What To Do To Prevent Sagging Breasts

The appearance of a woman's breasts can vary greatly from person to person. Shape, size, color, and position on the chest are all determined by genetics. As a woman ages, her breasts will change, just like the rest of her body, according to Healthline. This is simply part of the natural aging process. One of these changes is when the breasts begin to sag.

Breasts are primarily composed of fatty and glandular tissue and ligaments that connect to the wall of the chest to keep the tissue in place, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. As a woman ages, these tissues and ligaments can lose their elasticity and the breasts will start to droop. The technical term for this is "ptosis" and it is extremely common (per WebMD). While many women receive plastic surgery to fix sagging breasts, there are natural remedies to prevent this condition.

One thing you can do to improve the appearance of sagging breasts is to make sure your bras fit perfectly. Department store and lingerie store staff can help accurately measure your bust size and determine proper fit. It's important to get measured every so often because bra size can fluctuate over time as your weight changes (via WebMD). It also helps to change out your sports bras regularly, when they start to stretch out.

Moreover, if you're a smoker, you may want to consider quitting. According to Healthline, smoking speeds up the aging process by destroying elastin, a protein found in the skin that helps keep the skin firm and supple. Smoking is a terrible culprit for damaging the elastin fibers around the connective tissues of the body — and those include the breast ligaments (per HintMD). Unfortunately, this leads to one thing: saggy breasts. 

Exercising is one of the best things you can do to prevent sagging breasts. First, it can help keep you at a consistent weight. Going up and down on the scale can stretch the skin surrounding the breast tissue to the point of no return (per WedMD). Certain exercises that work and strengthen the pectoral muscles (the muscles underneath your breasts) — such as pushups and bench presses — are really beneficial because they can give your breasts a natural lift (via Healthline).

Regular exercise also helps improve posture, which in turn can help lift the bustline. Gravity is working against us every day. Consistent slouching or general poor posture allows gravity to pull the breasts down, straining and stretching the breast ligaments. By sitting or standing with good posture, back straight, and shoulders back, you can support your breasts, giving them a better lift, according to VeryWell Family.