The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog

Social Stigma Leads Women to Wear Damaging Bras - Friday, August 15, 2008

The University of Portsmouth's bra researchers, technically known as the breast biomechanics team, recently released a new study that includes something old and something new.

On the old side, researchers reported that as many as 90% of women wear the wrong bra. They also said that poor support could lead to the ligaments in the breasts being stretched. During exercise, they said, breasts may move up to 8-1/4 inches up and down, in and out, and side to side. Unfortunately, most bras are designed only to limit vertical movement.

On the new side, researchers also expanded our understanding of why women wear the wrong bra. Most prior studies implied that women were ignorant of what constituted an appropriate bra for their breasts, but this new study shows that bra choices are not simply the result of ignorance. An important influence on women's decision is strong personal preferences for certain styles, preferences established at a very young age and are relatively inflexible. "They won't even look at anything that doesn't look like the sort of bra they are used to wearing," said researcher Wendy Hedger.

Women's choice of bra is also determined by the social stigma attached to particular sizes of bra. Women don't want to be seen as too small or too big even in their own minds and buy an ill-fitting bra in order to appear what they consider to be a normal size. The problem is that with daily wear a wrong-sized bra can cause painful damage that may require surgical correction such as a breast lift.

Women are encouraged to come to terms with their breast size and buy an appropriate bra for their size and activity level. On the other hand, women who find they have trouble feeling comfortable with the size or shape of their breasts can make their breasts more in line with their personal norms through breast implants or breast reduction.

Instead of living in denial about the size of your breasts, it is better to take a realistic appraisal. If you decide you are interested in breast implants or breast reduction, contact The Centre, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.