[John Chapman (OP)]

This is Juliet, my ex-wife. I’m sure you all agree that every inch her dainty, alluring form just oozes feminine beauty. Oooh, the foxy minx. Such a deep, husky voice. And my present wife is even prettier.

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Juliet always thought she might look even more stunning if she had a boob job so she thought about getting those little bags of silicon gel inserted to give her perfect breasts.


This is Neil. He also wants to look more feminine which is unfortunate because, unlike the bewitching Juliet, he is clearly a bloke.
 
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If he wants boobs the doctor will simply give him hormone tablets. And no doubt they would work.

So my question is this. If women want bigger boobs why don’t doctors give them hormone tablets too? And while don’t women get bigger boobs when they take the contraceptive pill, which is basically a mixture of oestrogen and progestogen?



The picture below is apparently of some woman having extra saline solution injected into her implants.
 
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Ouch! I bet she wishes she could have just taken a course of tablets.
 

[Variola]

I believe the hormone tablets work on promoting the growth of the adipose tissue in the breast, similar as to what happens to women during pregnancy. As our adipose tissue has already gone through the development during puberty, hormone tablets would have little to no effect on us. I also believe the level of hormone required to stimulate breast growth is much higher than required to stop ovulation in the pill.

I am not 100% sure of this though, someone esle might have a better explanation.  []

[John Chapman (OP)]

Hi Variola

Why would you only get one bite of the cherry, as it were, when it comes the breast development? Women’s boobs get larger quite early during pregnancy - long before actual milk production, anyway. So I am assuming that there must be an ongoing hormonal influence on breast size. I think it is the oestrogen, rather than the progesterone, that results in breast growth.

Another thing that has always puzzled me is why the size of breasts vary so much between women. You would think that there is a strong evolutionary mechanism to ensure that breasts (and therefore the ability to nourish progeny) are always the optimum size. After all, you don’t get huge variation in the size of eyes, for instance. So why breasts?. I am assuming that women with small breasts don’t produce significantly less progestogens as these hormones are vital for other functions, such as controlling the menstrual cycle, and might have an impact on fertility.

I wonder if transgender male-to-female patients who are given endocrine treatment to induce breast growth have the same variation in boob size. It would be a real bummer to finally take the step of growing breasts only to discover that you are naturally flat chested!
 

[Variola]

Hello John  []

I think it is the oestrogen, rather than the progesterone, that results in breast growth.

Why would you only get one bite of the cherry, as it were, when it comes the breast development? Women’s boobs get larger quite early during pregnancy - long before actual milk production, anyway. So I am assuming that there must be an ongoing hormonal influence on breast size

Indirectly is is actually both, although breast cells do have an oestrogen receptor, through negative feedback systems the level of progesterone does affect oestrogen levels  as a regulatory mechanism, and vice versa.
But both hormones are present in the pill ( combined that is) but in very low doses compared to the amount present in pregnancy and (I suspect) in the hormone pills designed to promote breast development in men. Breasts grow early on in pregnancy in readiness for the swelling and changes in the mammary glands that happens with milk production. The body also lays down extra fat in the body during pregnancy and some of that is stored in the breasts too,in evolutionary terms its laid down in case of possible starvation, and to help with the supply of breast milk, which takes extra calories.

Another thing that has always puzzled me is why the size of breasts vary so much between women. You would think that there is a strong evolutionary mechanism to ensure that breasts (and therefore the ability to nourish progeny) are always the optimum size. After all, you don’t get huge variation in the size of eyes, for instance. So why breasts?. I am assuming that women with small breasts don’t produce significantly less progestogens as these hormones are vital for other functions, such as controlling the menstrual cycle, and might have an impact on fertility.

The size of mammary glands and therefore the ability to produce milk is not dependent on size at all, women with smaller breasts can produce a more than adequate supply of milk  []In fact is it actually beneficial and easier to have smaller breasts when breastfeeding, as someone who sports 38F bazookas I can attest to the difficulties trying to breastfeed a baby without smothering them!!!  []

I wonder if transgender male-to-female patients who are given endocrine treatment to induce breast growth have the same variation in boob size. It would be a real bummer to finally take the step of growing breasts only to discover that you are naturally flat chested!
 

I'm wondering that too, genetics plays a role in breast size so at a guess I imagine it would influence men's breast size too.

[John Chapman (OP)]

Thanks for that Variola.

So women with large breasts don't necessarily produce more milk than women with small breasts. That's interesting. I always assumed it was just a matter of 'vessel capacity'.

But still, the fact that women's boobs get larger in preparation for child rearing, and that the mechanism for controlling this is hormonal, still makes me wonder why cosmetic surgeons can't prescribe drugs for breast augmentation. Although, since boobs settle back to more or less their original size following birth (if not breastfeeding) then that suggests that the hormonal breast augmentation might only be temporary. I could become a millionaire if I could market temporary breast enlargement in a pill.

Do transgenders have to take hormones for life to avoid losing their breasts? Presumably women can't be made to reduce their breast size by messing about with their hormones? If so then that could make me my second million!
 

[Im a Geek on the Edge]

Breast uppers and downers. Now there's a thought! []

[JnA]

I reckon there's some other side effects of increasing hormones than just breast enlargement.

[Bored chemist]

My guess is that since drug induced gynacomastia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynaecomastia
and eostrogen blocking drugs eg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamoxifen
exist you could make those pills, but the side effects would make them unusable.

[RD]

I didn't know Frank (from "Shameless") was a cross-dresser  [] ...

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[John Chapman (OP)]

What? The exotic Juliet a cross-dresser? Surely you jest!
 

[John Chapman (OP)]

Thanks for the pointers, Bored Chemist. When the patents come through I’ll send you a complimentary course of tablets.
 

[Bored chemist]

Thanks,
PM me and I will be sure to send you someone else's address.

[John Chapman (OP)]

Actually, I'm amazed no-one has commented that the guy in the second photo, with the wooley fleece of hair, is called Neil! []
 

[marksimon]

No,Don,t believe only this. May be side effects

[marksimon]

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