Boobology: 10 things you might not know about your tatas
Somehow we manage to go through life not learning all that much about our glorious mammaries until we need to - whether its because you're getting augmentation done, you're breastfeeding, or you've had to look breast cancer square in the eye. These wonderful lady bits are reduced to being simple sexual objects or, worse, parts of our bodies we don't love, and here at BoobzHQ, we want to start changing the narrative.
So we're going to start educating as many people as possible on the wonders that are our tatas. Here are just 10 things we learned today, for example:
1) Breasts are not usually symmetrical.
Like most things in life, no two boobs are the same––even when they are a part of the same chest. Whether it is noticeable to you or not, your left breast is most likely bigger than your right. A woman's breasts are most symmetrical around the time of ovulation (cycle days 14 to 16 for most). But it's totally normal for a pair of breasts not to be exactly the same.
Previous trauma, injury or infection can also lead to size differences between your breasts. Your beautiful breasties are one-of-a-kind and unique to you.
2) You can change their shape.
The type of bra you wear (or whether you wear one at all) can impact how droopy your boobs get over time. Lying on your chest when you sleep can change the shape of your breasts too. Chemicals (such as those found in cigarettes) can also break down the elastin in your breasts, causing them to sag.
3) Breasts have dryness issues.
Your breasts are more prone to skin problems than any other area of your body, including dryness. Don't forget to moisturize the girls, nipples included! Your 10-step skincare routine needs to include your friends a little further down your torso, please.
4) Nipple-gasms are a real thing
We know it sounds crazy, but it's true! According to Dr Justin Lehmiller and a brain research study published by the Journal of Sexual Medicine, nipple stimulation and genital stimulation are processed the same way inside a woman's brain. Some women can get so turned on that they actually reach orgasm from nipple stimulation alone!
5) The weight of a D-cup is actually quite heavy
According to a Discover Magazine article, a pair of D-cup breasts weighs between 15 and 23 pounds, which they weirdly compare to two small turkeys' weight. For our own research, we googled "things that weigh 15 pounds", and we got a pretty interesting list:
- A coffee table
- A vacuum cleaner
- A 40-inch LED TV
- 10 dozen large eggs
- A bowling ball
- An enormous cat
So, there you go. If you've ever needed an excuse to skip the gym, just by existing with a D-cup, you're basically weight lifting.
6) There's some interesting physics to bras.
Those necessary torture devices we call bras actually have fascinating physics behind them. According to Discover Magazine mentioned earlier, breasts can be supported in one of two ways. First, through encapsulation, via the old molded cups that fit around the breast, and second, through compression – which is how modern sports bras work by compressing your lady bits tightly to your chest. The science doesn't make it any more comfortable, though.
7) There is a "best time" for a breast exam.
The most important thing is to stay consistent about the point in your cycle you choose to examine your breast tissue—so that you're comparing apples to apples, or domestic cats with domestic cats, so to speak. But the best time to check for abnormalities is shortly after your period when you're less likely to have lumps and bumps in your breast that are totally normal but could cause you to freak out for no reason.
8) We all have "fat pants" during our period, but what about our bra?
You know those comfy sweats you wear when you're having a "fat" day? Your bra size could change as much as a full cup size at different points during your menstrual cycle, so you should have some comfy bras in a bigger cup size for those days where the girls are a little heavier. Or just forget the bra entirely during your period (No Show Nipple Covers to the rescue!)
9) The "ideal" breast size has changed throughout history (which goes to show, there is no real ideal breast size).
First of all, all boobs are beautiful. But in recent decades, with the massive rise in plastic surgery, bigger breasts have become more popular (except the '90s Kate Moss era). Meanwhile, in ancient societies, smaller-breasted women were considered ideal. In Ancient Egypt, many hieroglyphs portray women with triple-A cup breasts, while in Greek and Roman culture, a shapely woman with small breasts was considered the ideal. You can't choose what era you're born in, so just rock the tatas you have.
10. We have women in the workforce to thank for the evolution of the bra.
Metal shortages in World War I encouraged the end of the corset, and as more women joined the workforce, they need to be able to move and breathe. In the early 20th century, mass production made the garment widely available to women in the United States, England, Western Europe, and other countries influenced by western fashion.
Mary Phelps Jacob received a patent in 1914 for the first brassière design recognized as the basis for modern bras.
