Girls, particularly ladies and gentleman of a certain age, should wear a bra and continue to do so. The invitation comes from Mark Klinger, head of the Operative Unit of Plastic Surgery at Humanitas Institute, in  response to the study published by professor Jean-Denis Rouillon, a specialist in sports medicine at the University Hospital of Besancon,  who suggested to eliminate this garment .

 

 

This is not just because of the pinching strings, uncomfortable feeling or out of style fashion, but rather because it is counterproductive. In fact, according to the French doctor, wearing a bra encourages laziness of the pectoral muscles, by weakening them and in turn making the breasts more….pliable. On the contrary, by keeping the breasts “free”, this stimulates the muscles and forces them to work.

 

 

A bra against the force of gravity

“In reality, the bra preserves the subtle connections that lie between the basal plane of the mammary gland and the pectoral muscles called Cooper’s ligaments. Precisely because of these subtle connections, it is important that they are not constantly exposed to stress related to, for example, a stroke.”  It is not enough to wear it only during sporting events. “Wearing a bra means saving the breasts from the force of gravity which notoriously attracts every body towards the center of the earth, thus lowering the breasts.”

 

Needless to say, however, that wearing this piece of lingerie is not enough to guarantee this result: “First we have to deal with genetics: breast ptosis in women will incur in any case, although obviously there is room for intervention, eg relating to the maintenance of connective tissues as possible tonics and vital.” Still, it is obvious that the breasts more “at risk” are those heavier in weight.

 

 

The use of a bra is only one of the factors in play

According to the French study – which involved 330 volunteers , ages 15 to 35, for a period of 15 years – the results were higher for those who at one point wore a bra as opposed to those who have never worn a bra. “But it’s a sample so small that it can be in no way representative – says Klinger. – And 15 years is too short to attest differences, since wearing a bra or not is just one of the factors involved, together with aging, genetics, weight changes, pregnancies and the typical hormonal phases of a woman.