Do bras make your breasts saggier?

Since October is breast cancer awareness month, I began thinking about all of the ridiculous myths you hear about bras and their effects on women’s health. For example, you always hear that bras give you breast cancer, but (spoiler alert), they don’t. A study done in 1990 found that while the women who wore bras were more at risk for developing breast cancer, this had more to do with why the women were wearing the bras (because their breasts were bigger and need more support) rather than the actual bras themselves.

But there’s another rumored downside to bras that I always hear about, and it’s way more believable than bras giving you cancer- do bras make you breasts saggy?

According to a french sports doctor, yes. In a radio interview, the doctor said that he found, in a preliminary study, that “wearing a bra weakened the natural muscles that hold up breasts” (Rouillon). One of the volunteers also told the station, “You breathe better better, you stand up straighter, you have less back pain” (in regards to no longer wearing bras).

However, there are many things to consider before ditching your bras all together. First of all, the study is unpublished, which means that the data is not necessarily reliable. Also, we don’t know enough about the participants of the study, which Mary Jane Mickin, a clinical ob-gyn professor at Yale spoke to Women’s Health about, “It’s not clear if the researcher looked at women who only had smaller breasts, which don’t sag much over time, or if he included women of all breast sizes”. The randomization of the participants greatly effects how reliable the results are, so that;s definitely something to take into count when deciding wether or not to change your undergarment habits.

So, do bras make your breasts saggy? So far, the answer seems to be no. In the same Women’s Health article, Minkin says that there’s “no solid proof” that bras make your breasts saggy, and Roulin, who conducted the study, told Reuters that the study “is in it’s early stages” and that “he’s hesitant about giving one-size-fits all advice”.

So, for now, your favorite Victoria’s Secret bra is safe to wear, but remember to always check yourself for signs of breast cancer.

 

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7 thoughts on “Do bras make your breasts saggier?

  1. Claire E Going

    The debate about whether bras can make your breasts sag later on in life depends on breast size. Some breasts, depending on <a href="hyperlink code“>genetics and size, will sag no matter if a bra was worn or not. Some breasts, for example, A cup breasts, will not sag even if a bra was worn for the woman’s entire life. “z” or confounding variables such as the weight of the breast itself, and vigorous exercise over time will also add to sagging. Genetics comes into play when large breasts run in the family, and weight gain can also add to this cause. Bras (especially for larger sized breasts) do weaken the Cooper’s Ligaments in the breast tissue that are there to naturally lift the breasts.

  2. Anastasia Skold

    Your blog brings up a good topic at a good time. In October, it’s important for women to be aware of what is happening to their breasts and to know how to solve their problems. I was told when I was little to not sleep with a bra on because it would lead to them to sag later on. I think to further the discussion would be to talk about what wearing the wrong size does to your body and then have a way to find the right size for you.

  3. Lunan Qiu

    It is really interesting to read this blog because girls always care about this topic so much. After reading this topic I am more curious about cancer. Do bras really bring people breasts cancer? So I found some resources on the Website . It talked about more than bras but other myths about the breast cancer. I think every girl should look at your blog and this website to know more about their bodies and breast health.

  4. Eric Horowitz

    This topic is interesting to say the least. Personally as a guy I don’t relate to it but based on the information given it seems like the study is inconclusive because the information seems to be based on certain scenarios rather than a broad spectrum of information displayed from multiple sources confirming that it causing breasts to be more saggy. I am not discounting the doctor’s credibility, however I am addressing that it is only one person’s opinion rather than multiple doctors and studies confirming these results at best i would agree that it is inconclusive but other sources such as the ones below could lead to a better analyze of the topic.
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/259073.php
    http://www.livescience.com/28664-bras-make-breasts-sag.html

  5. Marcella Santos

    This topic is funny and most girls will find this the most relatable because bra rumors are known by all girls. Some say bras are good, some say they’re bad. We’ll never really know! I think this article has a great topic and there’s a ton of hyperlinks but the studies are not defined and the results are just stated. Therefore we don’t know the size of the study and the percentages which can really define if it is a fluke or not. Overall yay for breast cancer awareness month!

  6. cvp5306

    Ha! I like this blog and I think you bring up a good topic. I certainly believe that there are a lot of third variables that contribute to this problem. For example, age, race, skin type, history of skin abuse (tanning) ect,. I would also go into detail about the study a bit more. But, great blog for October and breast cancer awareness month!

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