When purchasing bras, sales assistants often emphasize: "Ensure all underarm fat is tucked into the bra!" However, prolonged practice of this can be detrimental to breast health and may even increase cancer risk. Prolonged compression of accessory breasts impairs local blood circulation, potentially leading to proliferative diseases and heightened cancer risk.
At a recent breast health awareness event, experts highlighted that squeezing accessory breast tissue ranks among the four most common misconceptions in daily breast care. Forcibly tucking this tissue into bras traps it in a state of poor local blood circulation, potentially increasing cancer risks. Additionally, squeezing "pimples" around the areola is detrimental to breast health.
Stuffing "excess tissue" into bras does not enhance breast lift
Do not underestimate accessory breasts—they can be just as sensitive as mammary glands. The human body possesses two "mammary lines" extending from the armpits to the pubic region. However, through human evolution, only one pair of mammary glands has been retained, with all other accessory mammary glands having degenerated.However, clinically, some individuals may develop two or even three pairs of breasts, complete with nipples, areolas, and mammary gland tissue. Ninety-five percent of accessory breasts occur on the chest, most commonly along the anterior axillary line. Accessory breasts with glandular tissue may experience cyclical swelling and pain during the menstrual cycle and can develop benign or malignant tumors.
If a lump is detected in the armpit, careful differentiation is needed to determine whether it originates from an accessory breast or extends upward from the main breast tissue. Accessory breasts that lie close to the skin or are relatively large may cause discomfort in the armpit area and affect appearance. Removal can be considered based on personal preference. However, accessory breasts without glandular tissue typically cause no symptoms, do not interfere with physical activity, and do not affect appearance.
Experts advise against squeezing or tugging at accessory breasts. When wearing bras, choose properly fitted sizes with appropriate elasticity. Opt for sleeveless tops with sufficiently wide chest openings. Some "magic bust-enhancing" shapewear bras emphasize stuffing all underarm fat into the bra to create a "fuller" appearance.However, this practice equates to prolonged compression of accessory breast tissue, leading to impaired local blood circulation. This can similarly trigger proliferative diseases and increase the risk of cancerous changes.
Breast Health Knowledge You May Not Know: Daily Life Considerations
1. Wearing a bra does not prevent breast sagging.
Beyond serving an aesthetic purpose as an accessory, bras have no effect on breast development and offer no health benefits or therapeutic functions.Modern medical research confirms that wearing bras offers no health benefits for breasts. Improper bra fitting can actually cause health issues, especially with common push-up bras that compress mammary glands. Breast sagging correlates with breast size; generally, larger breasts—past or present—are a prerequisite for sagging, while smaller breasts are less prone to it.
Breast sagging is irreversible, and wearing a bra can indeed provide some relief. Generally, due to the effects of gravity, breasts tend to sag. This sagging can affect blood return in the chest area, leading to blood pooling in the chest, which in turn may impact mammary gland development. Wearing a bra can counteract the effects of gravity on the breasts.For individuals with naturally larger breasts, wearing a bra alone cannot prevent sagging. While it may offer temporary relief, once breasts reach a certain size, bra support becomes insufficient to halt the descent.
2. No Need for Underwire from a Health Perspective
The inclusion of underwire in bras primarily serves design functionality. Currently, most sports bras omit underwire to minimize pressure or friction during physical activity.Sports bras prioritize preventing breast displacement and deformation during movement, thus emphasizing appropriate compression rather than aesthetic support. Bras for adolescents or older women also typically omit underwires for enhanced comfort, though underwired bras offer superior support. From a breast health perspective, underwires are unnecessary.
3. Improper wearing poses greater risks than going braless
Push-up bras can make breasts appear more concentrated,and some women may choose bras slightly smaller than their actual size for aesthetic reasons. Wang Jianmei notes that overly tight bras can compress the breasts and impair blood circulation. Prolonged use may increase the risk of certain breast conditions, such as hyperplasia or inverted nipples, and could potentially contribute to breast cancer. Inverted nipples can also significantly hinder breastfeeding.Huang Rongrong informed reporters that severe compression from bras can sometimes cause nipple inflammation.
For women, not wearing a bra generally has minimal impact. Conversely, improper bra wearing techniques can lead to a series of problems.For instance, some girls experience early breast development, differing significantly from their peers. Some, out of shyness, choose bras that are too small or too tight to achieve a slimming effect. However, it must be emphasized that this practice is inadvisable. The normal breast development process will not halt as a result; instead, it may lead to abnormal breast development.Prolonged use of tight undergarments during early breast development can sometimes cause the breasts to settle 2-3 centimeters lower than normal after maturation, significantly affecting appearance. 4. Accessory breasts are not caused by bra compression Some believe accessory breasts result from wearing overly tight bras that compress the chest over time.Accessory breasts are a congenital condition caused by genetic factors, not prolonged bra compression. If the mother has accessory breasts, the likelihood of offspring developing them increases.
Accessory breasts are difficult to detect before mammary gland development. Typically featuring nipples, they become more noticeable during pregnancy. If accessory breasts appear during lactation, appropriate massage can alleviate symptoms.Accessory breasts consist of fibrous mammary tissue and may cause cyclical pain. If pathological changes occur, such as fibroadenomas or lumps, prompt intervention is necessary. Large accessory breasts can be surgically removed, while smaller ones without abnormalities may require no treatment.
5. Avoid overly tight straps and "invisible straps"
Excessively tight bra straps or underbands are also inadvisable. Some women tighten straps to achieve a lifted appearance, but this can compress the lower breast tissue—especially with underwire bras.With various bra strap options available, women are advised to choose wider straps. Narrow straps often cause shoulder and neck discomfort. "Invisible straps," popular in summer, are not recommended.
6. Don't blindly favor natural materials
When evaluating lingerie materials, quality isn't determined solely by whether fibers are natural or synthetic. Instead, focus on safety standards and wearability. Natural materials aren't inherently superior to non-natural ones.Many modified synthetic fibers offer excellent wearability, providing comfort during use. They exhibit good moisture and sweat absorption, along with softness after washing. Such materials can be used with confidence. From this perspective, synthetic fibers may not necessarily be inferior to natural ones.
7. Absence of breast swelling or pain does not mean all is well
Breast abnormalities often present with pain, such as cyclical or irregular swelling pain, throbbing pain, stabbing pain, radiating pain, or pulling sensations. Some mistakenly equate the presence or absence of pain with malignancy, believing "if it doesn't hurt, it can't be cancer."Clinically, many patients presenting with pain have benign conditions, while malignant tumors often cause no pain unless they compress nerves. Painful lumps are typically inflammatory or benign proliferative conditions like acute mastitis or breast hyperplasia. Painless lumps can occur in both benign tumors (e.g., fibroadenoma) and malignant tumors (e.g., breast cancer).
8. Ill-fitting bras have significant consequences