Support Failure

If, like most women, you aren't wearing your bra right, you could be inviting more harm than an ugly decolletage.

It's one of the most intimate pieces of garments for women and has apparently been around since 2500 BC, yet studies have revealed that most women don't know how to wear the bra right. But an ill-fitting bra does more than spoil the look of the sexy outfit that you just bought, as a 16-year-old from Bandra discovered.

The teenager, complaining of a severe, constant, deep dull ache, traveling down her arm and extending to the back of her head, consulted Dr Raashi Khatri-Panjabi, founder of The Centre for Orofacial Pain India, Juhu and Kemps Corner. Various diagnostic tests were conducted and after all other factors were eliminated it was found that the bras this girl was wearing were to blame. 

While Indian women have never been known to understand how to wear this piece of lingerie well - Deekhsha Dadu, co-founder of strapsandstrings.com, an online lingerie-selling portal, says four out of five women who visit them wear the wrong size - a study conducted in Australia found that more than 80 per cent of the women there didn't get it right. Dr Khatri-Panjabi says, "Most women wear improperly fitted bras and this is a major contributor to shoulder/arm complaints; tension across the shoulders and neck, headaches, cervical spine problems and also lower back pain."

She adds that the ill-fitting, heavily padded bra that her teenaged patient would pick up put undue pressure on her trapezius muscles — a triangular muscle that extends from the base of the skull, across the back of the neck, upper shoulders all the way down the back to nearly the waist level. "The poorly-fitted bra can can cause problems ranging from a lower spinal pain to constant headaches," explains Dr Khatri-Panjabi.

She points out that most women wear ones that are unsuitable for the current needs of their body - the size and shape of the breast is known to change at least five times in a lifetime - and are ill-fitting. "In these cases, the positive effect of a bra on the body and breast tissue is completely lost and, quite the reverse, it becomes a potential health hazard," she adds.

Support yourself well

Head of the orthopaedics department at Parel's KEM Hospital, Dr Pradeep Bhosle says, "Tight straps contract the muscles and affect blood circulation. Because of this, you may experience tension across the shoulders and neck, headaches, cervical spine problems and back pain in the lower spinal region."

But if you thought these troubles were all that a tight bra could cause, there's more, Dr Mohan Thomas, the Medical Director of Bandra's Cosmetic Surgery Institute, says, "Women who suffer from acid reflux and heartburn should avoid tight bras, as they will aggravate these conditions. Also, their breathing is constricted since their backs and breasts are choked."

Colour them right

It's not just the back, a wrong bra can also give you skin problems, especially in the under-bust area. Dermatologist Dr Manohar Sobhani says, "A tight-fitting pushup bra puts pressure on your breasts, which causes red itchy bumps known as urticaria or hives."

The colour needs to be carefully chosen as well. Dr Sobhani says it's best to stick to pastel colors, as bright hues tend to be dyed, which, when stuck to the body can cause rash. "Synthetics fibers like nylon tend to cause fungal infection. Keeping Mumbai's hot and sultry climate in mind, it's best to stick to cotton bras."

And a last word from Dr Thomas for those who think a bra is meant to enhance the cleavage: "Creating cleavages by using push-ups is like wearing stilettos, which in the long run will cost you your health."

YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG IF...

• The only things supporting your breasts are your straps.
  

• The straps and/or band dig into your body

• The band rides up your back

• Your breasts spill out of the underband/underwire when you raise your hand.

• You either have a double bubble - the flesh sticks out of your shoulders and back if it's a tight fit - or the fabric folds - which means that the cups are too big for you.

• You wear underwires during pregnancy as such bras are not suitable for growing breasts.

• The wires are digging in or sticking out. 

• They should nestle under your breastbone and sit comfortably next to your ribcage. 

• If they push against the ribcage, you may need a larger size.