It’s not until puberty that the external signs of growth of the breast appear. Breasts begin to develop when a girl hits puberty; typically between the age of 8 and 14. And This is when breast development starts to happen.
The mammary glands begin to form when menstruation begins. The fatty tissues begin to accumulate which gradually gives the breasts their shape and size. And this process may continue until the age of 18 years. By this time, the breasts have typically developed to finality, also depending upon the weight and height of the woman.
However, there are changes in the breasts throughout a girl’s life, menopause, pregnancy, lactating, for instance. On a monthly basis, during menstruation, the breast size tends to undergo changes, like swollen or enlarged boobs. Their breasts may become tender or even painful during menstruation.
The girl may take over-the-counter medication to manage the pain. Breast tissue returns to its normal size after the period ends.
This happens because the increased level of estrogen and progesterone triggers the milk ducts to develop. This is the reason why women have bigger boobs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And in the case of menstruation, when the pregnancy does not happen, the boobs will go back to their normal size.
The mammary glands may shrink at the age of 35-40 years if a woman does not have a child and the boobs may appear smaller, depending upon the height and weight of the woman.
It’s not necessary for breasts to grow exponentially during pregnancy in every woman’s case. Some may have minimal growth as well. Often the breasts will restore to their pre-pregnancy size but it so happens in some cases that the breasts remain the same size as in pregnancy for a long time.
Now breast appearance can be a cause of self-consciousness or lack of confidence in many teenage girls. Some may feel their chest is too small or too big, some may feel conscious because of the unevenness.
If this continues into adulthood, many women go for surgical means to fix the ‘odd’ breast size issue. For small breasts, women go for breast augmentation. For big breasts, women opt for breast reduction surgery.
However, transgenders undergo hormone therapy for breast enlargement to reaffirm their femininity and make them combat gender dysphoria. It helps them feel confident in their body.
Also, read- Hormone therapy for Transgender: Breast Enlargement
So, a straight answer to the question ‘When do breasts stop growing’ is by the age of 18, but the breasts undergo changes throughout a woman’s life, beginning from puberty to menopause.
