It should be admitted that bras have a strong role in highlighting the beauty of women's bodies. Because of this, all kinds of bras emerge one after another, bringing endless amorous feelings to women. However, the role of bras goes far beyond this. The protection, fixation and support of the bra on the breast are also quite obvious. It should be said that the purpose of wearing a bra is not only to follow the fashion, but also to pursue aesthetics and sexiness. Wearing a bra is more scientific. We can simply be divided into three situations: wear or not, wear or not, and wear or not.
/kloc-three "Don't wear" below 0/6:
First, it is not suitable to wear below 16. The breast develops 2-5 years before menarche (13-15 years old). During this period, the breast is disc-shaped and slightly raised. At this time, the corset is very harmful. The mainstream that modern young women pursue is to make breasts plump and fit, not flat and dry. In adolescence, the breasts should be fully developed, so we should actively exercise the pectoralis major to make it develop freely. Generally speaking, girls under 16 should not wear bras as long as their breasts are not early hypertrophy.
Second, the chest arc is less than 16 cm and should not be worn. When adult women stand upright, do not wear a soft ruler from the upper edge of the breast bulge, through the nipple, to the lower edge, and the arc distance of the breast is less than 16 cm (Figure 1).
Point A in Figure 1 indicates the upper edge of the breast bulge.
Point B is the reverse fold line between the lower edge of breast skin and chest wall.
Point c is the nipple.
Third, the linear distance from the sternal notch to the nipple is below 16 cm, which is not suitable for wearing. This standard distance for women in China should be 16 ~ 18 cm (Figure 2).
Fig. 2 The linear distance from nipple to sternal notch is 16 ~ 18 cm.
Point a is the sternal notch.
You can wear it or not, or sometimes you can wear it or not:
The shape of the breast is dynamic. Microscopically, women's breasts change every day, and macroscopically, they change with age, childbirth and breastfeeding. The breast changes from an elastic hemispherical shape to a soft drooping shape. Most people are formed by the natural relaxation of breast tissue and skin, and some people are formed by breast hypertrophy and heaviness. The breast is slightly loose and drooping, and its lowest point is below the broken line (point B) between the breast and the chest wall skin (Figure 3). The nipple only moves down slightly, and the linear distance between nipple and sternal notch is between 20-22cm, with little change in appearance. Most adult women belong to this type. This type of breast swing has increased, so women should wear bras when they go to work, walk, work and exercise, but they don't wear them at home or at leisure, and they must not wear them when they sleep.
Fig. 3 General types of slightly drooping breasts: the breast skin is below point B 1 ~ 2 cm.
Must wear:
Severe sagging breasts need bras. The skin of the breast is in contact with the skin of the chest and abdomen wall, rubbing, sweating and not evaporating, which can cause skin erosion and eczema. If the notch between the nipple and the sternum exceeds 22 cm, you need to hold up the breast with a bra (Figure 4). If the nipple is more than 25 cm away from the sternal notch, reduction and plastic surgery are needed.
Fig. 4 Severe breast droop: the skin below the breast is in contact with the skin of the chest and abdomen wall, and the nipple is the lowest point of the breast.
Hypertrophic breasts need bras. What is hypertrophy? There are relative standards and absolute standards. Generally speaking, breasts are full breasts, even exceeding the width of the chest. Hypertrophy is bound to be heavy, so it is often combined with sagging.
You need to wear a bra during pregnancy and lactation. However, most people ignore the necessity of wearing a bra during pregnancy. With the increase of breast size and weight, if the breast skin can't support it, it needs to be supported by a bra. During breastfeeding, many people do not wear bras for the convenience of breastfeeding. In fact, wearing the right bra is the only way to prevent sagging breasts in the future. During this period, a special bra should be used, the cup mouth of the bra should be enlarged and deepened, and the shoulder strap should be replaced with a neck strap frequently (Figure 5).
Fig. 5 During lactation, in order to prevent sagging breasts, a neck-strap bra should be worn to strengthen breast support.
There is a lot of knowledge in choosing bras. It depends not only on whether the bra is beautiful in shape and fine in workmanship, but also on whether the design is reasonable and the fabric material is suitable. You should choose cotton or silk fabrics that are breathable and sweat-absorbent, smooth and soft, and don't choose fabrics such as nylon and sponge, let alone metal materials such as thick steel wires. The size of the bra should match your bust. It is very important to measure the bottom bust. The anterior part of the measurement should pass through the deconvolution between the skin at the lower edge of the breast and the chest wall, and the posterior part should pass through 1.5 ~ 2 intervertebral spaces, about 3 ~ 4 cm, which is equivalent to the "Ganshu" point in acupuncture. The measurement of the top chest circumference is based on the horizontal chest circumference of the highest points of the two chest peaks, and the top chest circumference can be omitted in general breasts. However, it should be noted that the depth and size of the bra cup mouth should be suitable for your own breasts. The bra is too small to hold the breast, and the bra rushes up to press the lower part of the breast tissue, causing ischemia and fibrosis, forming a horizontal prismatic mass, which often causes pain and discomfort.
Brief introduction of the author
Professor Du Yutang, 1965, has been working in Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine since he graduated from the School of Medicine. Specializing in breast diseases and gynecological diseases. At present, Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Huguosi Chinese Medicine Hospital are in charge of the Medical Center for Breast Diseases and Endometriosis.
(Health 1999 12)