Women’s bodies undergo a ton of changes during pregnancy. One of those changes is that the veins in the breast become more prominent. This is because they are transporting blood, nutrients and oxygen to the developing fetus. This typically goes away after giving birth, but it may persist if you are breastfeeding.
Weight Gain
Veins are all over our bodies, but when you gain weight, they can become more pronounced in certain areas, such as the breasts. They’re also more visible when you sweat, so if you’ve noticed a sudden appearance of veiny boobs after working up a sweat, that could be the reason for it.
Another time you may notice them more pronounced is when your body undergoes hormonal changes. For instance, when you’re menstruating or taking a new type of birth control pill, your hormone levels fluctuate and make the blood vessels in your skin more noticeable.
In early pregnancy, the veins in your breasts are more pronounced because they’re transporting blood, nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby. These prominent veins usually fade after you give birth, but can persist if you’re breastfeeding.
Visible veins in your breasts are not a sign of anything serious, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on them and calling your doctor if you have any concerns. That way, if there’s a problem, you can get it taken care of before it gets any worse. And, as you probably already know, a good bra is the best way to keep those beautiful boobs looking perky.
Hormone Changes
Hormones are complex and powerful chemicals. When they go out of balance, the results can be pretty scary. Breast veins can be a sign of a hormonal imbalance, especially when they appear paired with other symptoms such as a painful lump or a fever.
During pregnancy, visible veins can also occur because the blood volume in your breasts increases by 20 to 40 percent during the first trimester. This is because your body is rushing blood, oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus.
This is why it’s important to keep a close eye on your breasts during this time. If you notice a change, it’s best to talk to your doctor.
In the most serious cases, it could be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer or Mondor’s disease. Depending on the cause, there are treatments available that can help reduce or eliminate these visible veins.
Visible boob veins are not a health risk, but they do make some women feel self-conscious about their appearance. If you notice a noticeable increase in your breast veins, it’s best to contact your doctor. You may want to consider a treatment like endovenous laser therapy or sclerotherapy that will help to shrink the veins and make them less visible.
Pregnancy
In most cases, when a woman starts to sport blue or purple veins in her breasts, it’s nothing to be alarmed over. This change in appearance is most likely due to pregnancy and should go away after the baby is born. Visible breast veins are very common in the first trimester, particularly if the fetus is growing quickly. This is because the fetus requires large amounts of blood, oxygen, and nutrients, so the veins in the breasts enlarge to accommodate this increased volume of blood.
However, it is important to know that visible veins in the breasts can also be a sign of a serious medical issue like breast cancer, which is why it’s always a good idea to see a doctor if you have new or increasing purple streaks in your boobs. It’s also a good idea to get regular breast exams while you’re preggers, even after the baby is born.
The best way to reduce the appearance of your breast veins is to wear a supportive bra and exercise regularly so that the blood can continue to flow properly. If you still find that your boobs are displaying noticeable veins, there are treatments available, including laser therapy and sclerotherapy, that can help shrink or destroy these veins, and sometimes they can be permanently eliminated with radiofrequency ablation, which involves heating up the area and targeting specific veins to collapse them.