Society Gists

My breasts used to be my best assets. I was so proud of my upper region. I could walk with my head held high among my friends because I knew my breasts were firm, sexy and perky than others.

“But that was back in the days. What used to be my best assets have turned to become off-putting and unpleasant. I’m not comfortable with them and they make me feel ugly, unattractive and sometimes sad. It is as if someone sucked out all the confidence out of me. How are the mighty fallen.”

The above was the lamentation of a 26-year-old mother of one, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity. She feels the world has come to an end because her once firm and taut breasts have become almost flat.

A lot of women want to have firm, sexy and perky breasts and they feel much better about themselves if they have great-looking cleavages. It is believed that firm and beautiful bust makes women more attractive, confident, sexy, and gives them an endearing look.

To, Adewale Ogunseyi, a Master’s degree student in one of Nigeria’s public universities, “The breast is the first thing you see in a woman, and it determines whether she would be attractive or not. So, the state and structure of the breasts say a lot about her.”

This probably explains why many women are concerned about the shape and firmness of their breasts.

A report posted on petittebreasts.com says causes of loose breasts vary but are mainly a product of nature, which makes it almost unavoidable. It however adds that they could be made to look youthful once again. Of all the causes, pregnancy, breastfeeding, hormone fluctuations, rapid weight loss, irregular menstruation, wearing wrong bras, menopause, exercising without a supportive bra, smoking and aging are more common.

The report explains that breast’s connective tissues, known as Cooper’s ligaments, age around three years faster than any other part of the body. The report says breasts move around up to 33 per cent from their standing position, but increases when women run, and that a good sports bra can restrict up to 80 per cent of that movement while doing an exercise.

A consultant plastic surgeon, Patrick Mallucci, of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, in an article titled, ‘Stop bouncing around,’ said, “The problem with breasts is that, unlike anywhere else in the body, they are effectively two weights that are supported only by the skin.” Thus, loose breast is a natural, inevitable process that happens to all women at some point and that sagging cannot be totally prevented.

In the same vein, Dr. Andrew Ordon, an American plastic surgeon, says surgery is the only permanent option to restore fullness.

According to his report on thedoctorstv.com, “Breast tissue is comprised primarily of glands and fat. The muscle sits below the bulk of the breast, so no amount of exercising can help lift or shape the bosom. Once breast tissue sags, surgery is the only permanent option to restore fullness,” he explained. Odion adds that the best way to prevent sagging is to wear a well-fitted bra.

According to petittebreasts.com, apart from jumping on the surgery table for a surgical operation to help make the chest look firm and youthful again, there are other therapies and exercises that could help achieve an appreciable firmness, as tightening the skin on and around the breast is the secret to having a firm breast.

The report recommends hydrotherapy, which is using water to promote health and wellness in the body.

It says, “The next time you are in the shower, spend a few minutes rinsing your breasts with pleasantly warm and cold water in an alternating order with more of cold water to increase circulation to the skin by as much as 95 per cent. This stimulates the production of collagen and elasticity, resulting in firmer skin and perkier breasts. This should be done as many times as possible.

“Sleeping position also matters. If a woman likes to sleep on one side, the breast on the top tends to sag and stretch more than the one closer to the bed. By staying on your back, you can keep both breasts firmer longer.”

But according to wikihow.com, massaging the breasts, which is a means of hydrating and softening them, in an upward motion for about 10 minutes a day is helpful. SO also, is the use of breast firming and lifting creams, while exercises such as push-up, chest press, chest fly, standing press, yoga, resistance bands, are therapies that can improve blood flow and nutrient supply to the breast tissues.

The report adds that massaging can be done with oils, such as olive oil, almond oil, jojoba oil and avocado oil, virgin coconut oil, camelina oil, pumpkin seed oil, emu oil or skin firming lotions, apart from its additional health benefits.

Also, during physical exercises, like running, jogging or playing tennis, the breasts bounce up and down, left and right, as well as forward and backward. If the woman does not have good sports bra for support to restrain the movement, she could end up damaging the supporting tissues and the ligaments, thus making the breasts lose their firmness, petitebreasts.com reports.

For women who love swimming, when breasts hang down, it can sometimes cause embarrassment on the beach or while swimming, the solution, according to 007b.com, is to buy a swimming suit with bra support.

A healthy lifestyle is also said to be important. Eating much of fruits, proteins and vegetables, protection of the skin from sun rays, while reducing the consumption of carbonated drinks, chocolate, caffeine, nicotine and non-smoking are also helpful.

On the other hand, ekpees.hubpages.com, says breast implant is the best solution, which is the process of filling loose skin to give the breast both size and shape, but cautioned that apart from being costly, it could result in serious complications and side effects, such as long recovery time, affect nipple sensitivity and result in other health complications. It says further that the implant does not guarantee everlasting results, as it always needs a come back.

A Nigerian medical practitioner, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, who traced the causes of loose breast to aging, pregnancy and breastfeeding, explained that breasts are like other parts of the body that age as the person grows old.

“Many people resort to silicon or breast implant, which is like plastic surgery to reconstruct the breast because other measures are not true support. Once the supporting tissue is weak, the breasts tend to lose their firmness, so implant is used to support the breasts.

“However, those dealing with loose breast can also wear bra to bed, but it is advisable not to sleep with bra so that the body can be in a complete state of rest,” he explained.

Adesanya added that young females could prevent sagging by using firm bra to support their breasts at all times, and that contrary to the general belief, fondling has no effect on the size of the breast.