The various myths you believed when you were a child probably seem strange to you now. Oddly enough, myths about bras are somehow different – many grown women still believe them. Whether you heard them from your mom, your best friend, or a misinformed lingerie saleswoman, these common bra myths just don't add up.
Myth:Sleeping with a bra keeps your breasts upright
There is no scientific evidence that wearing a bra or not wearing a bra can make a difference to what happens to your breasts over time. Breasts droop mainly due to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Then there's another little thing that might be called gravity. Over time, gravity pulls your breasts down. It's just a natural process.
Myth:Wearing a bra makes your breasts sag
You may have also heard that wearing a bra makes your breasts sag. Your breasts contain no muscle, only skin, fat and ligaments. It's not like your abs or upper arms that you can improve with training. Wearing a bra or not wearing a bra doesn't change the fact that these are all physiological changes that happen to your breasts over time.
Myth:Bras Can Cause Breast Cancer This myth dates back to 1995, when a team of medical anthropologists claimed that wearing tight bras restricts lymph nodes around the breasts, trapping toxins that cause cancer in the body. This turns out not to be correct. But the myth persists on the internet. Why is this repeated theory fake? The way the lymphatics work is that they go from the edge of the breasts to the nipple area and then into the armpits. So it won't be compressed or stopped by a bra as it moves away from where the underwire is. Other studies have shown that there is no significant evidence that bra wearing is associated with breast cancer risk.
Myth:You shouldn't wash your bra too often
Think about it:Would you like to wear the same pair of underwear several times without washing? Yeah, we didn't think so. The same rules apply to bras. The fabric breaks down as it constantly rubs against the dirt and oils of our skin. So to prolong the life of your bra, you really want to make sure you wash it after every wear.
Myth:DO NOT put your bra in the washing machine
This myth does have some truth in it. Bras wear out faster when thrown in the washing machine; hooks can get caught on other items in the drum. It is recommended that you wash your bra by hand in cold water with a mild detergent. But as long as you accept that you need to change your lingerie more often, there is nothing wrong with washing your bras in the machine.
Myth:You can keep your bra forever
If the bra still fits, wear it, right? Not so much. Even if your breasts remain the same size, you shouldn't stick with your favorite bra forever. A general rule of thumb is one year. But if it's a bra you don't wear often, you can keep it for three years. It all depends on how often you wear it and how well you take care of it.
Myth:Your bra size is the same for all brands
Your size is not the same for every brand, or even every style. All these brands use a 'fit model'. There is no machine that determines the size of a bra. They actually look at a real woman, determine her size and then base the rest of their line on that person. Since there is absolutely no consistency, you could have five different bras in five different sizes from five different brands. That means you really have to try them in every store to find the right fit.
Myth:A new bra has to fit to the last hook
Buying a bra to fit the largest band size perfectly isn't necessarily the best method out there. Instead, you need to attach the bra hook to the center hook. That way you can go to the outside hook when you're menstruating, for example, because women get a bit wider during that time. And if it stretches a little, then move it to the tightest setting.
