What Causes Breasts To Sag?

Gaining weight, losing weight, breastfeeding, aging, heredity, exercising, not exercising, not wearing a bra, wearing a bra too much, having a curse placed on you by voodoo high priestesses (or just a jealous ex)—all of these have been cited as possible causes of ptosis, aka sagging breasts.

Breast lift surgery, also known as mastopexy, is the seventh most popular elective surgery in the United States, suggesting that many women have issues with breast sag. While surgery remains an option, it is expensive (averaging around $3,600) and requires recovery time. Additionally, as the woman continues to age, the breasts will very likely sag again. That said, there are home remedies and exercises that can make a big difference in the appearance and perkiness of breasts.

Hitting The Gym:

Exercise can help. The idea is to build and tone the muscles behind the breast tissues, supporting the breasts and making them appear less droopy. Push-ups and chest presses work to strengthen the "free weight winging,” where you lift your arms with small weights like a bird would flap its wings; building a smaller chest muscle that when toned, can help support the breast. Arm resistance exercises also aid the effort to stop sag. While these exercises can’t change or lift the breast tissue itself, the added muscle will help create the appearance of a more taut and toned bust.

Lotions And Potions:

Unfortunately, there are no studies which prove breast firming or lifting creams are effective, despite how magical they seem. Most lotions contain moisturizing products that soothe and elasticize skin, so using a moisturizer (and sunscreen!) helps improve outward appearance.

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The creams tighten and contract the skin, creating a temporary illusion of firmness, like how your skin feels after a quick, cold shower.

According to Dr. Leslie Baumann, a dermatologist, lotions with retinoids may help stimulate collagen in the breast tissue to increase firmness and slow age loss, though they should not be used while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Just For Fun:

While it hasn’t been proven to work, next time you have an at-home spa day, try this quick breast-firming rejuvenation treatment just for fun:

After a bath or shower, massage the breast with the mixture listed below, and put on an old bra and let it set for 20 minutes.

  • One teaspoon of vitamin E oil
  • One teaspoon of virgin coconut oil
  • One tablespoon of organic plain yogurt
  • One organic egg

 You can also try this homemade breast massage oil:

  • One fl oz (30 ml) grapeseed or coconut oil,
  • Six drops carrot oil
  • 12 drops lemongrass essential oil
  • Five drops geranium essential oil
  • Four drops fennel essential oil
  • Three drops sage essential oil

Hey, even if it doesn't help, anything that smells this good can't hurt!

Lifestyle Choices

Lifestyle choices can significantly impact the quality and character of your breasts. For instance, intentional healthy choices such as: not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular physical activity can all help keep breasts perky. 

Not smoking will preserve skin elasticity, while having a healthy body weight that doesn't fluctuate constantly from one extreme to another will help guard against skin stetching. Additionally, wearing a well-fitting supportive bra during exercise will prevent tissue from stretching due to bounce with movement, as well as create the appearance of a fuller or perkier breast. Popularly rumored to affect sag, bra usage has never been proven to directly influence firmness or lift. Similarly, though pregnancy can affect breast shape and volume, breastfeeding has not been proven to do the same. 

If all else fails, try this simple trick: stand up straight. Proper posture, with the belly in and shoulders back, can make breasts appear perkier with next to no effort. It may be short term, but who doesn't love a quick fix every now and then?