Women don’t need to be told how important it is to take care of their health, but surprisingly, thousands of women in the UK often overlook breast care. It’s essential that women regularly check their breasts for cancer and are breast aware. Breast Cancer Care say, “Being breast aware means noticing any unusual changes to the breast and having them checked out by a doctor without delay.”
At Panache, we want women to pledge that they will take better care of their breasts, so we’ve given our advice on how to care for breasts.
Firstly, it’s all about knowing your body and understanding how your breasts look and feel at different times throughout the month. We’re all different, and some women experience changes in their breasts around the time of their period, this could be completely normal, but remember to check your breasts the following month to see if the changes persist, just to be on the safe side. The main thing to check for is changes to the size, shape or feel of your breasts. According to Cancer Research UK, this could mean “a lump or thickening anywhere in the breast.”
Looking after your breasts starts with wearing the correct bra, which may sound obvious, but shockingly upto 80% of women are said to be wearing the wrong size bra in the UK.
The breast should be completely contained in the cup and fit smoothly, with no bulges. At Panache, we think one of the ideal bra styles is with moulded cups as they offer the most support and are also less noticeable underneath clothes.
The thicker the shoulder strap, the more support it gives. This is really important for fuller busts as it offers essential support. The centre of the bra should lie flat against the breastbone, without leaving a gap between the chest and the bra.
Underwired bras help to relieve shoulder stress from bra straps by adding support below the breast and should fit comfortably to the rib cage without cutting into the breast.
The back strap should be completely straight and rest just slightly below the shoulder blades for maximum support. The bra is too big if you find it rides up – if it feels too tight however, it may mean a larger cup size is needed.
