What Are Breasts Made Up Of?

Before we get into anything else, let’s first explore what female breasts consist of because, although male and female breasts alike can provide sexual pleasure (although breasts aren’t automatically an erogenous zone for everyone; check out “So, What If 'Typical Erogenous Zones' Annoy TF Outta You?”), let’s not forget that female breasts also serve another purpose: feeding babies breast milk.

And so, when it comes to our breasts, this is why they contain: fatty tissue (also known as adipose tissue); lobes; granular tissue (which goes around the lobes); milk ducts (also known as mammary ducts); blood vessels; nipples; areolae (the darker skin that is around your nipples); lymph nodes; lymph vessels and nerves. Certain hormones within the female body also play a role in how breasts function.

For instance, when you do have a newborn, prolactin helps your body to produce milk; progesterone helps to prepare your body for milk production; estrogen helps your body to carry more milk, and oxytocin helps to release the milk. Something else about breasts to keep in mind is, if you ever happen to go to the doctor and they mention that your breasts are on the denser side, this simply means that you have more granular and less fatty tissue, which can make your mammograms a bit more challenging.

Either way, it’s important to get mammogram screenings (which is basically an x-ray of your breasts) on an annual basis if you are between the ages of 45-54 (you can read here to learn when you should go if you happen to fall into a different age bracket); however, if you are considered to be high risk for breast cancer, you should get one starting at the age of 30. Since there is a 1 in 8 chance that you will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in your lifetime, this is something that you shouldn’t overlook doing.

What Causes Breasts to Sag?

Okay, so now that we’ve tackled the anatomy of your breasts, let’s explore some of the things that can cause them to sag over time. For starters, let’s put to rest what most people think is the top cause of sagging breasts: breastfeeding. NOPE. Actually, when a new mother notices sagging in her breasts, it’s mostly due to the hormonal fluctuations that she experienced during her pregnancy; especially as it relates to her estrogen levels.

Since they do expand her milk ducts, once her estrogen levels drop, she may notice some sagging; however, if it does happen, it’s going to whether she chooses to breastfeed or not. So, if you are pregnant and a part of you is on the fence about breastfeeding due to the myth that it will bring your breasts to your knees, that’s all it is: a myth. And since there are literally dozens of benefits that come with breastfeeding, as a doula, I hope that will put your mind at rest, so that you will strongly consider doing it…for your sake and the sake of your little one.

Oh, and one more myth to knock out of the way while we’re here — bras. Your mother, grandma, or great-grandma might’ve said to you that if you don’t wear a bra, that could cause your breasts to droop. Yeah, that’s incorrect too. Although, if you have large breasts, bras can make your breasts feel more comfortable, unless you never wear a bra, ever, in life, they don’t really hinder sagging.

Aight, so what exactly does cause saggy breasts?

• Aging (due to the drop in elasticity and collagen)
• Smoking (because it accelerates aging)
• Menopause (due to drastic hormonal shifts)
• Genetics
• Sun damage
• Being severely overweight
• Rapid weight loss
• Really large breasts (due to how gravity affects them)
• Multiple pregnancies (especially if they are back-to-back) 
• Sleeping on your side or stomach (because it can stretch your breasts’ ligaments over time)

Since it’s pretty common for a woman’s breasts to sag, at least to some extent, it’s important to know what the true causes are; that way, you can come up with a plan to combat the sagging. That said, look back over the things that I just mentioned, think about which ones apply to you, and then factor in how the following seven at-home tips can be applied to get your girls back to where you want them to be.

Natural Hacks To Lift and Support Your Breasts

7 All-Natural Ways to Treat Sagging Breasts

The technical term for a cosmetic breast lift is mastopexy. And although it certainly can lift sagging breasts, there are always risks that come with “going under the knife.” Not only that, but your nipples and areolas will have to be adjusted (which could come with a bit of nerve damage), plus, you’re going to need to cough up somewhere around $7,000. And unless you can convince your insurance company that it’s a medical procedure instead of a cosmetic one, you will probably find yourself paying for the lift out of pocket.

It’s because of all of this that I thought it would be a good idea to share some alternatives to breast lift surgery that have been proven to help prevent and even treat sagging breasts.

1. Do certain exercises. Although your breasts are made up of tissue, what’s underneath them is pectoral muscles — and the more developed your muscles are, the fuller and more youthful your breasts will appear to be. That’s why it’s always a smart move to do some breast-firming exercises, at least a few days a week. You can check out several of them here.

2. Wear the right size bra outside. Don’t wear one inside. When you do wear a bra, make sure it’s the right size; you’re not going to get proper support from one any other way. Speaking of support, when you exercise, make sure that you wear a sports bra because it will help to keep your breasts from flailing all over the place. That said, don’t feel the need or pressure to have a bra on when you’re home, though. Giving your breasts a break can help to increase blood circulation to them and take some of the pressure off that the continual wear of a bra can cause — the kind which can, interestingly enough, eventually lead to weakened breast tissue.

3. Consume collagen. Remember how I mentioned that a lack of collagen can lead to saggy breasts? If you know that your sagging breasts are tied to aging, consuming foods that have a lot of collagen in them can help in that department. Some of those include bone broth, berries, broccoli, the skin that’s on chicken, fish, citrus fruit, and bell peppers.

4. Adjust your posture. With reportedly 80 percent of Americans experiencing poor posture on some level and with bad posture being associated with things like digestive issues, muscle and joint discomfort, breathing problems, wear and tear on your spine, and even incontinence, of course, it’s a good idea to maintain good posture. It can even help to prevent sagging breasts since poor posture prevents the weight of your body from being evenly distributed. The more you know.

5. Massage your breasts with Vitamin C extract. Just like it’s a good idea to eat collagen in order to prevent sagging breasts, upping your intake of vitamins B and C is smart because they both help to build up breast tissue. Speaking of vitamin C, you may also want to apply some vitamin C extract to your breasts. The extract helps to produce collagen from the outside in; plus, it can help the skin on your breasts to appear a bit firmer too.

6. Cop yourself a body pillow. If you’re someone who prefers to sleep on your side, consider investing in a body pillow. It can help to keep your breasts from “going through it” all night long as you’re moving about throughout the night.

7. Check your hormone levels. There’s no way that you are going to know if your breasts are sagging due to hormonal issues without getting that confirmed from your doctor via a hormone level test. Once you hit around 35-40, for a myriad of reasons, it can’t hurt to take one anyway. If the sagging is hormone-related, your physician can put you on some hormone therapy that should help to resolve the issue.

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Are sagging breasts semi-inevitable? Eh, probably. Take it from me, though, aging can be even more of a beautiful thing when you take preventative measures about matters. And if you take good care of your breasts, they can still look pretty damn good. Yes, I would know.

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