Natalie Di-Pede had not expected to have to deal with having two breasts of different sizes.
When the 32-year-old was a teenager, she observed "quite a big difference" between them, which "really affected" her mentally and emotionally.
Ms. Di-Pede, from Wimborne, Dorset, has joined other women to share their stories about the issue in an effort to raise awareness.
When one breast differs in size, volume, position, or form from the other, it is said to have breast asymmetry.
Hormones, menopause, and cancer surgeries are just a few of the possible causes.
Ms. Di-Pede's asymmetrical breasts were caused by Poland Syndrome, a condition marked by an absent or underdeveloped chest muscle on one side of the body.
"I was greatly impacted. I would dress in a certain way so that my chest was sort of covered. The student nurse said, "I'd hold myself differently.
At the University of Portsmouth, Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, the director of a breast health research group, is examining what can be done to prevent breast asymmetry from causing other problems like back or neck pain and to alleviate the embarrassment some women experience.
". If we could spread the word that up to 94 percent of women have one breast that is bigger than the other, maybe that will help to normalize the situation and make it less of a taboo subject, she said.
Before speaking to others, Kate Taylor, 38, also from Wimborne, initially believed that breast asymmetry was "just unique" to her.
Women frequently believe they are the only ones dealing with this issue because it isn't well discussed, she said.
The issue then sort of gets worse because they become reluctant to speak up because they believe something is off, and it just gets worse from there. ".
Women with asymmetrical breasts struggled to find bras that fit, according to Ms. Taylor's "resounding feedback" from them.
As a result of these discussions, she founded a business and created the "bra balancer," a silicone breast prosthetic designed specifically for breast asymmetry.
Nobody is really paying attention to anyone else's body, Ms. Di-Pede also wanted to emphasize to women.
"People frequently obsess over other people's perceptions of them and their thoughts. " .
She continued, however, "Everyone else is feeling self-conscious when you are feeling self-conscious.
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