That Metal Armour in Your Bra

Women have grown trendy and moved from wearing simple and conservative bras to funky and colourful ones which often come with underwires. There was a time when they didn't really pay attention to the fit, comfort or the possible outcomes of wearing it until a book called 'Dressed to Kill', by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer claimed that women who wore tight fitting bras with the metal "armour",  were more likely to get breast cancer. The natural reaction of the women - BLAME IT ON THE METAL! The author's recommendation - DON'T WEAR BRAS!

So now what? Is your metal armour safe or is it going to kill you??
As with many simple urban myths, the underwire bra story has managed to find its way into the minds of women and it pops its head up now and again. However, it is imperative that we get the facts right. Firstly, breast cancer is a condition influenced by gender, age, genetics, and of course, a couple of external factors like radiation, obesity and lifestyle patterns. To an extent, underwire bras do create a certain amount of pressure on the breasts but is not expected to have a cancer-causing effect. Rumours have it that the wires can hinder the flow of lymph to and from the breasts causing the lymph to accumulate, that could allegedly lead to breast cancer. But, scientifically the connection between the two seems quite frail.
The problem arises with an ill-fitting bra where the metal sits on the breast tissue (under the armpit) instead of the rib and the sternum causing some numbness and a tingling sensation in the area under pressure. These bras, could restrict the movement of the rib cage or other muscles involved with breathing and consequently lead to various sorts of discomfort.

Dr Susan Love, a former Breast Cancer surgeon believes that the myth that underwire bras can cause breast cancer stems from the frustration of not knowing what causes the disease and hoping that the cause comes from something that is in our control.

So do you really have to worry about developing breast cancer every time you decide to wear a fancy under-wired bra? Well, the answer is NO!! As long as you wear a bra that fits you right and is comfortable, you are good to go!