How to Do a Breast Self-Examination?

Breast Self Examination (BSE) should be done once each month by women 20 years and older. The best time to do BSE is 7-10 days after the start of menses, when the breasts are least tender.

The purpose of BSE is to enable you to become familiar with the normal feel of your breast tissue so that you can recognise any abnormal changes.

BSE involves the following steps: 

1. Look for changes in front of a mirror

• First with arms at your sides

• Next with arms raised above your head

• Finally, with hands pressed firmly on hips and chest muscles contracted

In each position, turn slowly from side to side and look for:

• Change in size or shape of your breasts

• Dimpling of the skin

• Change in nipples

2. Feel for the changes lying down

• Put a small pillow under your right shoulder

• Place your right hand under your head

• Use the pulp of your left fingers to feel for any lumps or thickening in your right breast

• First feel the armpit

• Then start on the outside edge of your breast and feel round the whole breast in smaller and smaller circles

• Finally, feel behind the nipples itself

• Squeeze the nipple gently to see if there is bleeding or any discharge

3. Look for bleeding or discharge from the nipple

• Squeeze the nipple gently to see if there is bleeding or any discharge

4. Repeat step 2 and step 3 for the left breast