7 Breast Sagging Habits to Break Before It’s Too Late
Once you hit 30 and over, your breasts are more likely to sag as a result of the reduced collagen and elastin your body produces. However, while everyone’s breasts sag with age or as a result of breastfeeding, there are many ways to prevent breasts from sagging prematurely. Several habits cause premature breast sagging, all of which you can break to maximize the amount of time you have with your full, youthful, and perky breasts.
Proven Causes of Premature Breast Sagging
Whether you are 25 or 55–if you are guilty of any of the following, you are at risk of making your breasts sag too soon.
1. Ignoring the Importance of Sunscreen
Unprotected sun exposure is responsible for 90 percent of early skin aging. It causes fine lines, wrinkles, and loose skin–even if you are still in your late teens or early 20s. Excessive exposure to the sun has the same damaging effects on your breasts.
Applying sunscreen to your face and body before having fun in the sun is a proven way to slow the skin aging process. Just remember to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 to 50 daily, and to reapply every two hours.
2. Your Bra
An ill-fitting bra is a common cause of saggy breasts. When you don’t wear a bra to support your breasts while running or jumping, they will bounce around, stretching the delicate skin and decreasing the amount of collagen. While this problem is more prevalent among women with larger chests, it is still recommended for all women to wear a supportive sports bra before engaging in certain physical activities.
In contrast, research also suggests that wearing a bra day in and day out can cause the breasts to sag, as your chest muscles will weaken and rely on constant support.
So, should you or should you not wear a bra? The answer is simple: Wear a supportive bra when exercising or as needed, then remove it at the end of the day to allow your breasts to breathe.
3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
In line with the previous point, high-impact exercises can cause premature breast sagging. The fast-paced and repetitive motions associated with HIIT workouts can accelerate the breakdown of collagen in the breasts.
Don’t worry–you can still do high-intensity workouts. Just make sure to wear a sports bra that provides proper support.
4. Your Posture
If you have a desk job, own a car, and have no time for exercise, then you are most likely sitting for at least nine hours a day, depending on how much time you spend awake. Unfortunately, one of the many side effects of a sedentary lifestyle is breast sagging or breast ptosis.
Hunching or maintaining poor posture for long hours every day can cause your breasts to hang by their own weight instead of the support of your bra. In consequence, the stress and tension on your breast tissue will rise, leading to ptosis.
5. Your Sleeping Position
Do you sleep on your stomach? The position may be comfortable, but it can be the reason why your breasts are sagging prematurely. The fact that you are pressing your chest down for seven to eight hours every night is self-explanatory as to why your breasts are drooping despite your youth. If you sleep on your side, it can also cause the ligaments in your breasts to stretch, which will result in sagging over time.
Sleeping on your back is the best position for preventing premature breast sagging. However, we understand how difficult it can be to switch up your sleeping position. If you are struggling to let go of the comforts of snoozing on your stomach or side, follow these tips from Casper to learn how to sleep on your back.
6. Smoking
No article about skin sagging is complete without the mention of tobacco. Smoking not only causes lung cancer and other life-threatening diseases, but it also impacts your appearance, including your breasts. The nicotine in tobacco products causes blood vessels to constrict or narrow, which minimizes the amount of oxygen-rich blood flow to the skin’s surface. Over time, your skin will weaken, age, and sag as a reaction to decreased elasticity and amount of collagen.
7. Crash Dieting
Losing and gaining 5 to 10 pounds every now and then will not have as massive of an impact as losing and gaining 20 pounds or more over and over again. Every time your weight fluctuates in big numbers, your breast tissue becomes laxer and your skin will struggle to keep up with the constant changes.
Similar to stretching out a pair of new shoes, your breasts are unlikely to bounce back after losing a significant amount of weight. In most cases, undergoing breast augmentation with a lift is the one surefire way to restore and replace lost breast volume. Combining these procedures raises and reshapes sagging breasts, restoring their youthful position and appearance. Refer to our blog posts, FAQs: Breast Lift With Implants in Scottsdale-Phoenix, AZ and Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Getting a Breast Lift, for more information on these surgeries.
Studies dating as far back as the 1990s show that male and female breast tissue ages between two to three years faster compared to any other tissue in the body. However, while the science behind aging is inevitable, your habits–which may be contributing to breast sagging–are not. If you are guilty of one or more of the breast sagging habits we have mentioned, correcting them now rather than later may aid your breasts in aging as gracefully as possible.
Don’t Let Sagging Breasts Keep You Down
If you are dealing with droopy breasts, Guerra Plastic Surgery Center specializes in procedures that can transform them into the full and alluring pair you have always wanted. Through a one-on-one consultation, one of our plastic surgeons will discuss your goals with you and recommend the best possible treatment. Call 480–970–2580 or write to us if you are interested in plastic surgery for breast ptosis.