Bust Care Tips

BUST CARE

Breasts are largely made up of fat globules and fibrous connective tissue. Breasts in fact do not have any muscular tissues and are held by the muscles, which lie between the rib cage. Hence if these muscles, which are called pectorals, are in good shape, then your breasts will get a good cleavage and lift.

Around 50 per cent of women are unhappy with their breasts. And their size and shape is largely beyond our control. They are liable to change size of their own accord quite regularly due to hormonal changes, losing or gaining weight, pregnancy and menstrual cycles. Ageing, pregnancy, and repeated dieting can all contribute to the southward journey of your bust by changing the natural elasticity of the cutaneous tissue. But diet, exercise and proper care can all contribute towards a healthier chest.

Exercise of the pectoral muscles will help to improve the appearance of the bust as you can strengthen the supportive ligaments, which stretch from the nipple to the underside of the breast. The actual breast doesn't have any muscle so if it's already sagging, there's not much you can do to defy gravity. Exercises, breast creams, along with massage, may improve appearance and texture and even lessen stretch marks. However if you have a real problem, then cosmetic surgery is probably the only way to really change your bust.



Sagging Breast
The ideal size and shape of the human breast is a matter of personal and cultural preference. It also varies with the dictates of fashion.

Premature sagging occurs as a result of stretching the Cooper's ligaments that help suspend and support the breast. Breast ptosis (drooping breasts) can result from a loosening of the skin and suspensory ligaments. Gravity and weight of breasts take their toll over time. Ptosis can also come from a reduction in the volume of breast tissue. This can occur after pregnancy and weight loss.

Although good breast care primarily means keeping your breasts healthy, for some women it also means keeping your breasts smooth and firm. There are two reasons for breast to sag: large breasts and age. Somewhere between the age of 30 and 40, the elastic tissue in the breast begins to degenerate. The breast fibres, which act like rubber bands and provide that resilient bounce as you walk, will still stretch, but they don't snap back quite as well. The result is saggy breasts. Adding to the problem, hormonal changes - both during pregnancy and as you reach menopause - make breasts sag even more.

Three types of aesthetic procedures are commonly performed on the breast as under:
Breast augmentation (making the breast larger)
Mastopexy (lifting up the sagging breast)
Breast reduction

Mammaplasty (Breast augmentation)
Breast augmentation (also called mammaplasty) is a surgery to contour and enlarge breasts using implants. Many women choose the procedure because they feel their breasts are too small for their body. Some women lose breast size after childbirth or breastfeeding. For others, nature was not overly generous to begin with. And there are other women who are bothered by uneven breasts and would like a more naturally balanced look.

It is done by placing an implant (also called a prosthesis), either directly behind the tissue of the breast gland or underneath the pectoral muscles as well as the breast. Many designs of implant are used. They all consist of a silicone bag containing a fluid. The outside of the silicone bag or envelope is sometimes textured. The first fluid used to fill implants was silicone gel, followed by saline (salt water).
The breast implant is inserted through either an incision around the lower border of the nipple (at the edge of the areola or pigmented area), an incision in the skin fold below the breast or an incision in the armpit. Choice of incision and breast size is largely a matter of preference of the patient and plastic surgeon.

Mastopexy (Breast Lift)
Breast lift (or mastopexy) is a surgical procedure to reshape and raise sagging breasts. The surgeon removes excess, stretched skin, which has allowed the breasts to droop, and lifts the nipples to a higher, more pert position. If desired, the size of the areola can be reduced as part of the procedure as well. In some cases, breast implants are inserted at the same time to round and shape the breasts for a fuller, more natural appearance. A breast lift is similar to breast reduction mammaplasty - both procedures remodel the breast. The breast lift reshapes the breast by the removal of stretched and sagging skin; the breast reduction removes fat and breast tissue as well.
There are several techniques for a breast lift that the cosmetic plastic surgeon can consider depending upon the degree of droopiness (ptosis) of the breast. In a youthful breast, the nipple lies above the inframammary fold on the mound of the breast. The surgeon will examine your breast, decide on the degree of ptosis, and then determine the surgical treatment best for you.

Breast reduction
Reduction mammaplasty (breast reduction) is the surgical reduction of the breast tissue, and re-tailoring of the overlying skin. This operation involve cutting around the nipple, leaving it attached to the chest wall by a stalk of breast tissue, removing excess skin (and glandular tissue in a reduction) and closing the re-shaped breast.

Bust Care Tips
Having saggy breast is very common, especially in women who have large breasts and who are aged. Adding to the problem, hormonal changes - both during pregnancy and as you reach menopause - make breasts sag even more. You can choose to carry out a plastic surgery. Apart from surgery, you can lift your breast up in a natural way. The best strategy to prevent sagging is to wear supportive sports bras that have good upward support and hold the breasts close to the chest. Strength exercises that target the pectoral muscles may provide some benefit in elevating overlying breast tissue. Push-ups, dumb-bell flies and weight machines that work the pectoral muscles may provide some aesthetic benefit. De-emphasize your focus on weight and continue regular exercise and healthy eating habits.

Exercise for your Breast
For this you will require a set of three-pound dumbbell.

Steps
1. Lie down on a mat. Hold one weight in each hand and extended your arms out at shoulder level. Raise both arms straight up together above your body, keeping your elbow slightly bent, so that the weights meet over your chest. Return the weighs out to your sides at shoulder height. Repeat the exercise 13 to 15 times.

2. Lie down on a mat. Extend your arms and hold the weights up in the air over your chest. Bend your elbows and lower the weights toward your chest, with your elbows out to the sides at shoulder level. Extend your arms straight back up over your chest. Repeat the exercise 13 to 15 times.

3. Take a weight in each hand, extend your arms out to each side and do 15 small, backward circles about a foot in diameter. Widen the circles slightly and do another 15, then repeat these two steps going forward.

Nutrition for your Breast
Eat less animal fat. Eat more oily fish and use extra virgin olive oil instead of standard cooking oils.
Top up your diet with an antioxidant supplement, including vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and the mineral selenium. Also eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, especially onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
Eat more fibre, especially oats, rye, millet, brown rice and beans. Fibre helps to move food through the gut and may reduce the re-absorption of oestrogen.
Limit alcohol - it can cause an increase in oestrogen levels.
Cut back on coffee, cola, chocolate and strong tea.
Increase your protein intake. Protein is needed to build and keep muscles tone and firm. Protein also provides much-needed Collagen. Three to four meals a day that consist of protein is recommend.

Another thing that is important to avoid 'drooping' or 'sagging' breasts is wearing a good supportive bra, especially during pregnancy and exercise.

Choosing A Good Sports Bra
It is really important to wear a good sports bra when exercising regardless of the size of your bust. It will help to reduce breast pain and minimise 'sagging' in the future! But many women don't know how to choose the right style or size. Here are our tips for finding the right sports bra.

Make sure that the bra is specially designed for sports use. Most bras are not designed for the increased movement during exercise. If you want to use a non-sports bra you already own, make sure it has a 'firm support'.
Measure your size properly. Most of the women wear wrong size bras.
Check the bra strap. It should be firm but comfortable. If it is too loose the bra won't stay put, but too tight and it will be hard to breathe.
Check that the cups are the right size. If there is any bulging the cup size is too small, if the cups wrinkle the cup is too big. It is important to get the right cup size.