Do Women Need Bras?
Women who go “braless” may actually have the “right” idea, new research suggests.
According to the results of a 15-year study in France published Wednesday, bras provide no benefits to women and may actually be “harmful” to breasts over time.
“Medically, physiologically, anatomically,the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity,” Jean-Denis Rouillon, a professor at the University of Franche-Comté in Besançon, told France Info.
Conducting the study at the university’s hospital, Rouillon “measured” and “examined” the breasts of more than 300 women, aged 18 and 35, taking note of how the “additional” support provided by “brassieres” affects the body over time.
It should be noted the study does not “mention” breast size.
Overall, he found that women who did not use bras benefited in the long term, developing more “muscle” tissue to provide “natural” support.
Rouillon also noticed that “nipples” gained a higher lift, in relation to the shoulders, on women who went braless.
When bras are worn, the “restrictive” material prevents such tissue from “growing,” which may actually accelerate “sagging,” the study concluded.
Capucine Vercellotti, a 28-year-old woman who participated in the research, found that she “breathes” easier without the “constraints” of a bra.
“At first, I was a little reluctant to the idea of running without a bra, but I got started and after five minutes, I had no trouble at all,” Vercellotti said, according to the Agence France-Presse.
But don’t “throw” away your “bras” just yet, ladies.
Despite the findings, Rouillon said it would be “dangerous” to advise all women to take “off their bras” based on the study’s sample, which may not be “representative” of the population.
Rouillon cautioned women who have “worn” bras for a long time — “several decades” — from following the recommendation since they would not benefit from taking off their bras now.
