Simple Life: August 2009

Here is some info i found from the web about women's health...

Give us an A! Give us a DD! And give us all your intimate breast questions, because we got answers from top experts, tested “miracle” creams and gadgets, and tracked down celeb tricks for playing up your current favorite body part. Whatever your size, you’re going to look spectacular.

They’ve inspired sculptures, chart-topping Fergie lyrics and some of the biggest red-carpet and Super Bowl halftime blunders ever. Oh, and they can turn grown men into drooling 13-year-olds. Yes, we’re talking about boobs—those lovely lumps that sit high (for now, anyway) on our chests, declaring “I am a woman, got a problem with that?” In a recent Glamour body-image survey of 16,000 readers, close to 70 percent reported being happy with their breasts. It’s about time, says Elisabeth Squires, author of Boobs: A Guide to Your Girls. “For too long, women have been critical of their breasts.” So why the, uh, lift in acceptance? Squires credits super-flattering bra technology and the fact that, these days, images of breasts in the media look more genetically possible and less, well, porn-y. “It used to be that the only breasts you ever saw in popular culture were fake or ‘perfect,’” she says. “Women are getting that it’s OK to have their own unique pair.” (Our deepest sympathies to plastic surgeons; there was a 12 percent drop in breast augmentations from 2007 to 2008. The shift may be recession-based, but that’s still more real bodies to admire.) So how to make the most of whatever Mother Nature gave you? Here, leading doctors, bra experts and beauty and fashion gurus share everything you need to know to keep your breasts healthy and looking exactly the way you want.

Can exercises like push-ups really make your breasts bigger and firmer?

To some extent. They won’t affect your actual breasts, which don’t contain muscle. (The only things that can make women’s breasts significantly bigger, implants aside, are weight gain and pregnancy.) But exercise can build the pectoral muscles underneath, making you look a tad perkier, especially if you’re on the small side. Lacey Stone, a New York City-based personal trainer, recommends push-ups or chest flies (lie on the floor with a weight in each hand, arms out in a T just below shoulder level; with a slight bend at your elbows, bring weights together over your chest). Do three sets of 12 reps three times a week, and you could see an improvement in three weeks.

Is there anything that can help prevent premature sagging?

Actually, yes. How low you’ll someday go (or won’t!) is largely determined by genes, but you can slow down the process by avoiding yo-yo weight gain and loss. It can stress and stretch breast ligaments, your natural support system, says Katharine O’Connell, M.D., an ob-gyn and assistant clinical professor at Columbia University in New York City. Experts agree, wearing a bra that fits well—especially when working out—can help prevent droopage as well by stabilizing breasts and reducing wear and tear on ligaments. Make sure your bra is firm around the body, since 90 percent of support comes from the band, not the straps, says Susan Nethero, a.k.a. The Bra Whisperer and chief fit stylist for Intimacy boutiques (the woman was trained by the Queen of England’s bra fitter!). “Women associate looseness with comfort,” she notes, “but when a bra is loose it can’t do its job.”

Does drinking coffee really make breasts smaller?

You’d think so, given the slew of headlines last year like, “Women Face Drink and Shrink Dilemma.” Yet while that much-ballyhooed study did find that women with a certain gene variant who drank three or more cups of caffeinated joe a day had, on average, smaller breasts than those who downed less, that’s not necessarily cause and effect, says lead researcher Helena Jernström, Ph.D., of Sweden’s Lund University. Until there’s further evidence, you won’t see Starbucks slapping a WARNING: MAY CAUSE BREAST REDUCTION label on lattes.

Why do my breasts get bigger and hurt so much right before my period?

Blame your hormones, says Rebecca Booth, M.D., a gynecologist in Louisville, Kentucky, and author of The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle…at Any Age. First, increased progesterone causes water retention, which can make breasts swollen and tender. Estrogen spikes too. “They are working to prepare the body for pregnancy and signal the milk ducts to expand, which can hurt,” says Dr. Booth. For severe pain, the Pill may help, as can avoiding sugar, caffeine and anything high in sodium; those three boost fluid retention, which can make you temporarily bustier (and bloated, to boot).

How come my breasts are slightly different sizes?

Because you’re human! Very few women are symmetrical. Even a one- to two-cup difference is on the spectrum of what’s normal. Gel bra inserts or sewn-in padding can help compensate. And, points out Dr. Booth, asymmetry may permanently even out after pregnancy or nursing. A cause for concern: if one breast suddenly gets larger. It could be a sign of a tumor, but that’s incredibly rare. If you notice a change like that, see your doctor.

Do all women feel very sensitive in the nipple area?

No, although you may have heard that some women’s nipples are so sensitive they can orgasm just from having them touched. “They’re lucky SOBs!” says Hilda Hutcherson, a New York City-based gynecologist and Glamour contributor. But many women don’t feel aroused by stimulation there. “Find your own source of pleasure,” she says. “It may be the backs of your knees!”

What’s the deal with the stray hairs?

Annoying, perhaps, but not uncommon; in a glamour.com poll, 22 percent of readers said they have unwanted hair on their nipples. The simple solution: tweezing. To reduce the ouch factor, pluck after you’ve taken a hot shower, when pores are wide open and hair can more easily slip out.

Why do breasts get stretch marks?

It’s from a growth spurt—during puberty, pregnancy or from other weight gain. Creams can’t quite get rid of them, but those marks do fade over time.

How does having kids really affect your boobs?

Well, first, they’ll probably get bigger. Christina Aguilera has famously joked about her breasts jumping to an E-cup after the birth of her son: “I look at my husband and go, ‘Guess what size this bra is?’ And when I tell him, he’s just amazed.” Postbaby, many women report winding up with smaller breasts than before pregnancy. “There’s no biological reason for breasts to shrink and stay smaller after nursing, but the breast tissue may shift so that they may look smaller to you,” says Dr. O’Connell. “In my opinion, though, it’s a small price to pay for having done something as incredible as giving life to and nursing a child.”

What’s the best way to stay vigilant about breast cancer?

You don’t need to be obsessive, but you do need to know your breasts so you can recognize changes, says John L. Bell, M.D., director of the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Cancer Institute in Knoxville, Tennessee. Experts say it’s not uncommon for women to feel a lump while sudsing up in the shower, or even when they’re with a partner. If something doesn’t seem right, check in with your doctor. Be sure to get a clinical exam from a doctor once a year. Inquire about mammograms and genetic testing if anyone on your mother’s or father’s side was diagnosed premenopause with breast or ovarian cancer (the two can be linked). Otherwise, annual mammograms should begin at 40. No matter what, don’t overdo the drinking; a new study links alcohol to breast cancer. And keep your weight healthy, says Dr. Bell: “The closer your body mass index [BMI] is to normal, the less likely you are to develop breast cancer. Period.” Aim for a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 (calculate yours at glamour.com/health-fitness).

I want implants. Are there still risks?

Yes—this is major surgery. Potential problems include infection, numbness, scar tissue complications and implant ruptures, says Steven J. White, M.D., founder of USA Plastic Surgery in Dallas. You may be tempted to bargain-hunt for implants, but remember that your health (not your wallet) is the priority. Dr. White’s advice: Find an experienced doctor certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, ask to see before-and-after photos and talk to former patients about their results.

Booby Traps! This stuff is really kind of silly…

You know those products on the Web that promise to work miracles on your breasts? We asked experts to weigh in on some of them.

Herbal supplements ($20-$60 for a one-month supply)

The promise: As one company claims, their pills rev up hormones so that “breast tissue that never grew fully during adolescence will now develop completely.”

The verdict: Ineffective and possibly dangerous; invest in a good bra instead!

Nipple Erector Set ($20)

The promise: Gets nipples to a “desired perky state.”

The verdict: OK, the pump makes nipples erect. And if you’re the rare woman who’d step away from a date to duck into a bathroom, pump and emerge with pointier nipples, fine. But honestly, guys like nipples, erect or not. Next!

The Brava Breast Enhancement and Shaping System ($895 and up)

The promise: This special bra has battery-powered suction cups that tug on the skin for “an amazing medical breakthrough…that actually grows a woman’s own natural breast tissue.”

The verdict: Though one doc says he’s seen the Brava increase a woman’s breasts by a cup size, the long-term health consequences are unknown. Plus, you have to keep the suction going for 10 hours a day for 10 weeks. We’re guessing you have better things to do with your time and money.

AcuAids Acupuncture Breast Enlargement Kit ($40)

The promise: Acupuncture (done with patches), “neuroprogramming” and hypnosis will “subconsciously focus your mind’s power to increase blood flow and enlarge the size of your breasts.”

The verdict: Seriously, our experts just laughed.