really flat breast. Can you tell me what caused this and how can I increase the size of my breast by naturally? I heard that I can increase it by massaging my breast in order to make it bigger. Is it true? can Ido that? Can you please answer my question as soon as possilbe! Thank You, Jenny

ANSWER: Dear Jenny,

I hope that I can help you. It is possible that your short and thin frame,
as well as your underdeveloped breasts may be due to a pituitary problem.
The pituitary gland is responsible for the production of Growth Hormone,
Androgens and Female Sex Hormones.

The first thing that I would recommend for you is that you get your Growth
Hormone, Androgens and Female Sex Hormones tested.

You can test these hormones at home via a simple saliva test. For your
condition I would recommend testing IGF-1(the marker for Growth Hormone),
Estradiol (Estrogen), Testosterone and Di-Hydro-Testosterone (DHT).
Unfortunately, there is not a specific hormone panel that tests all of these
together. However, they can be ordered individually if you request them.

Breast massage may help stimulate the pituitary and the release of the hormones necessry for breast development. It would be worth trying twice daily for 6-12 weeks to see if it will prove beneficial.

Additionally, I do know quite a bit about breast enhancement pills on the
supplement market. They do work for a certain number of women, especially
women who are either estrogen deficient or who have an androgen excess.
There are two main types of breast augmentation products that are available.

The first product is an herbal combination that was formulted to treat infertility and other menstrual disorders. It was discovered serendipitously
that this formula also caused a certain percentage of the women who used it to develop an increased breast size. This formula known as Grobust consists of the following herbs: Saw Palmetto, Dong Quai, Wild Yam, Damiana, Blessed Thistle, Dandelion Root, Red Raspberry. The Grobust formula has been copied by many other companies since that time, although all of the formulas vary in the amounts of the individual herbs.

The second type of breast augmentation product contains bovine ovary tissue. This product goes by the name of WonderBreast. It claims to be 95% effective.

There is good research that the Saw Palmetto blocks the androgen Di-HydroTestosterone (DHT) in men and women. This is an undesireable metabolite of Testosterone. Too much DHT in men can cause acne, prostate disease and male pattern baldness. Too much DHT in women can cause acne and underdeveloopment of the breasts.

My concern about all of the breast enhacement products is that they have not been sufficiently studied to determine how they effect estrogen levels. Breast development is determined principally by estrogen, progesterone and the level of estrogens to androgens. If the herbs stimulate too much estradiol, or if the bovine ovary tissue actually contains estradiol, these products could increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

For this reason, I recommend that any women desiring to use any of these products should test her Growth Hormone (IGF-1), Estradiol (Estrogen), Testosterone, and DHT levels before starting and at monthly intervals during use of any breast augmentation product to make sure that the estrogen levels do not exceed healthy limits and that the other hormones are not imbalanced. To learn about how to test your hormones, please go to the following links: Female and Male Hormone Profiles:

I do not sell any of the breast enhancement products, but believe that they have scientific merit. If you decide to use any of them, please let me know how you do.

Best in health,
Dr. Hansen