Hug To Health

Sagging or drooping of breasts is a natural, inevitable process that happens to all women at some point - except those with fairly small breasts.  The most notable sagging happens with the process called breast involution (see below), but breasts can start drooping a little at any age, because they do NOT have muscles in them.  They have ligaments and connective tissue. When the gravity pulls the breasts down, those ligaments and the skin can stretch, and so the breast then droops. This depends on the elasticity of your skin and of your ligaments, as determined by your genes and diet, and also on normal aging processes. Obviously large breasts will sag easier since the gravity is pulling them down more.

Breast involution is a process where the milk-making system inside the breast shrinks because it’s not needed anymore. This happens either after weaning, or right after pregnancy if you don’t breastfeed at all, or during menopause. When the tissues inside breast shrink, and the skin surrounding it doesn’t, the breast can look ‘empty’ and saggy. Over time, some fat gets deposited back to the breast so it will look somewhat fuller but sagging usually remains.

Will bras keep the breasts from sagging?

Bras will keep your breasts from sagging while you’re wearing them - but not for the remainder of time. There is no published medical literature showing that bras prevent sagging.  Even the bra industry seems to know this, as the following quote illustrates:

“We have no evidence that wearing a bra could prevent sagging, because the breast itself is not muscle, so keeping it toned up is an impossibility. What it can do, particularly for larger-breasted women, is obviously to provide the comfort and the support. So, if a woman wants a particular breast profile, she will buy a particular brand, and that is what they’re designed for. There’s no permanent effect on the breast from wearing a particular bra. The bra will give you the shape the bra’s been designed to give while you’re wearing it. Of course, when you take it off, you go ‘au natural.’ “
executive John Dixey at Bras, Bare Facts documentary

However, there is some support for the idea that breasts in bras actually sag more (when bra is taken off). How could that be since the main idea of bras is to lift the breasts upward?  The main idea is that the ligaments which support breasts in normal circumstances, would atrophy (get thinner and weaker) when breasts are immobilized within bras and don’t have to bear their own weight.

There are lots of studies showing that ligaments and tendons in limbs do atrophy when the limb is immobilized.  Bras obviously prevent the the natural slight up-down movement of breasts when we walk, and let shoulders bear the weight of breasts. If breast ligaments behave like limb ligaments, it may be a matter of “use it or lose it”.

One study published on the subject of bras and sagging was done in 1991, in Japan.  The study suggests that a bra can actually increase breast sagging rather than the opposite.  The abstract says (emphasis mine):

“Eleven adult female subjects aged 22-39 years wore a certain brassiere for 3 months while anthropometry and moire fringe photographs on the anterior trunk were taken regularly once a week.  After the 3 months, the brassiere was not worn for another 3 months.  Then the measurements and photogrammetry were repeated for comparison using superimposed moire configurations.  The results are summarized as follows.  Regardless of slim or obese trunk, subjects with pendent breasts showed the highest degree of breast form “correction” from wearing the brassiere.  In all subjects, after 3 months of brassiere constraint, the underbust circumference was smaller but the chest circumference became enlarged, the distance between the right and left nipples became wider, and the breasts tended to hang down.  This change was more marked in obese subjects with pendent breasts.  And when this type of subject wore a “well-fitted” brassiere for a long time, her breast form became developed, that is, her breasts hung down more.”
Ashizawa K, Sugane A, Gunji T Institute of Human Living Sciences, Otsuma Women’s University, Tokyo, Japan: Breast Form Changes Resulting From  A Certain Brassiere Journal of Hum. Ergol.(Tokyo) 1990 Jun; 19(1):53-62.

The French study the sagging and bra wearing even further

Another study with similar results was conducted in 2003 by Laetitia Pierrot and Jean-Denis Rouillon. In it, 250 women who practiced sports stopped wearing a bra for one year. They were followed regularly with questionnaires and biometric measurements. At the 6-week checkup, the ladies experienced some discomfort from abandoning the bra, but this disappeared later, and by the end of the year 88% of the women reported improved comfort compared to before the study.

The measurements showed firmer, more elevated and perkier breasts. For example, the distance from the nipple to the shoulder bone was reduced, which means the breasts sagged less. They noted a better muscular development in the rotator muscles of the shoulders and the pectoralis major. Also, stretch marks on breasts became less visible.

(Pierrot L., Evolution du sein après l’arrêt du port du soutien gorge, étude préliminaire longitudinale sur 33 sportives volontaires, Thèse présentée le 19 décembre 2003 devant la Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie de Besançon.
[The development of the breasts after discontinuing wearing bras. Preliminary longitudinal study of 33 volunteer sportswomen. Thesis presented December 19th, 2003, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Besancon, France.]

Here is an article discussing that study (in French): Le soutien-gorge en question. See here for an English translation. There is also a more recent study by Jean-Denis Rouillon: Santé Le port du soutien-gorge déconseillé par un médecin bisontin (Besançon doctor advises against wearing bras ).

Sports bras and jogging

There is one more notable study concerning sagging and bra wearing, which found that jogging caused breasts to bounce enough to sretch the Cooper’s ligaments inside the breast. Naturally, stretched ligaments would cause the breast to sag more.

The lesson to take home from this study is that if you engage in jogging or some other type of very active sport, sports bras are recommendable.

Conclusion

To prevent or lessen the eventual sagging that will come with age, let breasts be free of bras when you can so that the ligaments inside them can be “in use”$$ however protect the breasts from bouncing too much by using proper sports bras, when doing intense physical activity such as running.

Proper nutrition will probably also be helpful to maintain elasticity of those ligaments and of the skin.

1, What is the nipple and areola?

Mimi nipple is located in the complex process of the peak, around the nipple and the pigmented skin around the ring area is deeper areola.

Areola diameter of about 3 ~ 4cm, different color, red roses were puberty, pregnancy, breast-feeding to enhance pigmentation, dark brown. For pregnant women of different individuals, the size of the areola and have a greater difference in color.

For a different individual women, the size of the areola and have a greater difference in color. Generally fair skin who tend to pink, deep color and those who tend to brown; If you are black, as are the dark color on the areola tend to dark brown or black.

Department of areola skin glands and hair. There are sweat glands, and sebaceous glands of the breast. Sebaceous gland, also known as the areola, the areola is visible on the small number of processes, and more superficial, the secretion of oils and fats used to protect the delicate nipple and areola. Protective skin secretions, lubricating nipple and the baby lips.

2, the color of the nipple and areola of the relationship?

Q: areola and descriptive you experienced? An Chen color will really love it?

A: In general, women’s nipple and breast development are different, the color of the nipple are also many differences. Areola is the main cause of the black cell aging, female hormone secretion, leading to the Organization of the nipple skin melanin deposition, as long as it is to sexual maturity, would be a natural nipple and faint color, and if there had been a woman of experience, also nipple Such a change would not only make the black color of the nipple, genital will gradually become faint black color. As a result, their breast black female body is a symbol of maturity, have a better experience of women, the breast will be full grown, the type who would be more attractive Fit, why not do it.

3, how to make more Fennen areola color?

Q: How to play down the post-areola color? Results areola cream How? Any side effects?

A: areola whitening cream containing some of the ingredients, how many will use some effects, side effects are not obvious, but the effect is still significant doubt. If we can avoid physical stimulation and proper breast care, post-natal period as the longer it will naturally and gradually reduce, but not to be restored before the birth of the state is not possible. If the post-stop breast-feeding, breast areola with the will of the total volume decreased with the narrow and, if that is still too high, giving only a surgical operation to reduce a circular path. If the areola color too deeply in medicine may need to consider the laser to destroy the pigment cell layer; If the laser afraid of women, may also be given to ‘wipe acid skin’, but the results still need to study how .

Therefore, we must not women’s nipples, areola and the labia minora as the color to determine whether there have been the basis of sex, the judge is not scientific. All women estrogen levels are high, there could be nipple and areola and black colors of the labia minora, a healthy female sexuality.

Epidemiological experts on long-term follow-up statistics for the return of analysis, summed up the crowd of breast cancer characterized by: living in the city; area of high latitude (or in North America, the Nordic region long life); age In the 35 years of age (especially older women); no history of marriage; not the first time or the production of reproductive age in the 30 years of age; body fat; age of menarche is less than 12 years of age, menopausal age or later; there are other benign breast history; Hyperplasia of the breast; have a family history of breast cancer; long-term or a number of high-dose X-ray irradiation history; the spirit of the long-term depression or severe mental stimulation.

In daily life, the high incidence of breast cancer, most people with a variety of factors related to cancer for a long time on many occasions repeated the relevant stimulation, or to accept the super-doses of cancer-causing factors (such as high-dose X-ray irradiation). And a single accident of weak stimulation with breast cancer do not related to each other. As a result, in their daily lives as long as the attention of health science, and to avoid bad habits to reduce and maintain good mental state, aggressive treatment of benign breast disease, can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Breast fiber benign breast tumor is the most common form, see more of a breast tumor and fiber tube or capsule papilloma. And more generally single, may also have more than one side or both sides of the breast, there are. More common in the breast, on the quadrant. Chang is the oval-type, small, large or walnuts for Cherry, but may have greater. General tumor surface smooth, hard, the realm of clear, in the skin and surrounding tissue without adhesive. In the breast within four weeks to promote unhindered, although the push to move, but put that back-in-situ. No more spontaneous pain and tenderness, pregnancy may increase. The absence of any sudden increases rapidly, therefore, when the suspect is a malignant change.
Fiber breast tumor is common in young women aged 20-25, their occurrence and to stimulate estrogen-related, in general, women in the 18-25 age of sexual function exuberant period, pregnancy and breast-feeding or pre-menopause, because estrogen secretion of large, Fiber can easily trigger breast tumors. Therefore, comprehensive summary of breast fibers are as follows:

(A)youth common in women, in general no obvious symptoms, a small number of local patients have tingling flu, but has nothing to do with menstruation.

(B) more mass in the breast, on the quadrant, mostly single, or at the same time or in succession in one or a number of bilateral breast lumps, a round or oval-shaped, smooth surface, the border of clear - Hard to promote, and skin and deep tissue adhesion not. Growing more slowly, during pregnancy can be rapidly increased. Axillary lymph node enlargement is not. See Figure 1

(C) X-mammography: mass edge of a clear and smooth, homogeneous mass show.

(D) biopsy: fibroma, a capsule, of hard, cutting surface was off-white, bright, visible to the naked eye with Bu Zhengqi many of the fissures.