Fit

• A well-fitting bra is paramount for your health, but women the world over are wearing badly fitted bras. Badly fitting bras can make breathing difficult, suppress the bones and muscles and cause soreness and discomfort around the back if too tight. This can in turn lead to unsightly marks around the chest area and put unnecessary strain on the breasts. An ill-fitting bra can also cause breast pain, which has been linked to breast cancer.
  
  Bras should be fitted and measured, ideally by a professional so that both the cup size and diameter fit and support without any discomfort or damage to the skin.
  
  

Purpose

• Sometimes it is necessary to wear a bra for a specific purpose. For intensive sport such as running, a very supportive bra will be required. Wearing an unsupported, underwired bra for sports could result in injury from back strain and a structured, vest type bra that really holds everything in is far more safe. For general purposes, an underwired T-shirt bra provides good support without being uncomfortable.
  
  

Appearance

• A bra is as much a fashion statement and body and confidence booster as it is a support garment, and bras are often advertised as the alternative to cosmetic surgery. However a bra that significantly boosts your cleavage is also likely to cause discomfort and place strain particularly in the neck and back areas where the cleavage is being supported in an unnatural way. Straps that are too tight cause shoulder pain and excessive padding does not allow the skin to breathe.
  
  

Caring for Your Bra

• Maintaining and caring for your bra is important in keeping it in good condition, which reduces health risks associated with wear. Wash the bra regularly and soak daily for five minutes, reshaping the bra by hand, helping it to maintain its original shape and fit. It is important to give your body a rest from wearing a bra, especially at night time, where it is an unnecessary strain on the body and will dig in more to the ribs and affect breathing.