What Causes The Loss of Volume in Your Breasts?

After some years, breasts become softer with rapidly decreasing firmness. Nipples will point downwards, and the space between the breasts is more apparent. This is typically when the “pencil” test comes into play for many.

Essentially, you’d put a pen under your breasts. If it falls, you are fine. If it remains intact, then you could use a lift. The breast ligaments stretch out and cause them to look long and flat like a windsock on a windless day. In this case, a perfect remedy would be to visit an expert in the matter. Dr. Ross of Aesthetic Surgery Center is a Naples breast augmentation expert and has provided more insight on what can be causing the loss of breast volume.

There are numerous reasons why breasts lose volume. In some cases, it is genetic. In other cases, it is substance use, among other reasons, according to WebMD. Wearing an excellent bra when exercising is a helpful remedy. The idea is to reduce excess bouncing during activity. You could also quit smoking and maintain your weight. Below are four main reasons for the loss of breast volume.

1. Aging

This is the most common cause of loss of breast volume, according to Healthline. Age comes with some changes as the female body loses its reproductive ability. Estrogen levels decline, and this impacts breast volume negatively. A study done in 2018 on the predisposing factors of breast ptosis outlined that age was a major cause of loss of breast volume along with the age at which one started wearing a bra. According to studies, low estrogen levels cause the skin and tissues to be dehydrated, thus causing some stretching. These changes are replicated in other parts of the body like the buttocks, according to a 2015 paper on breast shape change related to aging.

It has been noted that smoking accelerates aging. Tobacco smoke affects the hormone that brings about healthy skin elasticity. If skin loses its elasticity, then it becomes easy for it to sag, and therefore, breasts appear to hang lower than they usually are. You really cannot do anything to slow down or stop time, but you could employ some help from a breast augmentation expert. At the same time, drink a lot of water and eat healthily.

2. Hormones

Human beings go through different hormonal changes over time. First, as you age, the body experiences changes in hormone levels. When a girl hits puberty, her estrogen levels cause the enlargement of breasts. By the time the same lady is hitting her 40s, her estrogen levels start to decrease, which affects both size and firmness of the breasts. This is the main reason why you will often hear crass comments about women and their breasts at that age. According to an article written by Johns Hopkins Medicine, if a woman is on hormonal therapy before sagging begins, her breasts may start to appear as firm as they did in her teenage. However, please note that hormone therapy cannot reverse breast ptosis.

Pregnancy can affect your breast volume, especially if you have had multiple ones. During pregnancy, there is a massive or high production of estrogen and other hormones. The hormones are critical not only in the firmness of breasts but also in the elasticity of the skin. You will notice that during pregnancy, the breasts seem a little firmer. This is because you are not only more hormonal but also your milk ducts are now active and filled up. However, after pregnancy and lactation, hormone levels return to normal, and the ducts shrink. Therefore, after having a baby, you should understand that sagging breasts are not caused by breastfeeding as often assumed.

3. Weight

The essence of weight loss is to lose body fat. Breasts are made of fat tissues. If you start to lose weight, your breasts are one of the places you will lose fat. This means that some skin will be left empty, thus making your breasts look saggy. This is more prevalent if there was a sudden weight loss without exercise. With exercise, your body has a little more time to calibrate and fill some of the skin with muscle.

When you exercise for weight loss and fitness, you engage in a lot of vigorous activity. Without a proper bra, constant bouncing will cause your breast tissues to loosen. If you do not hold them in place properly, gravity will take over.

4. Substance use

This covers everything from alcohol to schedule 1 narcotics. Here is a little experiment; look at a lady who has been addicted to drugs for a long time. You will notice that their skin has lost that radiance that is characteristic of natural elasticity. This effect on the skin is true throughout the body. Substances, including medications, affect the body’s natural rhythm. Hormone levels will be affected. The substances may also affect skin hydration, especially if it is consistently used over a long period. Studies have shown that women’s bodies retain drugs for longer, thus increasing the period of exposure. The first logical solution here would be to get off whatever substance the person is addicted to before they can go for breast augmentation.

It is not true that the loss of breast volume is brought on by breastfeeding and going bra-less occasionally. These are just things that people say. Whatever the reason, accept it and find ways to come to terms with it. You can only go as far as improving the look of your sagging breasts if you are reluctant to go under the knife. Upper body exercises, good nutrition, and proper support are excellent ways to do it. A breast lift or augmentation will come very close to ‘reversing’ the effects of age and the impact of gravity. Just make sure to engage an expert if you do decide to go down this road.

Henry