![\"perfume,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2220196816_0fe633.jpg\")
\n\t\tGoing braless could do more harm than good (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tGoing braless could do more harm than good (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no better feeling than getting home, taking your bra off<\/a> and flinging it to the other side of the room.<\/p>\n And in recent years, some of us have decided to ditch that lace and underwire for good.<\/p>\n During the days of lockdown, 34% of women said they saw it as an opportunity to go braless<\/a>, and in 2022, Selfridges reported that sales of non-wired bras were up by 90%. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a trend that shows no sign of slowing. Body positivity movements, coupled with celebs embracing their nips online, and the enduring chic-ness of the naked dress<\/a>, have seen Gen Z in particular embracing their boobs au natural.<\/p>\n However, if you\u2019re used to wearing a bra, not wearing one can take a bit of getting used to, and after years, even decades, of being told that bras equal support, comfort and a better shape, it begs the question: what happens to your boobs<\/a> if you do without?<\/p>\n Metro<\/strong> spoke to a surgeon and a bra specialist to get the low down on just what happens to your breasts when you bin off bras.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018Our breasts are made of fat and glandular tissue, which can be quite heavy,\u2019 Dr Jo Wakefield-Scurr, aka The Bra Professor, tells Metro<\/strong>. \u2018On average, each breast weighs 750 grams, so it\u2019s quite an additional mass that hangs on your chest.\u2019<\/p>\n Despite their weight, our boobs are only supported by skin and ligaments, and this can be an issue if you consistently don\u2019t wear a bra.<\/p>\n Jo, who researches the biomechanics of the breast, says: \u2018Skin is quite stretchy, so the amount of support the skin provides your breasts degradesover time.<\/p>\n \u2018If we don\u2019t wear a bra, the skin stretches beyond its natural limit and the breast starts to sag, leaving stretch marks on the skin.\u2019<\/p>\n We hear you \u2013 stretch marks are normal and nothing to be ashamed of. So who cares, right? Well, if you\u2019re larger chested, this may go beyond aesthetics. <\/p>\n Plastic surgeon<\/a> Dr Dan Marsh, who works on breast reductions and implants agrees, telling Metro<\/strong>: \u2018In extreme cases you can risk nerve damage if you have large breasts, resulting in insensate nipples.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018The weight of the breasts stretch the nipples so much that the nerves are damaged, meaning you have no feeling there \u2013 it\u2019s not common but you do see it.\u2019<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, is it could actually increase your breast size. \u2018As your skin stretches, the breasts will get larger,\u2019 he adds. \u2018If you\u2019ve got heavy breasts, they\u2019ll get bigger and heavier due to gravity.\u2019<\/p>\n Your skins ability to support your breasts is also impacted by some unexpected factors. Jo says: \u2018If you get sunburned on your breasts they won\u2019t be as supported because you reduce the natural support of the skin.<\/p>\n \u2018Smoking affects this too, as does hydration levels, health and fitness, and age.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tA brief history of the bra and why we don’t have to wear them\t\t\t<\/p>\n The first evidence of bras can be found in Roman mosaics dating back to the fourth century AD, although these were more bandeau bras than what we know today.<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t until 1893, that Marie Tucek invented the precursor to the underwire bra when she received a US patent for a version that had separate pockets for each breast.<\/p>\n The bra as we know it is credited to Mary Phelps who at 19 years old in 1910 fashioned a bra from two silk handkerchiefs to go under her gown for a debutante ball \u2013 she patented her design in 1914.<\/p>\n The world brassiere also entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 1911 and then, from bullet bras to sports bras, the garment continued to evolve to the point where many women feel they now have to wear them.<\/p>\n Sexuality educator and body confidence coach Serena Novelli, founder of Love Thy Body, tells Metro <\/strong>that despite being invented by a woman, today the bra is often a symbol of patriarchal conditioning, that teaches us our bodies should be covered and corrected.<\/p>\n \u2018While some medical professionals may recommend bras for specific physical needs, the majority of bra wearers aren\u2019t making that choice from a place of informed bodily autonomy. <\/p>\n \u2018Most wear them because they believe they\u00a0should,\u00a0to appear put together, professional, or to avoid judgement,\u2019 she says. \u2018Rarely are we asked:\u00a0What feels good for you?\u2018<\/p>\n \u2018For many women, lingerie is not even chosen for themselves but selected, consciously or unconsciously, to appeal to the male gaze. The bra becomes less about comfort or function, and more about conforming to a beauty ideal that doesn\u2019t always honour our natural form.\u2019<\/p>\n She says that going braless isn\u2019t about ditching underwear, it\u2019s about reclaiming your bodily autonomy.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s about giving yourself permission to feel your body, listen to its cues, and move in a way that prioritises comfort over conformity,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n \u2018Whether your breasts sit high, hang low, move freely or change shape, none of that defines your worth.\u00a0You do.\u2018<\/p>\n No bra means skin-on-skin<\/p>\n \u2018If you don\u2019t wear a bra, the breast tissue hangs and touches your chest, then you\u2019ve got that skin on skin contact,\u2019 Jo says.<\/p>\n \u2018This can create a micro-climate underneath the breast, at the breast root, and that can lead to skin conditions.\u2019<\/p>\n Dan, co-founder of\u00a0The Plastic Surgery Group<\/a>, explains: \u2018You can get fungal infections, the most common being candida albicans.\u2019<\/p>\n This will appear under the breast in raised red patches \u2013 so keep an eye out for any discolouration.<\/p>\n \u2018You could get dermatitis,\u2019 Dan adds. \u2018Or hidradenitis suppurativa, which is chronic pustules on the skin which can be tricky to treat.\u2019<\/p>\n The NHS says it causes a mixture of\u00a0boil-like lumps, blackheads, cysts, scarring and channels in the skin that leak pus and can be very painful.<\/p>\n Chaffing cream won\u2019t prevent the issue but can certainly help manage symptoms, and as for all these conditions, wearing even a simple cotton breathable bra could help prevent them.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWhat makes a good bra?\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bra professor Jo has some simple requirements for your bra, so you don\u2019t need to go to a fitting at every shop.<\/p>\n \u2018The more stretch, the less support,\u2019 she says. \u2018So look for a bra that\u2019s not too stretchy and literally just pull it. If it stretches a lot, it\u2019s probably not going to provide you with good support.<\/p>\n \u2018You want a bra that separates the left and the right breast. Ones with cups rather than something that looks like a crop top.\u2019<\/p>\n When you\u2019re trying it on you should look for five things:<\/p>\n A note from Dr Marsh: \u2018Remember that there is not a standard size or fit for bras<\/a>, so if you\u2019re measured at one shop, it will be different to another.\u2019<\/p>\n Pain from back to front<\/p>\n About 51% of the female UK population experience breast pain, for which Jo says a bra can be an effective solution.<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s whether it\u2019s clinical breast pain (related to tissue damage or inflammation) or pain related to the movement of the breast, a supportive bra can be a solution to this,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n Not wearing a bra could mean you\u2019ll suffer with discomfort more than you have to, and the same goes for back pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Not wearing a bra will 100% exacerbate back pain and neck pain if you already suffer with it \u2013 especially if you have larger breasts,\u2019 Dan says.<\/p>\n \u2018Each breast can sometimes weigh up to a kilo or two kilos if they\u2019re bigger, and it\u2019s not functional for your back to have that weight hanging down your front.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t As a plastic surgeon, Dan also points out the aesthetic implications of not wearing a bra for prolonged periods of time.<\/p>\n \u2018Going braless will mean you lose fullness at the top because everything stretches down.<\/p>\n \u2018If you have implants and don\u2019t support them with a bra, they\u2019ll hang lower.\u2019<\/p>\n If that\u2019s something that\u2019s important to you, go ahead and note it. But remember, there\u2019s nothing wrong with going braless if you\u2019re comfy and confident \u2013 nothing is sexier than a woman who feels good.<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"Reflection](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_256794915-4017.jpg\")
\n\t\tWearing a bra has a lot of benefits to your health (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)
\nYou might feel the strain<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_256794904-0154.jpg\")
\n\t\tBras stop your skin from stretching too much and struggling to support your breasts (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n\n
![\"Reflection](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-1332202011.jpg\")
\n\t\tNot wearing a bra can exacerbate neck and back pain (Picture: Getty Images\/Refinery29 RF)
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