BRA PROBLEM - WHY DO bras BULGE AT THE SIDES? If you have unwanted bra bulge at the sides it could be the bra band is too narrow. Alternatively the bra band size could be too small or the bra cup size is too small.
Ever had your breasts spill out of the sides of a cup? That's a surefire sign that your cups are too small. This is probably the easiest bra fit issue to fix — just size up in the cup. Or, if your band doesn't feel tight enough, you might need to size up in the cup and down in the band.
Typically, if you have gaping bra cups, your breasts are resting at the bottom of the cups. To fix this, start by tightening the bra straps, ensuring your band stays straight across your back. If your cups fit well but there is still a gap at the top, consider going down a cup size or choosing a different style of bra.
The band lies straight, around the front and back of the body. The center of the bra lies flat against the breastbone, separating the breasts. The underwires do not cut or poke into the breast tissue. The sides lie smoothly without binding or cutting.
If your bra band digs into your side or back it could be that the bra back band is too small. It may be that your weight has changed recently. The age of the bra can sometimes be a factor as machine washing the bra over time can have an affect and it may have shrunk.
If the underwire is poking into your breasts, the cup size is too small. If the underwire is poking into your armpits, the cup size is too big or you're wearing the wrong style. The general rule of thumb: The underwire should never touch your breasts.
In order to determine if your cup size is too big or small, look to see if you have an extra bump of breast tissue at the top or at the sides of the cups or if you have a wrinkle in the cups or extra space in the cup.
If your bra's center panel is not resting on your sternum, this could be a sign that your cup size is too small. If the underwires are pointing outward and away from your body, this too is a sign that your cup size could be too small. The band of the bra should be parallel to the floor.
An obvious sign that the cups are too small is if the underwire presses in at the sides of the breasts or if you have red marks on your breasts when you take your bra off in the evening. The underwire should enclose and cradle the breasts; it shouldn't pinch anywhere. If it does, you need to go up a cup size.
If your breasts are spilling out of the top of your bra, this could be because you're wearing the wrong band or cup size, or a bra style that isn't suited for your breasts. The best way to figure out what's causing the problem is to measure yourself and make sure that you're wearing the right bra size.
Once your breast is pulled forward, if the tissue is not completely in front of the wire, you need to go up in your cup size. For every 3/4 inch of breast tissue under and behind the wire, go up one cup size. If you have never been fitted, it is likely that you will need to go up several cup sizes.
There are many ways in which the wrong size bra can contribute to breast pain. If your bra is too small, it can dig into your breasts — if it is too big, your breasts may have too much room and can become prone to bouncing around, contributing to tenderness.
How often you need to wash your bras isn't an exact science. But dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says that as a general rule, you should wash them after every two to three wears.
For a sleek, firm look under clothes, your breasts should “sit” midway between shoulder and elbow regardless of their size or your overall body proportions. Any lower and your midriff will get lost.
Dr. Blake says wearing a bra doesn't prevent your breasts from sagging and not wearing one doesn't cause your breasts to sag. “Wearing a bra doesn't affect the risk of breast sagging, or what is called 'breast ptosis,'” she says. It also won't impact the shape of your breasts.
"If you don't wear a bra, your breasts will sag," says Dr. Ross. "If there's a lack of proper, long-term support, breast tissue will stretch and become saggy, regardless of breast size." Still, both experts agree that multiple factors play into if and when sagging (technical term: "ptosis") occurs, bra-wearing aside.
When you look down at your bra do you notice space between your breasts and the cup? If so, it's too big. If you aren't able to see any gaps while standing up, try leaning over while looking into a mirror. If there is extra space in your cups it's time for a new size.
Larger the band size, the larger the cup. Therefore, the cup of 34B is the same as 32C or 36A. Knowing your sister size will help you in finding the right-sized bra for you.
Armpit fat, also known as axillary fat, is a collection of fat separate from the rest of the breast. The fat looks like a small pooch next to the armpit. Axillary fat may occur in women who have normal breast size and body weight.
Weight loss or weight gain won't dramatically affect cup size, says Daniel Maman, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Manhattan who sees several patients for breast surgery every day.
It turns out, over half of women polled thought a C cup was the perfect fit. At the same time, close to 26 percent preferred a B cup. Nearly 2 percent said an A cup was their preferred breast proportion.