While doing a self-exam, I felt something like a "dip" within the areola part of my breast. It's small, but large enough for me to notice. Is there a name for this? Should I seek immediate attention? I'm in my late 20s, and this is the first time I have noticed anything like this. I've heard that breast problems might sometimes occur due to a high intake of caffeine. Before noticing this, I had been consuming more caffeine than usual because of stress -- did this cause my breast indentation?

--B.J.

A "dip" in the breast could merely be the area between normal glands and ducts, or between two cysts, so that it feels lower in comparison. Caffeine can certainly be associated with fibrocystic changes in the breasts, making them more lumpy and perhaps accentuating dips. Ligaments within the breasts (Cooper's suspensory ligaments) often produce a dip in the overlying skin, especially in breasts with a higher ratio of fat to glands. A dip could also be an area that has retracted due to scarring from an earlier biopsy or trauma to the breast.

And retraction can also occur with breast cancer. The odds of having breast cancer in one's 20s are extremely low; however, any change in the way one's breasts feel warrants a visit to the doctor for an exam.