[By Sheila Winfield]
The butt has certainly enjoyed quite a fair bit of attention few seasons past, with Hollywood A-listers going bonkers with “all about that bass”. These bootylicious twerking days however seem to be bowing out soon, as fashionistas the likes of Nicki, Ora and JLo who previously spearheaded this trend, were drawing attention right back up top— with plunging necklines and décolletage exposé dominating the red carpet during award season. Whether you’re a formidable double D or an adorable petite A, acquainting yourself with these surprising facts about your boobs and what keep them healthy will surely bring about a whole new appreciation for your bosom buddies, set to catch on as the next big trend before you can attach another hashtag to your Instagram selfie.
Boobs Fact #1: Most breast lumps are not cancer
Boobs Fact #1: Most breast lumps are not cancerWhen you feel a lump in your breast at anytime, it’s understandable to be concerned and worried. Don’t jump to unnecessary conclusions and freak out, but do take action and get professional medical help. 8 out of 10 breast lumps women feel aren’t malignant. Especially for those below 40 years of age, it’s more common for them to be a cyst or a benign abnormal growth known as fibro adenoma. In addition, there are simply breasts lumps that come and go during a woman’s menstrual cycle.The bottom line is,you can’t tell for sure what it is simply by how it feels.Make monthly self-breast examination a routine if you aren’t already doing so. It’s always important to know your own body and detect a change which may need to be evaluated. Getting a palpable breast lump sorted out soonest possible will give you the much appreciated peace of mind and if it’s unfortunately cancer, then you may have saved your life in time.
Read more: 5 Reasons to Start Fillers in Your 40s
Boobs Fact #2: Reasonable weight loss won’t shrink them
Boobs Fact #2: Reasonable weight loss won’t shrink themShedding a pound or two to slip into your massively discounted Balmain dress scored from Net-a-porter that’s a size too small won’t cause noticeable shrinkage to your boobs. An American Journal of Human Biology study revealed that in order to drop one cup size, a woman of average height and band size would need to lose at least 20% of her body weight. However, in women with massive weight loss, including post-delivery pregnant ladies and nursing mummies, one got to be prepared for significant decreased in breast volume as your dress size drops from 16 to 6.
“The shape of the breasts can be altered and become droopy as the overlying skin and surrounding supportive structures of the breasts are stretched out, “ Explains Dr. Tan Ying Chien consultant plastic surgeon with the SW1 Clinic , registered Aesthetics Surgery in Singapore(formerly from The Sloane Clinic). “This can be addressed surgically by a Breast Lift or Mastopexy, which basically aims to raise and firm up sagging breasts with the removal of excess breast skin and some surrounding tissue, paired with concomitant tightening of the remaining breast tissue to achieve more youthful looking mammaries.”
Read more: 5 Ways to Embrace Pink This Spring
Boobs Fact #3: They need as much skincare as your face & neck
Boobs Fact #3: They need as much skincare as your face & neckIf you want to keep your cleavage looking youthful for as long as you possibly can, make sure you are diligent in moisturizing them. The water content of skin decreases with aging, and regular moisturizing may increase that to help keep wrinkles and stretch marks at bay. While you may enjoy that fleeting moment of envy as a bronzed goddess, the dues to pay later in life are heavy and not worth the trade-off. Breasts, and cleavage in particular, can get burnt easily as they absorb their share of harmful UV radiation with prolonged unprotected sun exposure.Photo-damage of the décolletage can lead to a host of negatives including fine lines, wrinkles, leathery skin, blotchy discoloration, as well as premature breast sag. So do your ‘girls’ a favor, either cover up or shade up and slather on broad spectrum sunscreen while enjoying a spot of sun in those super skimpy bikini tops.
Not only is your décolletage a vital and visible part of your body, it is also the first area to show signs of aging, thanks to a triple whammy of sun exposure, general neglect and gravity. Because the skin in this area is thinner, it lacks elasticity or resilience and is equally prone to age spots, sagging, wrinkles and fine lines as our faces. Fraxel Dual Laser brings about total skin renewal to stubborn dark spots and reverse years of sun damage to the décolletage, with the state-of-the -art Thulium 1927nm wavelength working remarkably well against targeted superficial brown pigmentation. Improving the texture, tone and color of your ‘treasure chest’ by affecting only a fraction of your skin at a time with thousands of tiny microscopic laser spots just like a photographic image that’s being restored, pixel by pixel, Fraxel Dual brings about overall rejuvenating benefits that refreshes the skin so that it looks younger, softer and smoother. A series of five sessions spaced four to six weeks apart is recommended to produce a gradual remodeling of the dermal matrix components collagen and elastin, leading to nothing short of a total skin rebirth.
Read more: 3 Worst Beauty Fails Ever
Boobs Fact #4: They might not look like twins
Boobs Fact #4: They might not look like twinsIf you stare hard at them in the mirror, you’ll probably notice that your ‘twin peaks’ aren’t necessarily identical. Small differences in size and shape are common as documented in a study found in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, whereby 62% of women surveyed were found to have larger left breasts compared to the opposite side. We are seldom entirely symmetrical, and likewise, it’s not uncommon for one areola to appear lower than the other. However, if there’s a big discordance between both breasts or something changes significantly in appearance, it is probably wise to seek proper medical assessment and possible correction to improve on such flaws.
Focusing not only on improving the size of breasts but also on correcting any asymmetry and residual sagging caused by age, childbirth and weight fluctuations, the current preferred Breast Augmentation procedure is a bespoke treatment plan that’s comprehensively designed to address all aesthetic imperfections to create the most ideal aesthetic outcome possible. To take the guesswork out of the equation and for better visualization, Pre-op Optimization including simulated 3-D images are made possible with the latest VECTRA® 3DBreast Sculptor, ensuring optimal selection of implants tailored to help restore or bestow upon thee the beauty and confidence that you’ve always dream of. This state-of-the-art technology uses refined imaging equipment to map out your surface anatomy and produce a precise image of your body structure, enabling one to have a three-dimensional visual of what one look like pre & post-surgery. The simulated images created will give you a clearer view of what the expected results would be, leading to more assurance in the implant choices you made and consequently, higher patient satisfaction rate.
Boobs Fact #5: Nipple stimulation alone can lead to an orgasm
Boobs Fact #5: Nipple stimulation alone can lead to an orgasmNipple or breast orgasms are much more common than you might think, described as an intense sensation that seems to radiate from the breasts at the peak of stimulation. Experts claim that this is the second most common form of orgasm among women, which seems especially true of women from our grandmothers’ and mothers’ generations, who were less likely than modern women to go “all the way.” A sound explanation is that nipple stimulation is believed to activate the brain’s sensory cortex as genital stimulation does. Once those regions are lit up, the responses, including the potential to orgasm are similar not withstanding the source of stimulation. In a study group of 213 women surveyed by sex and marital therapist, Dr. Herbert Otto, 29 percent of the women had experienced a breast orgasm at one time or another. Sexual Health is an important part of a woman’s overall well-being and yet is often neglected as it remains largely a social taboo to discuss it openly. If one can put aside pre-determined mindsets and engage in honest discussions, stronger and more meaningful relationships can no doubt be fostered or built.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know about Breast Augmentation
Dr. Tan Ying Chien previously from The Sloane Clinic Plastic Surgery Centre @ Novena, is the Consultant Plastic Surgeon at the SW1 Clinic and remains a Visiting Consultant to the Plastic Surgery Departments at both KK and SGH, Singapore. He has made a name for himself as one of Singapore’s top breast and nose augmentation surgeon, and is widely considered as one of the region’s top ear reconstruction surgeon.