By: Lauren Burley Copley, Health
24
2015-01-23 10:54
Lagos - What older woman wouldn’t want to keep her breasts as
perky as they were in her 20s? After all, a woman’s breasts are an
important sign of her femininity.
Unfortunately, the depressing
reality is that from about age 30 every woman starts facing the battle
to keep the girls from going south. Of all the areas of the body, the
breasts are most affected by gravity. What’s more, the rate at which
breasts age is two to three years ahead of the rest of the body.
So
far, medical science hasn’t yet discovered a magical non-surgical
solution for this inevitable part of ageing. But, ladies, all is not
lost . . .
Factors that affect saggingTo
give your breasts the best chance of surviving the ravages of time,
it’s worth understanding how they’re affected by your lifestyle.
According
to plastic surgeon Dr Armando Soto, breasts consist of mammary glands
and fat, with connective tissue and ligaments that link the main parts
of the breasts to the skin. “They sag over time because the support
structure (composed of the skin, ligaments and connective tissue within
the breast) loses integrity.”
Several factors determine the
severity and rate at which sagging of the breasts (also called “ptosis”)
develops, says Dr Frederic Corbin, Clinical Instructor in Plastic
Surgery at Western University of Health Sciences in California. These
factors include:
- Genetic traits (e.g. breast size, density, skin elasticity, composition of glandular and fatty tissue)
- Loss of skin elasticity (a result of the natural ageing process)
- Cigarette smoking
- Number of pregnancies
- Breast cup size prior to pregnancy
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Weight gain or loss
And,
yes, size does count. If you have large, heavy breasts, there will be
more pull on the supporting ligaments and skin, which tend to stretch
permanently under constant strain.
Natural breast-improvement optionsUnfortunately
there’s no magic solution. Surgery remains the best option to help
droopy boobs regain their former upright status. If you’re still young,
however, it’s worth giving these natural breast improvement options a
go:
1. Avoid weight fluctuationsDuring your
lifetime, your breast size may change as your body undergoes weight
fluctuations and the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy,
breastfeeding and menopause.
While it’s not always easy to avoid
weight changes, doctors like breast surgeon Ian Laidlaw of Frimley Park
Hospital in England stress that maintaining a constant weight is one of
the best ways to prevent boobs from sagging.
The breast fat found
in a layer of padding just underneath the skin tends to fluctuate in
thickness when women gain and lose weight. Yo-yo dieting and crash diets
that focus on rapid weight loss are especially harmful as the fat layer
thins out dramatically, permanently damaging the supporting skin.
2. Perk up with good postureGood
posture can make a big difference in the appearance of your breasts,
according to plastic surgeon Dr Ronald Downs. Poor posture, on the other
hand, can cause breasts to sag and droop.
Sitting up straighter
can also make the breasts appear higher and bigger. Dr Downs recommends
standing sideways in front of a mirror, then pulling the shoulders back
and lifting your chin to see what a difference posture can make.
3. Use moisturiser and sunblockLike
facial skin, the delicate skin on your breasts and décolleté contain
collagen and elastin, which make the skin pliable and firm. As we age,
the body produces less collagen, so it makes sense to nurture breast
skin.
Ultraviolet light breaks down collagen and elastin. So,
always wear a broad-spectrum sunblock (SPF 30+) and try to avoid sun
exposure.
Also keep your breasts well moisturised. This may help
to minimise damage from stretching that skin undergoes when you gain or
lose weight, for instance. Good natural moisturisers include cocoa
butter, shea butter, organic coconut oil, hazelnut oil, evening primrose
oil and rosehip oil.
4. Sweat it outDon’t
believe claims that certain exercises and gimmicks will magically
elevate your breasts. Remember that your breasts don’t contain any
muscle tissue.
That said, resistance exercises like chest
presses, chest flies, bench presses and assisted dips can improve tone
and build the underlying pectoral muscles to give a natural lifting
effect. Exercises that strengthen the core, e.g. Pilates, can also help
reduce back and neck pain if you have large breasts.
5. Consider hydrotherapyMany
French women rely on hydrotherapy to firm their boobs. This practice of
immersing breasts in alternating warm and cold water is purported to
release skin proteins responsible for skin tone and tightening. It may
also help to enhance the blood flow to the skin, increasing elasticity
and the production of collagen.
Keen to give it a try? While
you’re in the shower, immerse your breasts under warm (not hot) water
for about 30 seconds before switching for 10 to 13 seconds to the
coldest water you can tolerate. Keep on alternating between warm and
cold water for around 10 minutes. Make sure you use hot water for longer
periods than cold water. End the process with cold water.
Wear a good braAnyone
who’s ever owned a push-up bra will know that it can have a wondrous
effect. But while a beautiful bra might be pleasing to the eye, it’s
better to buy a properly supporting bra in the right size. This will
simply be more comfortable, especially if you have large breasts.
Common
wisdom dictates that a lack of bra support can lead to back/neck pain
and bad posture. But, interestingly, there’s very little evidence to
support this. In fact, new research shows that wearing a bra may do more
harm than good.
Sports scientist Jean-Denis Rouillon from the
University of Besançon in France, who conducted a 15-year study among a
small sample of women, found that wearing a bra weakened the muscles
that support the breasts, resulting in greater sagging.
While we
wait for more research to confirm whether this really is the case, we
don’t recommend burning your bras quite yet. Instead, opt to have a
proper bra fitting – a good-quality bra that fits to size will go a long
way toward making your breasts appear more perky.