Bra or No Bra; the Breast Health Controversy

She was the cynosure of all eyes, for all the wrong reasons, at the ever-busy inward foot bridge at the Berger end of Ojodu Ikeja, Lagos. The young, tall slim female, clad in a long sleeve crop top was getting negative comments from commuters and other bystanders for daring to come public, obviously not wearing a bra or any underwear, thereby showing the shape and size of her visibly protruding nipples and dangling breasts. “Why don’t you go naked; Seducer; Slut; Prostitute are just few of the side comments on the lady’s braless appearance in the public.

Pros & Cons

But there are many proponents of go braless and go bra. Each trying to justify position with health and non-health facts like social, physical and emotional, that sometimes intertwine with myths.

A project titled “The Bra and its Effects on Women & Society” by Hooper Amelia of Utah state University said women have subjected their bodies to clothing that change their natural shapes because of pressures of the society. According to the project, Brassieres have no positive effects on the body, but rather they prohibit natural bodily functions, they are a way for men and society to control women, and bras negatively affect the female image. Adding that women do not have much of a choice when it comes to wearing a bra. Most places in the work force will not allow women to work without one and it is seen as improper to go without one in public, she asserted.

The goal of the project, Hooper says, is to make people aware of the problems associated with wearing bras so that changes can be made in society. These changes may include, more easily accepting the natural female body and desexualizing the breasts. These changes can help women to overcome pressures from the media and society and be able to accept their natural body. Go Braless

Another Go Braless is Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon, a Specialist in Sports Medicine at the University Hospital of Besancon. A study published by him suggested the elimination of bra. According to the French doctor, wearing a bra encourages laziness of the pectoral muscles. It weakens the muscles, in turn making the breasts more pliable. On the contrary, by “freeing” the breasts, this stimulates the muscles and forces them to work.

Responding to Prof. Rouillon study, Marco Klinger, Head of the Operating Unit of Plastic Surgery at Humanitas Research Hospital said “Girls, particularly ladies of a certain age, should wear a bra and continue to do so.” Adding that Bra is one of the healthy breast factors that help pectoral muscles. Go Bra

Some Breast health expert who rooted for Go Bra said, though breasts are held up naturally in two ways: by the internal suspensory ligaments and the skin envelop on the outside that contains the breasts, the reality is that the bra preserves the subtle connections that lie between the basal plane of the mammary gland and the pectoral muscles known as Cooper’s ligaments. According to them, the force of gravity attracts every woman’s body towards the center of the earth, thus lowering the breasts.” Needless to say, the weight of the breasts combined with the pull of gravity can lead to sagging and discomfort. Wearing bras can improve posture and prevent a lot of spine problems and back pain. While very large and heavy-breasted women are more “at risk” of sagging, upholding the connective tissues with bra is one way to help slow down the process.” However, a wrong bra may do the exact opposite.

Credit: BURO Fashion

Lockdown Braless

One of the fallouts of the nearly one-year COVID 19 lockdowns is that more women go braless in the comfort of their homes, citing discomfort as the reason for embracing “bralessnesss”. A research carried out by Censuswide published in ELLE fashion magazine, found that since lockdown began, nearly 46% of women ditched their bras at least once a week in the name of comfort and almost two in five women spend up to four hours a day in discomfort due to their underwear. This, from the point of view of the braless crusaders, is a confirmation that it’s the society that places demand on women to wear bra.

But the Go Bra crusaders argued that the bra offer support to the breast for comfort. According to them, the lockdown induced braless is just one of many “new normals” that the lockdown forced on people. Braless, they say causes musculoskeletal pain. The weight of the breast, without bra support, produces pressure on the body especially the back. Issue of discomfort in bra, they say lies with the bra; not wearing the right size, not wearing the right quality make bra counterproductive.

If a bra band fits correctly and is firm, the weight of the bust will be distributed which means the major muscle groups in the back, neck and shoulders won’t be put under any strain. In some cases, breathing can also feel easier as a correctly-fitted bra will lift the bust off of the ribcage. In addition, there’s also the obvious effect that a well-fitted bra is good for self-esteem and confidence.

Several studies estimated that more than 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. 70%  are wearing bras that are too small, while 10 per cent are wearing bras that are too big. Wearing the wrong size bra is not only uncomfortable, it can cause a range of health problems. Research has shown that a lack of breast support often leads to breast pain, which is reported by 50% of women. An ill-fitting bra that doesn’t give the right support can also lead to breast skin damage – usually seen as stretch marks, caused by stretching the skin beyond its recovery point.

Against the backdrop of contradictions in these studies, Citizen Comfort consulted with one of the upcoming bra fitters, Omoriyeba Agbeluyi, whose comprehensive report on bra and breast health is published below for all Citizens.

Credit: fit.thequint.com

A bra originally known as brassiere is an undergarment worn by women to cover and support the breasts. The bra is an important and necessary aspect of the female dressing and as much as it has been modified in different ways such as the bralette, breast tape and so on, it has never and might never go out of use due to its importance. While the bra could be worn for different reasons, the most important reason is for support. The bra provides support for the woman’s breasts. It lifts the breasts from its natural shape which might not be ‘suitable’ always.

Other functions of the bra include enhancing breast size, creating cleavage, and other aesthetic or practical considerations. It also helps to some extent to prevent sagging by uplifting the breast. Bra provides support to breast and shoulder for women with larger breast to minimize neck and back problems as well as improve posture. It gives breast a better shape, high comfort and increase confidence such that cases of surgery for breast reduction and enlargement are minimized.

Women do not seem to have much of a choice when it comes to wearing a bra. In most places, it’s improper to go to the public braless. There is a general negative perception on women who come to the public braless.

For most women, the bra is a normal part of their life. It is an essential part of their femineity and it has developed to become a part of them. As much as this undergarment has become a norm in the lives of women, it is important to note that there are some health issues relating to how it is worn. Women have different sizes of breasts and therefore, there are different sizes of bras to accommodate the different sizes of women’s breast.

Resize

An important thing to note is that a bra size cannot be peculiar to a woman all her life because from time to time in a woman’s life, the shape and size of her breast is likely to change. Pregnancy, weight loss/gain, aging, hormones amongst others can cause fluctuation in the breast size. This means that from time to time, a woman has to resize in order to get the fit that provides comfort and support to her breasts. A good fitting bra is the one that gives the breasts support yet comfort.  This means that it must be firm on the breast but must never give  discomfort or any form of irritation.

The Bra & Your Health

Wearing the appropriate size of bra is very important for the overall wellbeing of the woman because wearing the wrong size especially for a long period of time can be detrimental to her health. Oftentimes, people relate breasts cancer with wearing of bras. According to American cancer society, there is no scientific evidence that links wearing a bra with breast cancer. Although, research has found no link between wearing a bra and breast cancer, there are some other health issues related to wearing a bra (wrong size of bra). Some of the effects of wearing poor fitting bra on the woman’s health include

1. Headaches: When you wear a loose bra, it automatically means the muscles on your neck and shoulder will do more work. In order to support the weight of the breasts, these muscles have to work harder and the repercussion of overwork on these muscles is headache
2. Bra strap syndrome/Shoulder and neck pain: Wearing a tight bra can cause indentation on the shoulder particularly for the fuller bust women whose bra cup often come with thicker straps. The pressure from a tight bra strap causes deep grooves on the shoulder. When there is too much pressure on the shoulders, it causes strain on the neck and shoulder which can in turn advance to shoulder and neck pain.

• Aching ribs/costoclavicular syndrome: When a woman wears an ill-fitting bra, it could put pressure on the nerves near the ribs and compresses the thoracic outlet i.e. the space between the collarbone and the first rib. It is advisable for a woman to switch from wearing underwire bras to non-wired bras from time to time because constant wearing of an underwire bra can hurt the ribs as some bras can sit right on the ribs.

1. Backache: The spines are designed to move, bend and rotate. However, when a woman wears bras that are too tight, especially if worn constantly, movement is restricted in the upper back which could cause stiffness in the spine which in turn causes backache.
2. Bad posture: Constant shoulder, neck and back pain will most likely make a woman hunch her shoulder which could result in bad posture. Bad posture can cause shortness of breath as a result of insufficient air going to the lungs. Wearing a properly fitted bra improves posture and prevent back pain especially for women with larger breasts.
3. Sagging/stretching of the breasts: Although, this can be caused by different factors such as pregnancy, sudden weight loss, aging to mention a few, it can also be as a result of wearing the wrong bra. This is called premature sagging. Wearing low support bra can cause the skin to stretch beyond its elastic limit. If the breasts don’t get enough support with the right bra, the part of the breast that maintain its shape i.e. the Cooper’s ligament is likely to stretch out. This is more common with fuller bust women. Firm bras support the connective tissue of the breasts which in turn reduces the rate of sagging.

• Hindering physical activities: A lot of women refrain from exercising because they lack the provision to give their breasts the appropriate support during workouts. If the breasts don’t get enough support during workouts, they tend to jiggle excessively and this could embarrass the woman. Also, excessive breast movement during vigorous exercise can cause breast pain. These reasons often hinder women from working out and physical inactivity can be detrimental to the health. Lack of exercise causes overweight, obesity, and other cardiovascular diseases. We must however note that a supportive sport bra should be used for exercise alone and should not replace the traditional bra because prolonged use of sport bra can be uncomfortable.

Twice in a year, a woman should visit a professional bra fitter for proper sizing particularly if the woman has undergone changes such as pregnancy and weight change. For best results, measurements should be done over a properly fitted unpadded bra. There are five basic things to consider when choosing your perfect fit

1. Band: It should be worn around the smallest part of your back. It should fit firmly around the torso. The less firm the band is, the less support the breasts get.
2. Cup: This should encase all of the breast tissue so as to avoid breast spillage
3. Straps: Must sit comfortably on the shoulder and not dig into it
4. Centre front: should sit flat against the body

Ill-Fitted Bra

How do you know that you are wearing an ill fitted bra? Below are signs that your bra does not fit right

1. Dropping shoulders and slouching back
2. Extreme discomfort to the extent that you take it off at the slightest opportunity present is an indication that you are wearing a smaller size than you should
3. Bulges/boobs spillage at the top, bottom or even the sides indicates that your bra cup might be too small
4. Clasping on the tightest hook set from the first day of purchasing the bra is an indication that you are wearing an oversize bra band. When the band is oversize, it will ride up your back minutes or hours after it is being worn. A new bra should be firm on the first hook set i.e., the freest hook. Only after wearing and washing for months which by then might not be as firm again should you begin to use the other hook sets
5. Straps digging into your shoulders indicates an undersized bra
6. Irritated boobs indicate an under-size bra
7. If you raise your hand in the air and your breast tissue slips out from under the bottom of your cup, it means the cup is undersize

If the underwire sits away from your skin and leaves a space, this means your cup is undersize.

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