Breasts can vary greatly from person to person. Size, shape, and colour are traits that are inherited from genes. But through the course of a woman’s life, her breasts will also constantly change and develop.
Breast tissue is made mostly of fat cells, glandular tissue, and ligaments that extend from the collarbone to the underarm and across the centre of the chest. Glands called lobules produce milk that women use to feed their newborn children.
Sagging breasts
As time goes by, it’s natural for the original shape of the breasts to lose elasticity and droop. This is extremely common but can be a source of anxiety for some women.
Breast “ptosis”—the medical term for sagging—is one of the most common conditions treated by plastic surgeons.
Not everyone has the means or the desire to alter their appearance surgically, but surgery isn’t necessary to begin making positive changes to improve your bust.
You can adopt a variety of natural remedies and lifestyle changes to help prevent or minimise the effects of sagging.
Causes sagging breasts?
The most common cause of sagging breasts is simply the passage of time. Regardless of who you are or what you wear, time and gravity will cause your skin to become weaker and less elastic. However, young women might experience sagging breasts as well. Aside from the passage of time, there are many additional reasons why sagging may occur:
- Multiple pregnancies cause the ligaments that support your breasts to stretch and droop as they get heavier to support your baby.
- Smoking causes the skin to lose its flexibility and strength.
- Larger, heavier breasts are more likely to sag over time.
- Extreme weight loss can drastically alter chest shape and breast appearance.
- Being overweight causes the skin and breast tissue to stretch and droop.
- Overexposure to the sun’s UV rays breaks down collagen and elastin.
- Menopause causes hormonal changes that affect skin elasticity.
- Extreme, high-intensity, strenuous exercise can cause connective tissue to break down.
- Certain illnesses, such as breast cancer and tuberculosis, can weaken tissue and breast support.
Natural remedies for sagging breasts
You can never fully restore the original size and shape of your breasts, but you can take certain measures to improve the lift and strength of your bust.
These measures include:
* Exercise
* Diet and nutrition
* Posture
* Support
* Exercise
Since breasts don’t have muscle, you can’t firm up breast tissue with exercise. However, beneath the breasts are fibrous connective tissue and muscles that can be exercised to improve the overall appearance of your chest. Various chest exercises are recommended to enhance not only muscle strength but posture as well. Some common exercises to try are:
- Pushups
- Swimming
- Bench press
- Arm curls
- Diet and nutrition
- Eat a balanced, healthy diet to feed and nourish your skin so it stays healthy, strong, and resilient for many years to come.
It’s also important to maintain an optimal weight for your body type. Being overweight puts pressure on your skin tissue, and the extra weight may add additional weight to your breasts, which could result in sagging.
In addition to a healthy diet, healthy lifestyle decisions are imperative. Smoking tobacco is harmful to your skin as well as your overall health. It may be a contributing factor to sagging breasts.
Importantly, drink enough water throughout the day and stay hydrated. Water powers everything in your body, and drinking enough will keep your skin strong and improve the overall firmness and strength of the breast tissue.
Posture
Bad posture, such as having a hunched or bent back, can cause the breasts to hang by their own weight, putting more pressure and tension on the breast tissue and aggravating sagging. Good posture, on the other hand, involves teaching your body to assume positions during movement where the least amount of strain is placed on supporting ligaments and muscles. By keeping your back straight and your shoulders back, good posture works to evenly distribute the weight in your body and help protect against sagging.
Support
A quality, properly fitted bra gives added support that reduces the strain and stress on your breasts’ supporting tissues and muscles. If you gain or lose weight, make sure you get re-fitted.
The outlook
It’s completely normal to experience sagging in your breasts. It can be caused by various factors ranging from genetics to diet to lifestyle.
By taking better overall care of your body, you can improve skin elasticity and strength, minimising the effects of sagging.
