I was having a chat with my surgeon friend about how important it is to have strong female influences in your life to talk about things. I remember growing up I had a lot of questions; however, I was always reluctant to ask. It felt like I was the only one who was having these curiosities and I wanted to wait for someone else to ask those questions and share the answer with me. I kept on waiting, no one asked those questions. I was never brave enough, and neither was my mother. I wish she would have told me about my body, a woman’s body, how to take care of it, how to be kind to it, how to like it enough…
The thing that I have realized growing up is that every girl has questions and is made to feel naughty and “not a good girl” if she asks these questions. One of those curiosities is about BREASTS! I don’t even remember when I suddenly had adult female breasts. Does anyone remember though? It happened very slowly probably and maybe I wasn’t paying attention. But suddenly, I had to wear a bra.
This I remember clearly; my uncle owns a lingerie shop and my mother, and I went to him, and he decided what I should try. No measurements, no preferences, nothing. Well, I could choose the color I wanted- black, white, or beige. I feel sad for 17-year-old me who couldn’t choose for herself. I wasn’t educated about the band size, wired or non-wired, cotton or synthetic. I just went with the one my mother wore, and my uncle approved. Sadly, I figured out very late that I was wearing the wrong size, the wrong cup size, and the wrong fabric till I was 27.
Wearing the wrong kind of bra (too tight, or too loose), not taking good care of your breasts, and not washing your bras properly can lead to various skin problems like folliculitis, Hyperpigmentation, fungal infection, etc. So why aren’t we educated about it by our mothers, teachers, or schools? I am still struggling to find the right fit for myself, and it is a struggle! But, what about you? Did you too have questions growing up that were never answered? Have you found the right bra for yourself? Was it you who chose it?