In the last month, I have been asked how to reverse breast sagging more times than I have been in the rest of my career. Why? Who knows…
But, let’s address the topic:
First, let me just say… breasts may change with age, and will certainly change with pregnancy. This is not an inherently negative thing. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best version of you – but some things we may be better off to accept as the new normal and learn to love ourselves just as we are.
My body looks different than it did 10 years ago. Do I poke fun at myself at times? Sure do. But I’m thankful for my body. My body grew a human inside it, safely pushed that human out into the world, and has continued to allow me to feed said human with my body for over three years now. That’s an awesome trade-off for a slightly squishier tummy, a few stretch marks, and breasts that sit a little lower than before.
Without resulting to chemical or surgical means, I’m not aware of anything that will effectively reverse breast sagging. So, what we’d be best to focus on is preventing breast sagging.
Factors that do not affect breast-sagginess:
- Upper body exercise
- Breastfeeding
Factors that do affect breast-sagginess:
- Number of pregnancies
- Significant weight gain, and subsequent weight loss
- Being large breasted (it’s a gravity thing)
- Smoking
- Running and other vigorous exercises
- Ill-fitting bras, or wearing a bra too long
How to Prevent Breast Sagginess
- Maintain a healthy weight
Breasts do not have muscles. They’re made of mostly fat, with a bit of connective tissue and milk ducts. Holding them up – basically your skin. Gaining weight causes the skin and ligaments to stretch, which upon losing weight may cause the breasts to droop more than they previously did.
- Don’t smokeSmoking is bad for you for sooo many reasons. But, specifically related to breast sagging, smoking causes incredible damage in the body which means you burn through anti-oxidant vitamin C much more quickly. Nearly all smokers have sub-optimal vitamin C levels, and vitamin C is a crucial part of the elastic skin matrix.
- Avoid excessive sun
Excessive sun exposure causes a break-down of the skin’s collagen. - Wear a well-fitting encapsulating bra during vigorous exercise
During vigorous exercise, breasts move on three planes – side to side, up and down, in and out. An encapsulating bra limits movement on two planes, where as compression bras merely limit movement on one plane. Limited movement means less effect of gravity on the structures supporting the breast.
- Don’t wear a bra more than 8 hours per day, less if possible
Studies have shown that ill-fitting bras can actually speed breast sagging. Moreover, a recent 15-year study in France suggested that on the long-term, women who didn’t wear bras at all had less breast sagging during the study period. It should be noted their results did not account for breast size. - Stay well-hydrated
Skin cells are primarily made of water. Among other things, being dehydrated can effect the integrity of the skin causing it to lose its firmness. - Maintain good nutritional status
Nutritional deficiencies can lead to sub-optimal skin health and collagen formation. It’s important to consume a well-rounded diet that provides the macronutrients (proteins, carbs and fats) and the micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants) that allow for your body, including your breasts, to be at their best.
So, in summary – eat good food, drink enough water, avoid too much sun, don’t smoke and maintain a healthy weight. That’s good advice for preventing many of our North-American woes, not just breast sagging! Add to that ensuring you have a well-fitting bra, but yet ditching it more often, and I feel freer already!
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