Case studies

A bra has a detrimental effect on youngsters to be comfortable, not only in everyday wear but if they know how to support the breast as they grow, this will encourage them to continue to carry on with sporting activities throughout, not only for school days but for life. This also helps with peer pressure in schools and as silly as it sounds, by wearing the right size bra, this also protects the growing breast against stretch marks. 

For further information, please contact myself at Community Breast Care based in Tamworth. 

This lady had been referred to myself as her implant had ruptured, and she required a pre and post-surgery bra.

I found on examination the bra size she had been wearing for two years after her last surgery was three cup sizes too small! When I asked this lady to look at herself in the mirror and I asked if she thought her bra fitted. She then said NO I think it’s a little small, (her nipples were above the cup and the wire or bone was digging into the side of her breast!) I then asked “Why she had been wearing this size?” because it clearly did not fit! Her reply was “ Her surgeon was making her a 36DD”. However I know surgeons only give a guide size and the actual size this lady needed was a 36G!

I advised this lady, because she had worn a bra three cup sizes two small over the length of two years, there was a 99% chance she had caused the damage to her implant, because the wire or bone had been digging in to her breast. I believe it was the reason for the implant to rupture and leak, which had also now left her with a heart condition! I could see clear permanent bruising on her breast and I was also very surprised her surgeon had not seen this! 

Once I fitted this lady with the correct post surgery bra, and showed her how a bra should fit, she was extremely please and said “She didn't feel like she had a bra on”, compared to how uncomfortable she had been before she was fitted.

A career brought a 14 year old young lady, in to see me. She was 30 weeks pregnant and in lots of pain and general discomfort. This young lady had never had a bra fitting before, therefore didn't realise how a bra should be worn and fitted. This young lady was also covered in stretch marks due to over the years of wearing bras which did not fit or cover the breast correctly! 

I started by explaining, the different stages her body was going through. I explained that she needed a non-wired support or maternity bra as she needed growing room, because she had still got a further 10 weeks to grow! I also explained that by wearing wired bras during pregnancy, this could cause medical issues later including mastitis and it could even stop her body producing enough milk for her unborn baby. 

I now needed to give this young lady growing room in her band and cup to help reduce pain and discomfort. And to keep costs down for her, if I didn't give growing room she would require a new bra and different sizes every 3-4 weeks, due to pregnancy.

She had never been advised not to wear wired bras until she was 16, due to never being fitted before (this is due to the breast still growing and forming). This is because you cannot allow for any growth as the wires or bones will dig into the arm if too big, also the pressure from the wires or bones can stop the breast from growing and forming correctly. Also up to the age of 16, you need growing room as this is not only more cost effective for the parent or career, as growth spurts can be every 4-6 months up to the age of 16, but is a safer option while the breast are still forming. 

By wearing an ill-fitting bra this can cause medical problems later in life, for example breast pains, boils, abscess and mastitis to name but a few.

The first young lady who was at Swansea University, had come for her post surgery fitting. When talking to this young lady and while making her feel at ease and comfortable, she opened up and explained, how she had found her right breast had changed and she said she knew straight away something was not right! However there was no history of breast cancer in her family, so she was hopeful it was just a change and not breast cancer.

However after her referral to hospital, a lumpectomy was carried out, breast cancer was diagnosed much to her dismay. After her consultation with her consultant, she said "He had linked her cancer to this young lady keeping her mobile phone in her bra” for over a period of years, while she was in secondary school. She went on to explain, she wanted girls and ladies to be educated as a precaution WHY NOT TO KEEP MOBILE PHONES IN BRAS!

 

Six months later when my second young lady came to see me, I was horrified and shocked to be hearing the same story, again this young lady was in her first year at Birmingham University. This young lady had also carried out her own research to mobile phones and breast cancer to find in America there is a study being carried out as there is an increase of breast cancer in younger ladies still within school. 

One young lady at the age of 13, was so upset when her and her mother came to see me! This was due to her large breast size, and her discomfort when dancing. She found it so uncomfortable and painful to carry on her dancing career as she had been dancing from the age of three. They had also had made enquires in connection to a breast reduction! Because they just didn't know who or where to turn to for advice, and how to cope with her daughters expanding bust size. It was only after them talking with another family member  that they were recommended to book an appointment with myself.

When I examined her I found she was wearing a size 34F bra with the wires. This bra was not only four inches too small in the band, but it was also three cup sizes two small! This meant the wires or bone was resting and digging into her forming breast tissue and not only causing bruising, but she also had an abscess under her arm.