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Have you noticed that your breasts are not quite as perky and full as they used to be after weight loss? It’s natural for people’s bodies to change during weight loss; however, many women (and men!) find it a little depressing when their once-perky breasts start to sag. So why do breasts sag after weight loss, and what can you do about it?
Gaining and losing weight
When we gain or lose weight, our skin’s collagen changes shape and elasticity. Collagen is responsible for giving the skin strength and shape, so when it loses its elasticity due to fluctuations in weight, the skin will inevitably sag with it. Our breasts are particularly sensitive to this since they lack any underlying support structure like muscles – all they have is their stretchy skin covering them. This means that rapid weight loss – or even slow, gradual weight loss over a long period of time – can cause drastic changes in breast shape.
How to minimize breast sagging
It’s no secret that losing weight can come with a myriad of side effects, including sagging skin and breasts. Although this is all part of the weight loss process, there are ways you can minimize breast sagging after weight loss. Here are some tips on how to keep your breasts looking perkier and prevent sagging:
Manage a healthy weight
You don’t necessarily need to lose weight, nor do you need to gain weight. Instead, keep your weight consistent and at a level that’s healthy for you. This may prevent breast sag and make breasts firmer.
Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet is essential for both overall health and minimizing breast sag. Eating a wide variety of whole foods rich in vitamins and minerals can help improve firmness and elasticity in the skin, including breast tissue. Ensure to include protein-rich foods like chicken or fish, omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish like salmon or trout, nuts and seeds, and avocados. You should also aim to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean proteins and healthy fats such as olive oil. Drinking lots of water, too—at least eight glasses per day—is important to ensure your body is hydrated properly.
Participate In Regular Exercise
Adding exercise to your routine helps you stay fit and keeps your muscles toned. While doing chest exercises won’t necessarily lift your breasts directly (due to a lack of muscle underneath the breasts), regular exercise can help strengthen the back muscles which support the chest wall. Exercises such as push-ups and yoga postures can help keep the upper body strong while also reducing excess fat around the breast area, which could make them appear smaller than they really are.
Pump some iron
Hop off that stationary bike and step into the weight room! Upper-body exercises like chin-ups, barbell bench presses, and bent-forward cable crossovers can help replace lost fat with new muscle. The result is a tighter, stronger chest area.
Full disclosure: Weight training won’t add volume to your boobs because they don’t have muscles. Instead, chest exercises smooth and lift mild sagging by working the muscles beneath the breast tissue.
Don’t smoke, or quit smoking
Smoking accelerates the aging process. Aging causes tissues — including breast ligaments — to lose firmness. Smoking specifically speeds up aging by destroying elastin, a protein that helps skin remain supple.
Get a hormone test
A drop in estrogen, which normally occurs during menopause, may be associated with a decrease in tissue collagen. Finding healthy ways to boost estrogen levels (such as with phytoestrogens or supplements) may improve breast shape and form. Talk to your doctor and get a test before trying to raise your estrogen levels.
Wear Supporting Garments
For many folks, a well-fitted bra’s confidence boost cannot be overstated. A new underwire set won’t replace lost volume, but it *will* help lift and support.
Wearing supportive garments such as bras or shapewear can also help reduce sagging or drooping by providing additional support throughout the day. A good-fitting sports bra will provide added support while exercising while keeping everything securely in place when you’re on the go; it’s even better if you select one with an adjustable band so you have control over how tight it feels against your skin. Shapewear pieces are great for those who want a little more contouring below their clothing; choose ones that offer adjustable straps for added comfort throughout wear time.
So throw out those stretched, too-big bands and aim for a Goldilocks fit. Most lingerie brands offer measurement guidelines online, though some folks prefer to visit a lingerie associate for help.
Nonsurgical breast lift
These days, you don’t have to go under the knife to get a little boost from the pros. These nonsurgical breast lifts won’t be as dramatic as implants, but they also don’t require quite the same chunk of change.
A few options:
- Radiofrequency (RF) therapy. Products like Thermage and Body-Tite use RF therapy to heat your skin’s outer, saggy layer to stimulate collagen production. The result? Goodbye, saggy breasts! Tighter, younger-looking skin — but no actual volume replacement.
- Thread lifting. Often called a “feather lift,” this cosmetic treatment pulls your boob upward from the inside via small barbed threads inserted beneath your skin. Once the bruising and swelling fade, you’ll have subtly perkier boobs for 1 to 2 years (until the threads dissolve).
- Fat grafting. Combining liposuction on your belly or thighs with fat redistribution to your sagging breasts is technically nonsurgical, but it’s more involved than radiofrequency therapy. Prepare to pay a pretty penny and arrange a ride home after this volume-enhancing procedure.
Following these tips won’t guarantee you won’t experience any sagging after weight loss—it’s all part of the process! However, these strategies will help reduce its severity so that you can still feel confident about yourself regardless of any changes in shape or size!
Overall, sagging is an inevitable side effect of losing excess weight from any part of the body – including our breasts. But by taking steps such as eating healthily with plenty of protein-rich foods and doing moderate chest exercises alongside your regular exercise routine, you can help reduce this issue from becoming too noticeable when shedding those unwanted pounds!
References:
https://greatist.com/health/breasts-after-weight-loss
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19885977/breasts-and-weight-loss/
https://www.healthline.com/health/saggy-breasts
https://www.livestrong.com/article/280582-saggy-breasts-after-weight-loss/
