Arguably, the breast seems to be one part of a woman’s body that means different things to different people, and that could be the reason why women pay so much attention to it.
Beyond the fact that it is the source of food for a newborn baby, men
see it as more of sex organ that makes sex more pleasurable, and for
women, apart from its being important for breastfeeding after childbirth
and being a body part that enhances their outlook, it is one of the
routes to sexual satisfaction, as findings have shown that fondling the
breasts is one of the quickest ways for women to reach orgasm.
Such is the importance of the breast, or boob as some prefer to call it, to all concerned.
Meanwhile, it has also been found that the firmness or otherwise of
those two soft, protruding organs influence women’s self esteem, and
they also impact on how attractive they are to men.
For most men, the bigger the better, and the more firm the breasts are
the better, which make women to do all they can to make the breasts look
firm, including using all kinds of bras.
It should be noted that the breasts tend to sag with age and after
childbirth and or breastfeeding. But be that as it may, there are some
human activities that could increase the likelihood of sagging.
So, given the much importance men and women attach to the firmness of a
woman’s breasts, it seems helpful for women to know how best the breasts
should be treated to avoid sagging (quickly).
1. Mismanaged breastfeeding: It
is largely assumed that a woman’s breasts tend to sag after pregnancy
and breastfeeding, and this is entirely understandable because of the
release of some hormones and the secretion of milk which could increase
the size of the breasts.
In fact, some people assume that with the way the baby draws the nipples
in the process of suckling the mother’s breasts, the breasts would lose
firmness and end up being droopy afterwards.
But those assumptions may not be true. According to a gynaecologist, Dr.
Bolanle Shukra-Okesina, women can retain the firmness of their breasts
even after breastfeeding, depending on how the woman manages the breasts
during and after the period.
She said, “Breastfeeding per se does not make the breasts to sag. If the
woman uses the appropriate bra size and she takes enough of fluid,
especially water, when breastfeeding, the breasts will not sag, even
after breastfeeding. Also, during pregnancy, the woman is expected to
change the size of her bra as the breasts increase in size. She is
supposed to use the appropriate size at every stage because the breasts
need to be supported by a firm bra.
“When the milk stops after breastfeeding, the breasts would on their own
go back to their normal size. So, if the woman does the right thing,
the breasts have no reason to sag.
2. Crash diet –
This factor particularly applies to women who are watching their weight
and are doing everything to lose some weight, especially people who are
obese, because according to Shukra-Okesina, losing weight could make
the breasts to sag.
She said in the process of losing weight, a breast would also give up
its fat and some ligaments and if the diet is deficient of fat and some
calcium-building elements, it would eventually sag.
“If a woman who is watching her diet is not taking balanced diet,
perhaps to lose some fat, it can make the breast to sag,” she explained.
Furthermore, a breast surgeon and president of the American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Michael Edwards, in his piece on
Women’sHealth, said, “Each time a woman gains and loses weight, breast
tissue becomes slack.” .
He also believes that excessive exposure to the ultraviolet rays from
the sun could take its toll on the breasts by stretching out the
connective tissues and damaging the skin.
3. Wrong bra size: One
other factor that has been found to influence the firmness or otherwise
of the breasts is whether women use the bra that is appropriate for
their breast size.
According to the gynaecologist, the breasts would likely sag if women
with (relatively) big breasts do not use the size of bra that can lift
the breasts and keep them in position.
And for women who wear the kind of bras that make the breasts to shake,
perhaps to appear buxom, Edwards warned that the more the breasts bounce
around, the more the skin of the breasts and collagen would be
stressed, eventually leading to sagging.
Thus, women should wear bras that keep the breasts intact and in shape.
4. Smoking: This
act has been found to have serious adverse effects on the human system,
especially the functionality or efficiency of some internal organs, but
not many would know when women smoke, it tends to have some effects on
their breasts. Edwards had this to say, “Any
amount of smoking weakens and ages skin by decreasing the blood supply
to the skin surface, and the breasts are not spared in this.”and
according to a consultant endocrinologist, Dr. Olamoyegun Michael,
smoking weakens the ligaments that hold the breasts, which could
ultimately lead to sagging.
5. Wrong exercise: No doubt, exercise is good for the body, and people across all age groups are advised to engage in it.
In fact, there are exercises that help to make the breasts firm,
including push-ups and lifting dumbbells. But it has been found that
some exercises are inimical to the firmness of the breasts, especially
running.
Findings show that when a woman is running and she is not wearing the
appropriate bra, like a fitted sports bra, the breasts would naturally
be moving up and down, which can lead to the breakdown of the connecting
tissues, leading to sagging eventually.
For those who are able to, findings have also shown that weight lifting
also helps to make the breasts firm as it strengthens the muscles
underlying the breasts. So, if you have the capacity, try it.
There are myths surrounding breasts sagging, and among them are
excessive suckling or fondling and abstinence from bra. But according to
Olamoyegun, suckling the breasts or fondling them does not lead to
sagging.
In effect, doing the needful while breastfeeding, eating balanced diet
and in reasonable quantity, avoiding too much exposure to sunlight,
abstinence from smoking and doing the right exercises could reduce the
likelihood of sagging.
Why most women have different breasts sizes
It could sound strange to some people, especially men, that a woman’s
two breasts, and in fact, most women’s breasts are different in sizes.
This is more so for men because some do not pay attention to it inasmuch
as it doesn’t affect their activities in any way. But, no doubt, it is a
major concern for some women who have noticed it.
Even though it is not applicable to all women, most women have different
sizes of breasts. It is called asymmetry, and people wonder what could
be the cause.
When asked, Dr. Olamoyegun, a consultant endocrinologist, said there is
nothing abnormal if a woman has different breasts sizes. Thus, there is
nothing to worry about.
He said, “It is normal and it is not a symptom of any ailment. It is not
all women, but most of them. It may not be very conspicuous but a
woman would notice if the sizes of her breasts differ.”
According to Prof. Arpana Naik, a surgeon at Oregon Health and Science
University Portland, Oregon, more than half of all women have (slightly)
different sizes of breasts.
She said, “No one really knows what causes breasts to develop
differently from one another, but possible contributors include hormonal
changes or traumatic injuries. For instance, one report in the medical
literature describes two cases of breast asymmetry that developed as the
result of injuries the girls received to their “breast bud” area during
gymnastics when they were 10 and 11.
“Generally, however, slight differences in a woman’s breasts are of no
concern. If the differences are greater than one bra cup, size, however,
they may cause some psychological distress, particularly during
adolescence, when a young woman’s body and psyche are already changing
so rapidly.
“However, sudden or recent differences in breast size due to underlying breast masses should be evaluated by a breast surgeon.”
She also advised that women should always go for breasts examination, whether they have the same breasts size or not.
For those who are not comfortable with the different sizes, she had this
to say, “In the rare instance that the asymmetry causes such distress
that your doctor recommends surgery, talk to the surgeon about breast
reduction, rather than implants.
“Studies find that women with asymmetry who undergo reduction are generally more satisfied than those who have implants.”
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