Your breasts are, primarily, glands that produce milk intended to feed a baby if you give birth. The breast consists of lobes and lobules, which contain many tiny glands that produce milk that travels through ducts toward the nipple.

As you age, your breasts will change due to lower levels of the hormone estrogen. The most obvious of these changes is the loss of tissue and subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin). You may notice the following changes in your breasts as you age:

• A loss of fullness in the breast
• Sagging and flattening of the breast
• Decrease in the size of the areola (area surrounding the nipple)
• Slightly inverted nipples
• Replacement of milk-producing glands with fat
• Loss of hair around the nipple.

Click below to read about related topics.

Introduction
Your Breasts
Breast Cancer Basics
The Breast Self-Exam
The Clinical Breast Exam
Mammogram
Breast Cancer Treatment
Other Breast Problems