Breast dimpling when your arms are raised

Lifting the arms stretches breast skin and shifts the underlying tissue. This can make a subtle indentation, crease, or pulling sensation easier to see. Longstanding asymmetry, scars, previous procedures, or changes in breast support may affect the contour. A clinician cannot identify the cause from arm position alone.

Breast cancer can present with focal skin tethering or dimpling. Paget disease of the breast more often affects the nipple and areola, where it can cause persistent scaling, crusting, irritation, or discharge. Either condition requires proper diagnosis rather than visual comparison alone.

Check whether the indentation appears on one side, stays in the same spot, or is also visible with your arms relaxed. Note any recent injury, breast operation, weight change, pregnancy, or breastfeeding that might have altered breast shape. Do not repeatedly stretch or pinch the skin to test it.

Make a clinical appointment for a new or evolving change. The assessment may include inspection while sitting and moving the arms, palpation of the breasts and armpits, and breast imaging selected for your circumstances. If an abnormal area is found, the clinician may discuss tissue sampling.

Arrange prompt review if the dimple is newly visible, becomes more pronounced, or remains after your arm returns to rest. Faster evaluation is appropriate when it accompanies a firm area, new nipple inversion, bloody discharge, nipple or areola crusting, orange-peel texture, or armpit swelling. A hot, painful breast with spreading redness or fever needs urgent care because infection is another possible cause of skin change.

Ask whether the contour behaves like normal movement or suggests tethering, what imaging can examine the area, and whether the nipple and areola also look abnormal. Confirm how persistent symptoms will be followed if the first tests do not show a cause, and obtain clear instructions about changes needing an earlier return.