Wrong sized bras can leave you with the look of four boobs Image courtesy of Target, Newfoundland, Canada
A staggering 80 per cent of the UK's women are wearing the wrong sized bra, so it's no surprise that just under half have never been professionally fitted for a bra.
But what makes this research even more interesting is the fact that over two-thirds of women have been up to five bra sizes in their lifetime - with puberty, yo-yo dieting and pregnancy all part of the cause.
Following the launch of a new advertising campaign by The Boobie Trap, which highlights unsightly problems caused by wearing an ill-fitting bra, the British Osteopathic Association is creating awareness of the potential health problems that can arise from wearing lingerie that doesn't fit properly.
Joanna Cram from the British Ostepathic Association says: "Badly fitting bras that don't fit properly aren't just comfortable. For example if the underband of the bra does not support the weight of the breast then the shoulders do. This causes the shoulders to droop and as a natural consequence the breasts droop too.
"But the problem isn't just droopy boobs. When shoulders compensaye for lack of bra support, effectively carrying the weight of a woman's breasts, the spine can become curved, the tops of the shoulders hunched and the upper ribs become compressed."
Research, commissioned by lingerie specialist Rigby & Peller to mark it's 50th anniversay, also found that a third of all women are unhappy with the appearance of their breasts, yet the same amount haven't bought a new bra in the past 12 months. It's time to take care of yourselves ladies.
Joanna continues to explain how an ill-fitting bra can cause a change to your body: "This change in posture can be obvious or very slight but can have negative health implications that are seemingly unrelated to whether a bra fits properly. For example compressed ribs affect the respiratory system which can result in breathing problems and an unsupported underband can cause postural problems.
"Futher, an ill fitting bra can restrict the blood flow potentially causing mastitis and local tissue scarring."
How to spot an ill-fitting bra:
· There are red marks under the shoulder straps or indentation marks on the shoulders. The marks indicate that the back of the bra is too big and that the ribcage is not supporting the weight of the breasts
· The back of the bra should be horizontal from the front of the chest rather than rising up at the back
· The front of the bra should fit the sternum firmly
· If you have flesh spilling out from sides or top of the bra cup (known as the quadraboob) - the bra cup should snugly enclose the breast
· If the wires dig in the cup size is too small.
The Bravissimo 3 step check for the perfect fitting bra
1. The strap around your body should be firm but comfortable. When you stand side-on at a mirror, the strap that runs around your body should be horizontal and should not ride up at the back at all.
2. The wires at the front should lie flat against your rib cage and should not dig in, rub or poke out at the front.
3. Your breasts should be enclosed in the cups and you should have a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends and meets your bust. You shouldn't have any ridge or bulging over the top or sides of the cups, even if you are wearing a balconette style or lower cut shape.