How to perform your own self-examination routine?
If you want to perform a self-examination routine for breast cancer, you need first to look at the skin and see if there is any change in color, ulcers, dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipples. Raise your arms and inspect the axilla, too.
With one hand raised, start palpating the breasts using the finger pads instead of the tip of the fingers. This increases your sensitivity. Perform the exam from the outside of the breast to the nipple with rotational movements. Use different degrees of pressure to examine more superficial and deeper layers. Then, examine your axilla and the area where the axilla joins the pectoral muscle.