There’s no better feeling than unsnapping your bra after a stressful day. The hot, constrained feeling of being squeezed by suffocating fabric disappears instantly, and the world is right again.
While we’d hate to lose out on that sensation, what if we didn’t need to wear bras at all? It sounds too good to be true, but there are actually some very compelling reasons to abstain from brassieres. Here are five benefits of going au naturel.
1. Bras make breasts saggier.
Yes, that’s the horrifying truth. A 15-year study performed by French sports science expert Jean-Denis Rouillon proved that bras do not protect breasts from gravity.
The act of supporting breasts weakens the pectoral muscles making breasts sit lower. Rouillon says, “Medically, physiologically, anatomically—breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity. On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra.”
2. You’ll avoid the effects of ill-fitting bras.
Wearing a properly fitting bra doesn’t cause any medical issues. While it doesn’t necessarily prevent back pain, it doesn’t cause back pain either.
However, many women do not wear the right bra size. Whether their weight has fluctuated or they just don’t know what cup or band size to get, the results are the same. Ill-fitting bras can cause shoulder pain, backaches, and sore ribcages and chests. Ditching your bra means never worrying about finding the perfect fit.
3. Your circulation will improve.
Unsurprisingly, wearing a constrictive garment around your chest restricts blood flow. That’s a big reason why taking off your bra feels so good.
Going bra-free means your blood flow can exist as it naturally does. This can improve everything from your sleep schedule to your skin health. When you allow your blood to circulate freely, you’ll feel loads better.
4. You’ll be more comfortable.
Okay, so you may be less comfortable in some settings. When you’re at work, and the air conditioning is at full blast, you may feel a little embarrassed.
However, in situations where you don’t have to worry about someone ogling you, going bra-less feels great. True, you won’t be able to experience the feeling of relief when you take off a bra, but you won’t have to go through the pain and discomfort of wearing one.
5. Your breasts will perk up.
The French study of 320 women showed that those who ditched bras had a boost in perkiness. According to Dr. Rouillon, “Their nipples lifted on average seven millimeters in one year in relation to their shoulders.”
Again, the reason for this is that the bra is no longer supporting the weight of the breasts. Instead, the body begins to build the pectorals so that they can support the weight. In doing so, a woman builds extra muscles that perk up her breasts.
Whether or not you wear a bra is nobody’s business but your own. We just want you to be aware of all the facts when you make the decision. There’s no medical reason why you need a bra—it’s simply a custom. You can feel free to ditch it.
