1. Understanding Axillary Breast Tissues

The underarm fat and fat on the shoulders are referred to as axillary breast tissue¹. We might not know that Axillary breast tissue in the armpit is not any different from other breast tissue. These tissues are composed of fibrous and fatty tissues.

To explain this better, imagine a situation when the person is overweight and tries to lose weight; what happens?

In this case, the breast size also decreases because some of the total volume is reduced. Therefore, axillary tissue would likely reduce in size, but the tissues remain there only; it is like the fact that the breast will not become invisible with the loss of weight in your body.

These extra tissues will remain present and are called axillary breast tissue, which is responsible for the armpit fat and bulginess in wearing a bra.

2. What Is Axillary Breast Tissue?

Axillary breast tissue is also called accessory breast tissue and ectopic breast tissue. This tissue is an excess breast tissue that fails to regress after normal embryological development.

This type of tissue or cell is generally located in the axilla- The armpit, and the mammary ridge. These are the thickened bands of tissue extending from the armpit to the groin region.

However, axillary breast tissue may sometimes be asymptomatic and have no visual appearance. Or it may sometimes appear as a bra bulge on either side under the armpit.

3. What Are the Causes of Armpit Fat?

Let me clarify the reason behind this problem. Various causes of armpit fat exist, but people are unaware of the causes. So, in this article, we will first discuss the cause of armpit fat and then move on to the discussion of how to lose armpit fat.

 3.1. Obesity

So, the first reason is obesity. It also means the person is overweight. The fat will get deposited in the armpit area if the person is overweight.

 3.2. Genetics

Do you know how genetics is responsible for fat deposition? Let me tell you why our genes decide where to deposit the fat in our bodies. In simple words, in our body, there are specific genes that decide where to deposit the extra fat.

So body fat is deposited according to genes, and if the gene is responsible for depositing the excess body fat in the armpit, then the armpit fat will increase.

 3.3. Lymphedema²

Lymphedema refers to any injury or infection in the lymph nodes due to swollen lymph nodes. Due to the swelling in lymph nodes, the fat is deposited in the armpit.

3.4. Hormonal Changes

At puberty, the hormonal level changes, and if there is a disbalance in the hormonal levels like estrogen and progesterone, it causes swelling in the breast, due to which excess fat will deposit as armpit fat or underarm fat.

 3.5. Axillary Breast Tissue

It is a rare cause in which the breast tissue rarely develops outside the area of breast tissue, and this extra deposition causes armpit fat. These extra tissues are generally developed after embryological development. These tissues are not harmful but also turn into breast cancer in rare cases.

3.6. Posture

Poor posture does not cause armpit fat but can make it more visible. The armpit fat will be more visible if an individual does not have a proper body posture. The best way to correct your posture is to stand, sit, and sleep properly.

4. What Can You Do to Reduce Armpit Fat?

There are so many exercises and methods you can use to get rid of armpit fat or to reduce fat. These exercises include circling arms and shoulders, burning more calories of belly fat by doing proper workouts, having a lower calorie intake, and burning fat by light cardio workouts.

Here are some essential tips that will help remove armpit fat.

4.1. Lose Weight

Losing weight is the first and foremost thing in reducing armpit fat. Proper exercises and daily exercise of the shoulders, arms, armpits, and chest will allow the individual to lose weight. The few exercises that will help in this are side plank rotations, plank position, and downward dog.

4.2. Build Muscle Mass in Your Chest Wall and Upper Arms

Armpit fat is a very common and major problem in many women. But the good thing is that it can be treated and fixed by regular exercise.

In many cases, it is visible that armpit fit can be affected by muscle toning as well. Building muscles in your chest and upper arms also helps the cells and loose muscles near the armpit to tighten.

Proper workouts also improve the condition of muscles. More lean muscle gives you a look of a lean armpit region. The other benefits of proper muscles are they also increase the circulation rate, and due to this, each cell can get enough oxygenated blood³, which improves the condition of the loose and damaged cells.

4.3.  Undergarments Fitting

Besides weight loss and getting rid of armpit fat, properly fitting undergarments are also very important. Several people do not realize they are wearing tight undergarments, especially the ones with elastic, that can push the fat and skin around the sides of their breasts upward. To some extent, wearing a new and fitted bra can look like reduced fat under the armpits.

4.4. Surgical Removal

If nothing is working out and no improvement is visible after proper diet and regular shoulder and arm workouts, then the woman can ask the doctor for surgical removal.

But yes, this should be the last option. First, try your best to reduce the fat by yourself without surgery by doing exercises like plank position.

Keeping a record of how much fat the individual consumes daily avoids excess body fat and weight loss.

If nothing works, then the doctor will suggest liposuction to remove it. Liposuction⁴ is a common plastic surgery that removes soft fatty tissues of underarm fat or fat underneath the armpit.

Open excision is recommended by the doctor if there is an extensive amount of axillary breast tissue.

5. Exercises to Reduce Axillary Breast Tissue and Excess Body Fat

These are some general exercises we can also do daily in our homes. You may know some of those, but in this article, we will provide you with a list to keep a checklist and see if you can try any new ones.

So, here comes the first exercise, which doesn’t involve equipment or guidance. Let’s start.

5.1. Jumping Jacks

It is one of the easiest and simplest exercises you have done in your childhood during your PT periods, but you need to know its benefits. But now you can know its benefits and practice it at home.

It is a simple and entire-body exercise that removes excess fat. You have to spread your hands and legs outwards, and then you have to jump simultaneously.

5.2. Triceps Stretch

You can do this exercise at home or the gym. It is an upper-body exercise. This exercise is also useful for losing fat, especially to reduce armpit fat, and it is also used to tone the arm muscles.

It is a simple exercise, and you must do it for a limited time. This exercise uses simple dumbbells; you have to lift those dumbbells with the help of your hands and then bend them across your head.

First, you have to lift the dumbbell with the left hand, hold the dumbbell in the right palm, and do the same with the right arm.

5.3. Skipping Rope

Skipping rope is an exercise that reduces overall body fat. It helps get rid of armpit fat, lose weight, and provide strength to muscles.

The way to perform this exercise is to stand straight, take a skipping rope, and jump the rope with the help of both legs simultaneously or do it alternately between two legs.

5.4. Push-Ups

It is one of the strength exercises. It is an exercise that provides core stability and helps eliminate armpit fat. It also helps to burn calories. You have to take a healthy diet along with this exercise.

You can do this exercise at home, which also helps strengthen the lean and lower back muscles.

You must lean on the floor the way your chest will face the floor and slowly bring the body upwards, and the force remains on the hands. Then again, go downwards so your chest touches the floor, and repeat the same 10 to 15 times.

5.5. Triceps Pushdown

Another name for this exercise is the triceps press-down. It is one of the strength training exercises⁵. This exercise strengthens muscles and maintains overall health by exerting pressure on the shoulders, arms, legs, muscles, and chest to benefit the overall body.

In this exercise, spring-like equipment is used. You have to pull the spring downwards with the help of your hands, and then again, you have to go back to the same position as earlier.

5.6. Sideway Bends

It is a type of yoga that can also be done by women at home and helps in fat loss or burning the extra fat deposited in the underarm area.

The steps are straightforward. You have to bend your upper arm sideways over the head to exert extra pressure on the armpits and help you eliminate armpit fat.

5.7. Jabbing

It is a gym exercise that is helpful in fat loss and maintaining body weight. This exercise comes under weight training. This exercise is beneficial and very effective for weight loss. Jabbing needs dumbbells to perform. Jabbing exercises also provide strength to the shoulders and arms.

In this exercise, like any boxer, you must lift the dumbbells in both arms to the sides. It will exert pressure on the area under the armpit and thus help reduce fat.

5.8. Bicep Curl

Bicep curl exercises are related to the biceps. These exercises provide strength to the arms and shoulders. It is another very effective exercise for losing fat in arms using dumbbells.  This exercise also helps in improving core strength. These exercises help in toning muscle and, along with this, also help in reducing breast fat.

In this, the person is required to lift dumbbells to the shoulders. Ensure there is a difference in the number of reps.

5.9. Upright Row

This weight-lifting exercise is very beneficial for reducing the biceps and underarm fat. It is among the best exercises to reduce axillary breast fat.

How to perform this- Hold a barbell in your hands and lift them to your chest. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly bring your hands down to the starting position.

5.10. Mountain Climbing Exercise

This exercise is an all-rounder. It works on almost all the body muscles and joints, including the chest muscles and triceps. Also, It is a very efficient and effective exercise to reduce breast fat.

First, lie down on your hands on a straight land and then raise your body with the support of your toes and palms. After that, bend your left knee to the chest and pull it back quickly. Repeat the same with the right knee and repeat this exercise 4 to 5 times.

Final Note

Bra bulge because of the armpit fat is very common after embryological development. These axillary breast tissues are not harmful, but they appear very awkward.

A proper diet plays a very significant role in reducing axillary fat. So, many shoulder and arm fat exercises can help the individual eliminate this. A very common way is the calorie-dense diet. A woman who wants to reduce axillary fat should take a balanced diet with few calories.

Apart from all these, if nothing works, there is a cosmetic procedure to undergo liposuction surgery. Liposuction is a type of surgery to remove fat from specific areas like, here, breasts. The doctor might advise this surgery to eliminate the armpit fat when other things do not work.

1. Olivier, Lyronne, et al. “Abrikossoff tumor clinically mimicking carcinoma in accessory axillary breast tissue.” Cureus 14.1 (2022). ↩︎
2. Rockson, Stanley G. “Advances in lymphedema.” Circulation research 128.12 (2021): 2003-2016. ↩︎
3. Kim, Hyun-Soo, et al. “Self-Oxygenated Blood Protein-Embedded Nanotube Catalysts for Longer Cyclable Lithium Oxygen-Breathing Batteries.” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 10.13 (2022): 4198-4205. ↩︎
4. Beidas, Omar E., and Jeffrey A. Gusenoff. “Update on liposuction: what all plastic surgeons should know.” Plastic and reconstructive surgery 147.4 (2021): 658e-668e. ↩︎
5. Maestroni, Luca, et al. “The benefits of strength training on musculoskeletal system health: practical applications for interdisciplinary care.” Sports Medicine 50.8 (2020): 1431-1450. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 30, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty