What Causes Sagging Breasts?

As women age or after having children, the common question arises of what causes sagging breasts. In a purely histological and physiological description, breasts are nothing more than sweat glands that have undergone modification.

Despite this fact, breasts are a woman’s pride. It sneaks up from deep inside with the advent of the first training bra. Later, it becomes a feeling of empowerment. This feeling does not change until the first time a little droop is noticed. A tiny concern sets in. Women must take consolation in the fact that it happens to every woman in the world. Just as eyes get a little weaker and the skin on the back of your hand is not as elastic anymore, your breasts will also start to show age.

One thing that has a role in sagging breasts is pregnancy. Every woman who has ever been pregnant for more than one trimester will have hypertrophy of breast tissue. This will add extra weight that pulls on the suspensory ligaments of Cooper which support the breasts. Ligaments of Cooper are strands of fibers that are made from collagen and can be followed from the skin inward through mammary glands. From there they extend into the deep underlying fascia.

The greater the number of pregnancies, the more assault will be focused on ligaments and fibrous connective tissue. Like a repeatedly stretched rubber band, some of the elasticity will diminish in time. The older the woman is the more often her ligaments will have been stretched. This happens with or without pregnancies. Just with a bouncy walk, breasts experience a downward pull with each step. If your breasts are larger, the gravitational pull will also be larger.

How much and at what point in a woman’s life her breasts begin to sag is largely determined by genetics. Just as genetics determine the size of fat deposits in the breasts, they will determine how soon or late sagging begins. As mentioned, bigger breasts have more volume and weight that needs to be supported.

Genetics can be circumvented to some extent by keeping a steady weight rather than yo-yoing up and down, and subjecting the breasts to stretch and retraction numerous times. Multiple pregnancies will also cause breasts to sag for the same reason as weight gain and loss. It adds much stress to the ligaments. Not wearing a supportive bra during daily activity will force your breasts to give in to gravity and droop as well.

One of the things every woman can do to delay sagging for as long as possible is wearing a well-fitting, supportive bra.

A sports bra during exercising or running is especially important. Not fluctuating in weight is a definite plus when trying to delay the inevitable droop. Exercises to strengthen pectoral muscles may help in the overall fitness of our body but it won’t be able to strengthen the supportive ligaments. The analogy of the rubber band holds with these ligaments; when the rubber band is stretched beyond its limit, it will never recoil back to its original size.

Since one of the issues of what causes sagging breasts is lack (or loss) of fluids and hydration in the bustline tissue and the breakdown of connective tissue, an excellent remedy is to use a breast firming cream. Firming creams such as Dermory help firm and tighten by increasing moisture, tightening the outer and connective tissue, and by adding moisture to dry or thin skin on and around the bust.

There is always the option of a really well-fitting bra. It will hold up the breasts to their original position. The other option is to have breast augmentation done where ligaments may be shortened to pull breasts higher. Another option is general skin firming.

Using a skin firming lotion that tightens the skin is often useful for firming the bustline as well as lessening wrinkled skin on the arms, legs, stomach and neck.

Find more helpful information here on breast firming.