The health and body myths you believed when you were a kid probably seem silly to you now, like that swallowed gum stays in your stomach for seven years, or that if you make a weird face too often, it could stick that way. Weirdly, though, myths about bras are somehow different—plenty of grown women still believe them. Whether you heard them from your mom, your best friend, or an ill-informed bra salesperson, these nine common bra myths just aren't true.
A couple years ago, Halle Berry revealed in an interview that she'd been sleeping in a bra since age 16. And although Berry boasts an enviable decolletage, it has nothing to do with her bra habits.
“There’s no scientific evidence that wearing a bra or not wearing a bra will make a difference with what happens to your breasts over time,” said Dr. Amber A. Guth, breast surgeon and an associate professor of surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. “A lot of drooping and dropping happens mainly because of pregnancy, childbirth, and breast feeding.”
Then there's this little thing you may have heard of called gravity. Guth explained that over time, perkiness fades as gravity pulls the ligaments in your breasts downward. “It's just a natural process,” she said.
You may have also heard that wearing a bra makes your boobs loose their oomph. In fact, French researchers published a study in 2013 that claimed brassieres might cause women’s breasts to sag more over time because they prevent supportive muscle tissue from forming. But Guth points out your breasts don't actually contain muscle, just skin, fat, and ligaments.
“It’s not like your abs or upper arms that you can improve with working out,” she said. “Wearing a bra or not wearing a bra doesn’t change the fact that these are all physiological changes that happen to your breasts over time.”
That said, while you may not be able to boost muscles in your boobs, you can try these four exercises that strengthen your back to give your girls a flattering lift.
