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Whether you prefer racy or lacy, buying new bras after your breast enhancement procedure ought to be fun! Unfortunately, bra shopping is often more challenging than you wish it were! Whether you have had a breast lift, breast reduction or breast implants here in our Indianapolis plastic surgery office, I want you to know how to select the best-fitting bras afterwards. Finding well-fitting bras can be difficult, whether you've had breast enhancements or not, unless you buy them at a store with professional bra-fitters. I hope these tips will help!

How to find a bra that fits well
If you wear a poorly fitting bra, it can make you look older, because your breasts will sag. And, yes, it's true that even a great bra can't take care of sagging beyond a certain point (that's the point where a breast lift might be more helpful).

Here are some signs that your bra doesn't fit well:

• It rides up in the back.
• You're always tightening the straps but it still doesn't fit.
• Your breasts fall out of the bra when you bend over or your breasts "overflow" the top of the cups.
• Your bra is baggy around the nipple area or the bra squeezes your breasts too tightly.
• You have irritation and see red marks on your skin, under the bra—anywhere.

Bra sizes sometimes vary a great deal from one manufacturer to another. Most women find that they wear a 36B in one brand,  but a 36C in another brand. That's part of what makes bra-shopping so difficult.

Do you know your bra "band size"?
The band size of a bra is the number part of the size. In a 36B, the number 36 stands for 36". In America, this number is in inches. In European bras, it's in centimeters. It's easy to identify your band size by simply measuring around your ribcage with a measuring tape. Just wrap the measuring tape snugly around your ribcage, right under your breasts. Neither place it too high nor too low, and be sure it's even around the back as well as the front. Write down that number.

Now that you have your band size in inches:

• add 4" if your band size was an even number
• add 5" if your band size was an odd number.
• Ex: If your measurement was 30", add 4" and your bra size should be a 34. If you measured 31", add 5" and your bra size is a 36.

Note: Your band size doesn't change after breast augmentation because your rib measurements stay the same. Band size only increases with weight gain or decreases with weight loss.

How to determine your correct cup size
Center the measuring tape over the fullest part of your chest and around your back. Again, make sure the tape is level all the way around. Subtract your band size from your bust-size measurement. Ex: if your final band size is 34" but the measurement around the bust is 37", you are likely to be a C cup, according to the chart below, as there is a difference of about 3″ between your bust size and your band size.

Now, as instructed above, subtract your band measurement from your bust measurement. Find the number of inches difference below to see your likely cup size:

If you used this method but you still experience sagging, you probably need a larger cup size than shown on the chart. If the cups are too loose, however, try going to a cup size one letter smaller, and see how that works. Sometimes you need a little experimentation. Trial and error is essential. The bra should fit snugly, but not painfully tight, when you fasten the bra with the hooks closest to the bra itself, ie, away from the end of the tab. That way, when it stretches with wear you can still fasten it and enjoy that garment longer. Remember, once you find a great-fitting bra, you might do well to buy only that brand, choosing other styles from their line to suit your mood and garments. As previously said, a 34B in a Goddess brand is a 34B across all of the Goddess styles, but a 34B in a Bali bra may be another size altogether.

Bra Strap Basics
Bra straps should never be uncomfortable. If they dig into your shoulders or leave your skin red, they're too tight. Remember, bra straps, contrary to popular opinion, aren't the main support for your breasts. The bra itself, including the cups, is the main support, not the straps.

Bra Care
After all the time that went into finding the right size bra, be sure to hand wash and line dry your bras. If you must machine wash your bras, fasten them before washing and put inside a mesh bag. Don't put into the dryer—it will loosen the elastic and the bra will wear out faster.

We hope these tips help you to be more comfortable!

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Gregory Chernoff