Breast Structure & Ways to Prevent Breast Sagging

Breast sagging or Breast Ptosis is a common problem of increasing age but sometimes it happens before menopause or advanced age as well. Even though it is not a problem that causes any kind of functional problem in the body, it is still a source of anxiety and stress for women as breasts are considered a source of beauty for them. Sagging in breasts also causes a women’s figure to change.

Breasts are devoid of any type of muscles. Instead, they are made up of glandular tissues such as adipose or fat tissue, mammary glands, milk ducts and Cooper’s Ligaments. Cooper’s ligaments are actually connective tissue that help in supporting the breasts but they are present minimally, therefore sagging in breasts occurs quite easily as they do not provide much support.

The mechanism that determines the size and shape of the breasts is largely not known. What we do know is that the change in the amount of adipose tissue (also mammary tissue to certain extent) is responsible for the change in size, volume and shape of breasts. The reason the shape and size of breasts vary throughout life is because, even though mammary glands remain more or less constant throughout life, the amount of adipose tissue keeps on changing.

For further reference, you should know that the dark part around the nipples is known as areola and the crease where lower part of your breasts is attached to the chest wall is known Infra-mammary crease.

Even though there are many treatments available to somewhat cure already drooping and sagging breasts, it is far better to take some precautionary measures to prevent your breasts from sagging ever. We may not have any control over some of the causes responsible for breast sagging such as genetics and aging but we can actually do something about others such as weight gain, nutrition, smoking etc.

There are various things that you can do to prevent your breasts from sagging in the first place. Some of these are given here:

Smoking can cause sagging of breast by causing breasts to lose their elasticity by destroying elastin protein present in the breasts. So the best option to save your breasts from sagging prematurely is to quit smoking as soon as possible. Getting rid of the nasty habit will not only save your breasts but also help you to maintain your health as well, not to mention save you from the risk of getting cancer.

It is also quite important to make sure that you are not inhaling second hand smoke from other smokers which is even more harmful than smoking yourself.

Even though bras do not necessarily save you from sagging breasts, at least it is not proven scientifically; wearing right sized, comfortable and supportive bras can help you in enhancing your breast and maintain their shape. If you do not select the right sized bra, it can do you more harm than good. You can know your cup size by either measuring it at home or taking the help of the lady consultants that are present at almost all of the reputed lingerie showrooms.

Massaging your breasts regularly can also help in preventing sagging. Massaging breasts increases circulation in them which in turn increases the oxygen supply to breasts. This oxygen helps in the increased production of both collagen and elastin fibers which increases your breast elasticity and helps in firming them up, thus prevent the risk of breast sagging.

It is recommended by doctors to replace your old bras periodically. Bras usually last anywhere from 6 to 9 months after which they lose their elasticity. Repeated washing makes the bra cloth thin and also causes its elastic to get loose as well as cause them to lose their support due to the weight of your breasts. So you should replace your bras from time to time to prevent your breasts from sagging.

It is also recommended to wash bras in cold water and refrain from drying them in a heated drier. This is because heat causes the elastic to lose its elasticity.

Moisturizing your breasts daily prevents them from getting dry. Dried skin is weaker and more prone to get wrinkled and sagged. So just like you moisturize your face every day to keep it looking youthful, you should definitely moisturize your breasts daily as well to prevent breast sagging.

You should also use sunscreen on your breasts to prevent sagging as sunscreen prevents the skin of your breasts to get dehydrated and damaged which in turn leads to their sagging in the long run. It also limits the harmful effects of sunrays.

Nutrition is very important for youthful looking skin and healthy body. Just like that it is also indispensable in preventing breast sagging. You should include foods that are rich in Vitamin B and Vitamin C in your diet if you want to prevent breast sagging. This is because these vitamins enhance the growth of collagen and elastin fibers increasing breast elasticity.

Correct posture is also very important for preventing breasts from sagging. Correct posture not only provides instant change in your breast position but also helps your breasts to avoid sagging or drooping in the long run.

You should also maintain your body weight at a healthy level and make sure you don’t gain too much weight if you do not want your breasts to sag prematurely. You should also avoid fad diets and yo-yo diets (diet in which there is a cyclic gain and loss of weight) if you are trying to lose weight. Instead of these, you should go on a healthy low fat and low calorie diet plan with regular exercising and proper nutrition.

There are certain exercises that help you in keeping your breasts firm. Doing these exercises regularly can help in preventing your breasts from sagging. Push-ups, bench presses as well as yoga can help with that.

So these are some of the preventive measures that you can take if you want to keep your breasts perky and fit and want to look youthful for a long, long time. Getting aware before time can save you the hassle of surgery and breast lift later on in your life. Besides it is much easier to incorporate the above mentioned tricks in your daily routine than to go through the expensive and potentially problematic procedures later on. You know what they say, “Prevention is better than cure.”

Also Read:

• Sagging Breast: Grades, Causes, Prevention, Remedies
• What Causes Sagging Breasts?

Also Watch:

• 7 Yoga Poses to Firm Up Sagging Breast