Is it healthy to wear a bra?

Is it more natural, comfortable and healthy not to wear a bra? These are questions that return cyclically, this time on the occasion of the campaign Free The Nipple (“free the nipple”), by the activist and filmmaker Lina Esco, who advocates freeing the female breast from censorship.

Women –such as the model Cara Delevingne or the singer Rihanna– who have freed themselves from their bras say that they feel freer (not only physically), more comfortable and sexier. But is it healthier?

The controversy between doctors about the use of the bra

One of the doctors who has been clearest on the issue is Jean-Denis Rouillon. In a conference at the University of France-Comté in Besançon he argued that bras are not necessary and that its use weakens the natural musculature of the breasts, causing their fall and flaccidity.

Rouillon’s theory seems logical, since it can be imagined that the bra behaves like a prosthesis that replaces the function of the musculature, as if they were crutches or a wheelchair in the case of the legs.

Does it favor the fallen chest?

However, aside from Rouillon’s personal observations, there are no scientific studies linking bra wearing to sagging.

Other anatomy experts claim that not wearing it can also cause ligaments and tissues to stretch due to gravity and movement, especially if the breasts are large.

Dr. Andrew Weil, a renowned expert in integrative medicine, has weighed in on the subject and believes that there is no definitive evidence against the bra. To strengthen the musculature of the breasts recommend doing plank push-ups or any other exercise that tones the pectorals.

Does not cause breast cancer

The idea is circulating on the internet that bras cause breast cancer. The news dates back to the 1990s. In 1991, a study found that women who didn’t wear a bra had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer. And in 1995, doctors Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer published the book Dressed to killwhere they explained that the pressure of the bra reduced the effectiveness of the lymphatic system to eliminate toxins, which increased the risk of developing cancer.

But no medical organization and no health authority have backed that claim. One of the most recent studies, conducted in 2014 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, United States, settled the issue by stating that the Ross and Grismaijer theory has no scientific basis and that the small risk reduction from the study of 1991 was not significant and could be due to the fact that The women who wear the bra less are the thin ones, so the factor at play could be the weight, not the bra.

In what situations is the bra recommended?

A woman’s body is perfect just the way it is, but Kiel gynecologist Doris Scharrel says you have to recognize that civilization and a sedentary lifestyle have consequences: most women have weak connective tissue, so wearing a bra seems recommended even for young people, especially if they do sports.

When physical exercise is practiced with a certain intensity, the chest muscles and tissues can be overloaded. Magazine Runner’s World carried out a curious study that proved that when running a kilometer the breasts moved 84 m when adding the journeys up and down.

In any case, Doris Scharrel recommends obeying one’s own feelings and whether or not to wear a bra based on comfort.

In the case of the breasts being very large and heavy, they pull the trunk forward and in the long run they can cause postural problems, can be highly recommended. In addition, connective tissue tends to stretch.

As the doctor says, wearing a bra rests your shoulders and spine, this way some headache can be avoided caused by tension in the neck.

How to choose a good bra

A good sports bra makes sense, but it’s not easy to find. The best models are those in which the straps converge at the center of the back (“fighter” model) and cannot slide off the shoulders.

In addition you must have a enough width under the chest so that all the responsibility of support does not fall on the suspenders.

One way to test if the width is adequate is to put on the bra and lower the straps: the body of the bra should not move.

The bra can cause pain

If the bra is too small, the cup is poorly constructed, or the width under the bust is too small, it can cause pain.