Going braless could make your breasts stronger, experts claim.
Women's health specialists and plastic surgeons have pointed out that the intense pressure of a bra can weaken the tissue around the breasts over time and cause them to sag.
The raised appearance is also said to be due to the gradual strengthening of the back muscles that occurs when you are unsupported, thereby improving posture.
Women have worn supportive structures around their breasts since the early 20th century, when American publisher Mary Phelps Jacob made the first brassiere out of two handkerchiefs.
However, experts have long debated whether or not they provide any benefit to breast health.
Content creator Kaylee revealed that her breasts became “perkier” when she stopped wearing bras.
The discussion picked up steam last week when content creator Kaylee told her 182,000 TikTok followers that she hadn't worn a bra in five years – and that going without had made her breasts “perkier.”
The US-based software developer and photographer said: “I think they stayed pretty perky.”
Other women, she added, were “better off” if they left their breasts “bare.”
“Their muscles will become strong and they will support themselves.”
Kaylee is a US-based software developer and photographer who flaunts her figure online to her more than 182,000 TikTok followers.
She said she hadn't worn a bra for five years, adding: “I think they've stayed pretty perky.”
Kaylee said women were “better off” if they left their breasts “bare.”
She added: “Your muscles will become strong and they will support themselves.”
Oddly enough, some experts seem to agree.
Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a board-certified gynecologist and reproductive endocrinologist, told Well+Good that people have long believed the opposite — that not wearing a bra leads to sagging skin.
This is a common misunderstanding, she says.
Women who have not worn a bra for a long time often report that their breasts become firmer, rounder and stronger over time.”
Dr. Sekhon said that while people with larger breasts may initially feel more back strain, they build up the strength in their chest and back muscles so that their breasts are well supported even without a bra.
Meanwhile, Dr. Foued Hamza, an internationally renowned plastic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience: “Wearing a bra can actually increase the sagging effect, as its wire support counteracts gravity and weakens the breast's natural ability to lift itself.”
A study of 11 young women published in 1990 found that wearing a “well-fitting” bra for three months resulted in significant breast sagging.
A 15-year study by Dr. Jean-Denis Rouillon, a sports scientist at the University of Besançon, France, revealed that bras do more harm than good when it comes to staying alert.
In the study, he examined changes in the breasts of hundreds of women over many years.
He concluded that women who did not wear bras had nipples that were seven milliliters higher than those who wore bras.
Dr. Rouillon said in a radio interview: “Medically, physiologically and anatomically – breasts do not benefit from being deprived of gravity.” “On the contrary, with a bra they become saggier.”
However, the study was heavily criticized because it only examined a small sample of women and a short period of time. It was not taken into account whether women had breastfed or were pregnant.
Some experts say there simply isn't enough research to draw a conclusion.
Sekhon also said that going without a bra can improve blood circulation and make the skin on the breasts healthier.
Experts say the idea that going without a bra can cause breasts to sag and sag is a myth – the opposite is true
Because wearing a bra can restrict blood flow to the back and chest muscles, which can lead to back pain.
Bras also trap sweat, dirt, and moisture on your breasts, which can lead to clogged pores, irritation, and breakouts, especially after exercise.
Not wearing a bra gives your breasts room to breathe.
Studies show that on average, women's breasts begin to sag between the ages of 30 and 40.
Experts add that bras can be helpful at this point to keep the breasts in place.