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What Really Happens When You Stop Wearing A Bra?
Experts are sharing what really happens to your b**bs when you stop wearing a bra.
There’s a unique relief that comes from removing your bra at the end of a long day.
Over the past few years, especially during lockdown, many women have chosen to go braless more often.
In fact, 34% saw lockdown as a chance to ditch bras altogether, while Selfridges reported a 90% rise in non-wired bra sales in 2022, Metro reports.
Driven by body positivity and a cultural shift toward comfort, particularly among Gen Z, the braless trend continues to grow.
But while many embrace their natural shape, it raises a key question: What actually happens to your breasts when you stop wearing a bra?
What are bras for?
Metro consulted experts, including Dr. Jo Wakefield-Scurr, known as The Bra Professor, and plastic surgeon Dr. Dan Marsh, to break it down.
“Our breasts are made of fat and glandular tissue, which can be quite heavy,” explains Dr. Wakefield-Scurr. “On average, each breast weighs 750 grams.”
With support relying only on skin and ligaments, consistent bralessness can have consequences.
“Skin is quite stretchy, so the amount of support the skin provides your breasts degrades over time,” she says. “If we don’t wear a bra, the skin stretches beyond its natural limit and the breast starts to sag, leaving stretch marks.”
For individuals with larger breasts, going without support can lead to more serious issues.
“In extreme cases you can risk nerve damage if you have large breasts, resulting in insensate nipples,” says Dr. Marsh. “The weight of the breasts stretch the nipples so much that the nerves are damaged, meaning you have no feeling there.”
What’s more, your breasts might even increase in size due to gravity-induced skin stretching.
Factors like sun exposure, smoking, hydration, and age can all impact skin elasticity, further weakening natural support.
Reasons why we wear bras
There are also dermatological concerns.
“If you don’t wear a bra, the breast tissue hangs and touches your chest, then you’ve got that skin-on-skin contact,” explains Dr. Wakefield-Scurr.
This environment, called a ‘micro-climate,’ can foster fungal infections like candida, dermatitis, or even hidradenitis suppurativa.
Dr. Marsh adds: “You could get fungal infections, the most common being candida albicans.”
Supportive bras can help prevent these issues.
When choosing one, Dr. Wakefield-Scurr recommends looking for a firm underband, supportive straps, properly fitted cups, a snug center front, and underwires that avoid breast tissue.
Pain is another concern.
“About 51% of the female UK population experience breast pain,” Jo notes, and a good bra can provide relief from both tissue damage and movement-related discomfort.
“Not wearing a bra will 100% exacerbate back pain and neck pain if you already suffer with it, especially if you have larger breasts,” Dr. Marsh adds.
The aesthetic aspect
Beyond health, some also worry about appearance.
“Going braless will mean you lose fullness at the top because everything stretches down,” says Dr. Marsh. “If you have implants and don’t support them with a bra, they’ll hang lower.”
But not everyone agrees bras are a must.
S**uality educator and body confidence coach Serena Novelli argues that: “While some medical professionals may recommend bras for specific physical needs, the majority of bra wearers aren’t making that choice from a place of informed bodily autonomy.”
Instead, she says, bras are often worn due to societal pressure and patriarchal norms.
“Going braless isn’t about ditching underwear,” she says. “It’s about reclaiming your bodily autonomy. It’s about giving yourself permission to feel your body, listen to its cues, and move in a way that prioritises comfort over conformity.”
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