You don't have to deal with bra discomfort

If your breasts aren't happy -- you know the feeling -- and you race home to remove your bra at the end of the day, something isn't right. A fitting for a new bra might be in order.

Besides discomfort, how else can you tell? You are not wearing the correct bra size if the straps are too loose, the back is riding up, the sides do not come up on the breast tissue and your bra is leaving red marks on your body, according to Liz Gonzalez, manager of intimate apparel at Belk on Hilton Head Island and a fit specialist with Wacoal Fit for the Cure, a partner with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization.

"It is a guessing game for a lot of people, but when you get the right one on, you know," Gonzalez said.

One of the biggest misconceptions about bra size is that 36C is the perfect size. "That is why so many people are wearing the wrong bra sizes is because you are trying to squeeze into it and why you can't get the comfort," said Gonzalez, one of five certified bra fitters at the store.

She said women tend to wear a size smaller than what they need. During a recent bra fitting event, she found a woman had been wearing a 34B who should have been wearing a 40D -- two cup sizes and several inches off.

GOOD POSTURE

Wearing the correct bra size promotes good posture, which is important to good back health, said Dr. Bridget Gutzmer, chiropractor at Beaufort Chiropractic on Bladen Street in downtown Beaufort.

Wearing a good bra "definitely helps having the proper support for the bust," Gutzmer said.

By wearing the correct bra, it keeps the bust at the center of the frame and holds it at the proper position, she said. Gutzmer recommends being fitted for a bra by a professional at least every two years if not every year, especially when you have lost or gained weight.

"This is all about keeping the muscles in the proper place," said Gutzmer. "When extra stress is created on the body, the muscles pull the bone out of place and (it) pinches the nerves and causes pain and problems.

"Having a good bra promotes good posture, helps in keeping your shoulders back and leaves less stress on the spine so that it does not cause the joints to overwork."

For well-endowed women who experience mid-back problems, Gutzmer said she has seen some patients find relief from breast reductions.

"Good posture helps with good muscle flexibility, strong muscles and keeping joints moving normally, and holding bones where they are supposed to be," Gutzmer said.

MORE BENEFITS OF FITTING

Gonzalez said the bra fittings are very woman friendly. She especially gets a kick out of how amazed women are when they end up with a bra that actually feels good.

"It's a blast, it's a hoot, we all love it," she said. Belk's most experienced bra fitter is a breast cancer survivor, and the store also coordinates with Profiles, a company that creates pockets and prosthetics.

After finding a properly fitting bra, women will be able to tell the difference in how their clothes fit and there is "no spilling out of the cup." If you are not wearing the right size, you "end up with the fat back, and it doesn't sound nice, but you can see that," Gonzalez said. "Wearing a properly fitted bra makes a huge difference."

DON'T BE SHY

If you are a little timid about being measured, don't be, Gonzalez said. "It is very clinical. It is done very professionally and it is totally your prerogative," she said. "We can measure you above your clothes if you do not want to get undressed."

As with shoes and clothes, bra sizes vary between name brands, so you might wear one size in Brand A and another in Brand B. "Every line runs different sizes ... you just have to try on a lot," Gonzalez said.

There also are ways to measure yourself at home. You can use the directions on the bra box or ones found on the Internet. Gonzalez said there are a couple techniques to try.

"Some people can measure under the bust or you can measure above the bust line -- it depends on the size of the woman," she said. "A lot of times the smaller the breast, you can do the under the bust. But with a large bust, we do an almost above the chest measurement to get a true circumference size."