Ladies, your health demands that you know your bra size and adjust accordingly
It’s not just about aesthetics, a comfortable and well-fitted bra provides support to your breast tissues, and can help prevent a myriad of health problems. Your body changes over time due to factors like weight fluctuation, hormonal shifts, pregnancy, or ageing. These factors make it important to get professionally fitted at least once a year to ensure your size is still accurate and supportive.
Quick Read:
- Wearing a bra that fits correctly can go a long way in easing back, shoulder, and neck strain.
- Take the time to get properly sized for a bra; a bra that’s too tight can restrict your breathing and compress blood flow, leading to discomfort, dizziness, or even digestive issues over time.
- Underwear can be expensive, so take the time to wash and care for your garments properly so they last well.
Why does the correct bra size matter?
Putting on a bra is probably as automatic as washing your face or making a cup of coffee, but how much thought do you really put into the way it fits? Like many women, probably the minimum.
And yet, a good-fitting bra provides literal and figurative support for your breasts and your health. An ill-fitting bra can leave your neck, back, and shoulders in constant pain, so it’s important to make sure your bra fits you. That means, not loose enough where it’s drooping off your shoulders. Similarly, if your bra is too tight, it can lead to trouble breathing, aching ribs and blocked lymph nodes.
Wearing a bra that fits you correctly can help improve posture and prevent back pain (an issue that might crop up for those women with a larger chest). Remember, breasts come in all different sizes and shapes so just because your sister can wear push-up bras comfortably, doesn’t mean it will look the same on you.
Getting fitted for your correct bra size
- A correctly-fitting bra is comfortable and not excessively tight on the shoulder straps. The shoulder straps are one of the main supports for the breasts. Constant tightness and tension here may lead to a permanent groove or dent in the soft tissue of the shoulders. The straps shouldn’t be digging into your skin.
- Make sure the cups enclose the breasts completely – in other words, no spillage on the sides and the middle.
- If you’re constantly uncomfortable and cannot wait to take off your bra at the end of the day, figure out if the irritation is coming from the bra material, underwire, or the clasps. These are little things that could be causing the annoyance.
- At a fitting, the shop assistant will measure your rib cage and bust area with a measuring tape. This measurement is your band and cup size. This is known as your true bra size.
- A sports bra should be comfortable enough to allow you to work out, but supportive enough to help prevent excessive bounce.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I wear the same bra every day? It’s not the most hygenic practice (remember, sweat and dirt collect under your breasts on your skin). Bras, like other clothes tend to stretch and get shapeless with continuous wear. Keep a rotation of clean bras. Understandably this might be time-consuming and expensive, so try to wash your delicates at least every couple of days. Hand-washing your underwear is always a good idea to keep them in good shape for as long as possible.
- Is going braless healthy? Well, it’s not unhealthy. It’s really a personal choice based on your comfort level. You may have also heard the urban legend that going braless can help prevent breast cancer. There’s no truth to this. The American Cancer Society once surveyed a small group of post-menopausal women and found no link between wearing a bra and their risk for breast cancer. There’s some evidence that implies that not wearing a bra might help in developing chest muscle tissue to provide natural support – but this is based on a small study.
- How often should I get professionally fitted for a bra? Your body changes over time due to factors like weight fluctuation, hormonal shifts, pregnancy, or ageing. Get professionally fitted at least once a year to ensure your size is still accurate and supportive.
- Does wearing a bra at night cause health problems? While it is generally safe to wear a non-constrictive bra to sleep if you prefer the support, wearing an ill-fitting, tight, or underwire bra while sleeping can restrict movement and circulation. Many health experts suggest giving your body a “break” from restrictive garments during rest to allow your skin to breathe and your muscles to relax.
Help at hand
As always, please see a doctor if you notice any concerning symptoms in your breasts that affects your overall health and wellbeing. Breast cancer is a serious health condition that affects many women, but with regular wellness screenings, you can stay alert.
Images: Freepik
