Bích Hà 03

Therapeutic role of the bra

Countering the aging process?

Anatomically, the breasts are non-rigid organs, with few support structures, such as connective tissue. Breasts are composed of the mammary glands, which remain relatively constant throughout life, as well as the adipose tissue or fat tissue that surrounds the mammary glands. It is the amount and distribution of adipose tissue that leads to variations in breast size. In addition, the breasts contain internal ligaments, although their exact function as related to breast support is controversial. These ligaments, and the overlying skin (referred to as the dermal brassiere). ^[24] help determine the resulting breast shape.

As the breasts mature, they fold over the lower attachment to the chest wall (infra-mammary fold), and their lower (inferior) surface lies against the chest wall when vertical. In popular culture, this maturation is referred to as "sagging" or "drooping", although plastic surgeons refer to it as ptosis, and recommend mastopexy (breast lift) for correction. ^[25][26]

Although the exact mechanisms that determine breast shape and size remain largely unknown, ^[27] it has long been claimed that this occurs because the normal anatomical support is inadequate, especially in older women and those with larger breasts. ^[28] Hence the bra is often proposed as a means of providing artificial support, based on the presumption that the breasts cannot support themselves. ^[29] Health professionals have, however, found no evidence to suggest that the bra changes the natural process of aging of the breasts.^[30] Bra manufacturers have also stated that bras only affect the shape of breasts while they are being worn.^[31]

"There is no medical reason to wear a bra... The decision is yours, based on your own personal comfort and aesthetics. And even though, as little girls, we were told that bras save us from hanging breasts,... whether you have always worn a bra or always gone bra-less, age and breastfeeding will naturally cause your breasts to sag." Dr. Niels Lauersen^[32]

"Breasts were fine before the invention of the brassiere... This is similar to the myth that women supposedly need corsets to support their stomach muscles... wearing a bra... has no medical necessity whatsoever... Except for the women who find bras especially comfortable or uncomfortable, the decision to wear or not wear one is purely aesthetic — or emotional... If you don't enjoy it, and job or social pressures don't force you into it, don't bother... A mistaken popular belief maintains that wearing a bra strengthens your breasts and prevents their eventual sagging. But you sag because of the proportion of fat and tissue in your breasts, and no bra changes that... If you don't like wearing a bra, don't wear one." Dr Susan Love^[3]

Indeed, there are indications that wearing a bra may have an effect opposite to that which was intended. In a Japanese study, 11 women were measured wearing a standardised fitted bra for three months. They found that breasts became larger and lower, with the underbust measurement decreasing and the overbust increasing, while the lowest point of the breast moved downwards and outwards. The effect was more pronounced in larger-breasted women. The authors of this study, along with other researchers, ^[10] described the bra as an instrument of torture, comparing them to the Chinese tradition of foot binding, because they found the breasts were squeezed out of the chest wall and, therefore, hung even lower. This may be related to the particular bra chosen for the experiment. There was some improvement after changing to a different model. ^[33] These findings were confirmed in a much larger French study of 250 women who exercised regularly and were followed by questionnaires and biometric measurements for a year after agreeing not to wear a bra. While there was some initial discomfort at the first evaluation, this gradually disappeared and by the end of the year nearly all the women had improved comfort compared to before the study. The measurements showed firmer, and more elevated and youthful breasts. One example of a woman who had breasts that were uncomfortably large, and who had improvement after two years of being without a bra is given. ^{[34] [35]}

While some may dispute the reasons why breasts change in shape with age and argue over whether or not the process can be delayed or reversed by wearing a bra, it is a natural process of bodily change. Health ethicists are concerned that plastic surgery and implants have altered our concept of what is "normal" and medicalised women's bodies by making a normal process a "disease." ^[36]

Pain relief and comfort

Wearing a bra can offer relief of breast pain (mastodynia, mastalgia), particularly when women are performing strenuous physical activity or exercise. Indeed, the sports bra is an example of a bra which has been specifically designed for this purpose. ^{[37] [11]} An underwire bra can also help support breasts and keep them from bouncing (for example, during running), which is painful whether the breasts are large or small. Recently the requirement for a bra during exercise at all has been questioned following extensive studies on athletes and sportswomen. ^[34]

In the specific case of larger breasts, the bra lifts the breasts away from the chest and can prevent two skin surfaces from rubbing together. Without the bra, maceration (loss of skin), intertrigo (rash) and fungal infections are possible. This does, however, depend upon a correctly fitted bra that performs as intended. ^[11]

Source from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

Bích Hà 02

Types of bra

A plunge, push-up bra

A wide range of styles of brassieres now exists, to be worn in a variety of situations, and with a variety of outergarments. For instance strapless, backless and multiway bra styles specialise in being invisible underneath less than full coverage garments whereas push up and plunge focus on shaping the bust and cleavage. The degree of shaping and coverage of the breasts varies between styles, as do functionality and fashion, fabric, and colour. Styles range from the purely utilitarian to the sensual. Others include various accessory structures such as padding and underwiring. Many bras will fall into more than one category, such as a maternity bra designed for facilitating access to the nipple, but that is also designed to provide support to heavier lactating breasts. Definitions are not always very accurate or exclusive (e.g. shelf bra). Sports bras have more recently been developed with the primary purpose of restricting breast movement.

Source from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

Bích Hà 01

Các cỡ kích thước

Có nhiều hệ thống đơn vị khác nhau để phân loại kích thước các nịt ngực phù hợp với vú lớn nhỏ. Phần lớn chia theo mẫu tự từ AAA đến DD. Một cách tìm cỡ kích nịt ngực như sau (dùng thước đo với đơn vị inch (1 inch = 2.54cm))

1. Đo chu vi của bụng trên (ngay dưới vú) (CV1)
2. Cộng 5 nếu CV là số lẻ, 6 nếu là số chẵn (BS1)
3. Đo chu vi vòng ngực, đứng thẳng, tay giang rộng, đo theo đường ngang với núm vú (BS2)
4. Theo hiệu số BS2 trừ BS1 dùng bảng sau:

BS2 trừ BS1	Cỡ nắp nịt ngực
0" - 0.5"	AA
<= 1"	A
<= 2"	B
<= 3"	C
<= 4"	D
<= 5"	DD hay E
<= 6"	F
<7"	FF

Thí dụ, phụ nữ có chu vi vòng bụng trên là 30", vậy phải cộng 6 thành cỡ 36".

Nếu vòng ngực là 40", hiệu số ngực-bụng là 4" - theo bảng thì là cỡ nắp D.

Phụ nữ này nên mang nịt cỡ 36D.

Source from : http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki

Size and measurement

Main article: brassiere measurements

The comfort and function of any given bra is highly dependent on the correct size and fit. A large range of sizes are available to cater to the wide variety in the size of women's breasts and bodies. Bra sizes typically vary in two ways: the volume of the cups that fit over the breast, and the length of the back strap that goes around the body. It is essential that the bra fit correctly in both of these dimensions. There is typically some ability to adjust the band size, since bras usually have three or four alternative sets of fastening hooks. The shoulder straps of a bra are also almost always adjustable. The size of women's breasts is often expressed in terms of her usual bra size.

Measurement systems

Although all bras are labeled by size, many women find that the only way to obtain a bra that fits properly and achieves the effect they want is by trial and error with each bra type, model and brand. This method is the most reliable.

Though many countries use the metric system, the majority of nations still use imperial units to determine the underband size of the bra itself.^{[citation needed]}

There are several methods which may be used to provide an approximate size by taking measurements.^[11] However, bra sizing systems differ widely between countries, between manufacturers, and between brands and designs, which can create many problems. Many researchers have demonstrated that these problems arise because fit requires knowing the breast volume, not the body circumference (the distance around the body), which is what is actually measured. Although bra sizing uses the circumference to estimate the volume, this has been shown to be highly unreliable.^[7]

The size of a bra is commonly described by two values. The first is the band size (underband), a number based on the circumference of the chest under the bust, excluding the breasts. The second is the cup size given by a letter of the alphabet, and relating to the volume of the breasts themselves. For example, a 30D bra is for a 30-size band and a D-size cup. Cup sizes typically start with A, the smallest, and increase alphabetically. A double lettering system may also be used, e.g. DDD for F or AA for a size smaller than A.

Band size is usually determined by measuring body circumference under the breasts as tight as possible. A second measurement is a loose fit taken of the chest circumference over the fullest part of the breasts (overbust). The cup size can then be calculated with tables or a conversion tool from the difference between these two measurements.

The mean underband circumference in the UK is 34 inches (86 cm). For the overbust measurement, this is 40 inches (101 cm), for women 18–64 years.^[12]

Fitting difficulties

Women often find it difficult to find the correct bra size. To achieve perfect sizing consistently, a bra would have to be custom made, because a "one-size-fits-all" manufacturing process is fraught with difficulties. Breasts vary in the position on the chest, and in their diameters.

A number of stores have certified professional bra-fitters specialists. However, even bra fitters have been shown to be quite variable in their recommendations. ^[11] Buying "off-the-shelf" or "online" bras is unwise if the buyer has never tried on the brand and type of bra that they are interested in buying.

Some bra manufacturers and distributors state that trying on and learning to recognize a proper fit is the best way to determine a correct bra size, much the same as with shoes. Some critics observe that measuring systems such as the one described above often lead to an incorrect size, most commonly too small in the cup, and too large in the band. For anyone and especially cups sizes larger than a D, one should get a professional fitting from the lingerie department of a department store or a specialty lingerie store. ^[13]

Some women intentionally buy larger cups and pad them, while yet others buy smaller cups to give the appearance of being "full". Finally, the elastic properties of the band make band size highly unreliable, and in one study the label size was consistently different from the measured size. ^[14][11] Fashion and image drive the bra market, and these factors often take precedence over comfort and function. ^[15][16]

As already noted, there is no agreed standard across all manufacturers for measuring and specifying bra size. Obtaining the correct size is further complicated by the fact that the size and shape of a woman's breasts fluctuate during her menstrual cycle, and also with weight gain or loss. Even breathing can substantially alter the measurements. ^[16] It is frequently stated, from the results of surveys, that between 70 and 100% of women are wearing incorrectly fitted bras. ^{[17][18][19][20][21]} This may be partly due to a lack of understanding of how to correctly determine bra size; it may also be due to unusual or unexpectedly rapid growth in size brought on by pregnancy, weight gain, or medical conditions including virginal breast hypertrophy.

As breasts become larger, their shape and the distribution of the tissues within them changes, becoming ptotic and bulbous rather than conical. This makes measurements increasingly unreliable, especially for large breasts. Similarly the heavier a build the woman has, the more inaccurate the underbust measurement as the tape sinks into the flesh more easily. ^[11] Finally, most women are asymmetrical (10% severely), with the left breast being larger in 62%, especially when the breasts are large. ^[22]

Many of the health problems associated with bras are due to fitting problems and are discussed further below, under health problems. However, finding a comfortable fit is described as very difficult by many women, which has affected sales. ^[7][1][23] Basically, medical research describes the fitting of bras as chaotic and illogical, and a major cause of health problems. ^[16]

Source from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki