how to use
Luminous

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Step 1: Visual Inspection in Front of a Mirror

• Look for symmetry (it’s normal for one breast to be slightly larger).
• Note skin changes: dimpling, puckering, redness, rashes, or swelling.
• Check for changes in nipple position, inversion, or discharge.

• Look for any change in contour, swelling, or skin texture.

• This can reveal subtle contour changes.

Step 2: Physical Palpation While Standing or Sitting

This is easiest to do in the shower, as wet, soapy skin allows your fingers to glide more smoothly.

• Use the pads of your three middle fingers, not the tips. Apply three levels of pressure:

  • Light: to feel tissue closest to the skin.

  • Medium: for tissue in the middle.

  • Firm: for deep tissue near the chest wall.

• Palpation Patterns:

  • Vertical Strip: Move your fingers up and down in vertical strips from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage. This is the method most experts recommend.

  • Circular: Start at the outer edge of your breast and move inward in small circles toward the nipple.

• Don’t Forget:

  • The upper outer quadrant (towards the armpit), a common area for breast cancer.

  • The area under the nipple, by gently squeezing to check for discharge.

Step 3: Physical Palpation While Lying Down

• Lie down and place a pillow or folded towel under your right shoulder, with your right arm behind your head. This spreads the breast tissue evenly over the chest wall.

• Use the same palpation pattern (circular or vertical strip) as in Step 2.

• Repeat the process on your left side.

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What to Watch For and When to See a Doctor:

• A lump or thickened area that feels different from the surrounding tissue.

• Skin changes like dimpling, puckering, redness, or scaling.

• Nipple changes such as a new inversion, persistent pain, rash, or discharge (especially if it’s bloody or clear).

• Unexplained swelling or shrinkage of one breast.

• Persistent localized pain.

Most changes are benign (non-cancerous), but only a healthcare professional can determine the cause. The most important thing is to be aware of how your breasts normally look and feel so you can report any changes to a doctor right away.