How to keep your breasts young

(iStock)

In a recent study, women had cause for shock and concern as UCLA medical school findings revealed that women’s breasts age at a rate two to three years ahead of the rest of their body. Keeping your breasts perky is already a challenge, without the added knowledge that it’s an uphill battle. Before you schedule a consultation with the plastic surgeon’s office, learn some natural ways to keep your breasts healthy.

• Sunscreen. Most swimsuits and summer tops make the décolleté a prime target for sunrays, and it often gets missed with that slather of SPF moisturizer during your morning beauty routine. Some companies make all-natural, organic décolleté creams, but a broad-spectrum sunscreen will work too. Just make sure to visit the Environmental Working Group’s website, Skin Deep, to find natural, non-toxic products. You don’t want to add to the aging process by slathering chemicals on your breasts either.

• Organic coconut oil. Your breasts need moisture, especially with all the stretching the skin has to go through in the course of a lifetime. Through pregnancy, weight gain or loss, and monthly fluctuations that coincide with your menstrual cycle, you need to nurture the skin on your breasts. All-natural, organic coconut oil is a great choice, and you don’t have to worry about toxins.

• Support. Reports suggest that approximately 80 percent of women wear the wrong bra size. Lack of support can leave you with back pain, sagging and bad posture – advancing the aging process even further. Although monthly fluctuations are inevitable, getting fitted for new bras yearly will help ensure you are wearing the right size most of the time and avoid poor support that can contribute to advanced aging.

• Self check-ups. The single most effective thing you can do in the battle against breast cancer is regular self-exams. If you know your breasts and monitor them regularly, you can detect abnormalities early and improve outcomes. Each month after your period, schedule a monthly self-exam and note changes in size, sensation, color or rashes, discharge, dimpling or bulges.

• Workout. Strengthening your pectoral muscles is an effective way to get a natural lift in the breasts. Your breasts sit right on top of these muscles, meaning if those muscles are sagging, your breasts will be too – and vice versa.

• Posture. There are so many reasons to practice good posture, and anti-aging your breasts is one of them. Poor posture can cause your breasts to sag and droop, while sitting up straighter can actually make your breasts appear much bigger (and without surgery!)

• Nutrition. Your diet is a key factor for anti-aging, preventing disease and just about anything and everything that has to do with your health and quality of life. Your breasts are no different. Diets lacking in vitamins and minerals cause advanced aging. Vitamins A and C, for example, nourish the skin and promote collagen production, while too much sugar can lead to wrinkles.

• Excess alcohol. Moderate consumption of alcohol has its place, but excessive drinking – even wine – can cause increase in levels of estrogen. Estrogen contributes to increased risk of breast cancer, especially in high-risk individuals. Keep consumption moderate to protect your health.
Aging is inevitable, but diligent care and a healthy lifestyle can turn back the clock a few years and preserve your health across the lifespan.