Every woman knows the tireless war between you, and your double cupped cage. We itch and adjust all day long, all the while wishing we were hanging loose like our breastless and burdenless male counterparts. We long to be freed, but are also terrified by the thought of having our perky pals become sad and saggy before their time. But what if I told you that wearing a bra may actually bring that day FASTER by continuing to wear a bra?
Various studies have shown that wearing bras can actually do more harm than good for “the girls.” According to CBS, a French study done by Jean-Denis Rouillon from France concluded that brassieres do not prove to eliminate back pain, and also don’t help with sagging. The study showed that the women, ages 18-35, who did not wear a bra during the study actually had a 7 millimeter lift as opposed to the subjects who continued to wear one. The researchers believe that this is due to the breast tissue deteriorating from the lack of exercise that they would get from being free.
Another reason to refrain from constraining comes from ignorance on sizing. If you, like most women, do wear a bra it is important to know exactly what size you should be in. Another study done by Dr. Joanna Scurr at The University of Portsmouth has shown that many women either don’t wear the correct fit. This is usually due to style preference, embarrassment, or perhaps they have been misinformed. The study shows that during exercise especially, it is important to wear the correct size because breasts can move up to 21 centimeters. Luckily though, they have developed a sports bra that is backed by science for all you lady athletes out there.
Robert Mansel, a British surgeon and professor, and Simon Cawthorn, a consultant surgeon from Bristol are also examining the effects of bras. The men are both experienced in the breast area and so decided to divide the experiment between the two of them. They noticed a significant problem with women who reported breast pain and the amount of those women who later developed cancer. Their study was designed to analyze the relation of bras to breast pain, and hopefully to see if bras are a potential cause of breast cancer. 100 women with breast pains were asked to go without a bra for three months and to report their results. There was a 7% rise of pain-free days reported by these women, which is a lot considering the study was only for three months.
Society has been falsely claiming bras as an essential female garment since 1914. Every woman has a different opinion on bras, and most find them necessary because of the societal push. While many women are discovering how much they love going bra-less, some of our more well-endowed friends continue to see it as a blessing. There is nothing wrong with choosing to wear one. However while there is little evidence to support not wearing a bra, there is absolutely NO evidence to show the benefit of wearing one. The preference will differ for every woman, so don’t be afraid to experiment and let yourself explore a world without hooks and straps.