Is there any truth to the claims circulating in the media that it's better not to wear a bra at all? Does going braless offer any medical benefits?

No Scientific Evidence

Does wearing a bra have medical benefits?

No scientific evidence

Whether it's healthier or advantageous not to wear a bra cannot be answered due to a lack of studies on the subject.

On the flip side, some studies suggest that well-fitted bras could prevent breast pain. However, these studies are methodologically weak and lack significant validity.

Our Approach

From time to time, alarming reports about bras surface in the media. There was a rumor that prolonged bra wearing could potentially cause breast cancer. We debunked this myth in a separate article.

A French sports medicine specialist claimed in 2013 that constant breast support from bras could cause breast tissue to sag and weaken. Despite the study not being published at the time, the media widely spread the French researcher's message globally. Remnants of this media hype persist on the worldwide web.

We checked whether the study has since been published. No luck – there is no entry in scientific databases.

What about other research on this matter? Are there indications that it might be better for women to go without a bra?

No Evidence that a Bra Alters the Breast

In our extensive searches, we found only one study on the subject: In 1990, eleven women in Japan were examined to understand the effects of consistently wearing a highly supportive bra [1].

The result initially seems to support the French researcher's theory: After three months, the women's breasts appeared to hang lower and be slightly further apart.

However, this statement is questionable due to the small number of participants. There was also no control group. Additionally, the researchers did not consider any other potential factors affecting breast shape, apart from body weight, such as the hormonal status of the women during the respective measurements. Therefore, no conclusions about the effect of bras can be drawn from this study.

Are Bras Helpful for Breast Pain?

So, a change in breast shape due to bras is not proven, nor are any health benefits demonstrated by not wearing a bra.

Instead, we found the opposite recommendation: Women who occasionally experience breast pain may allegedly find relief with a well-fitted bra [5–7].

However, this recommendation is based on only three studies with little to no significance [2–4]. Whether wearing a bra helps with breast pain is scientifically unproven.

Painful Breasts: A Common Condition

Many women are familiar with the feeling of sensitive or even painful breasts. Some women can describe a pulling and pressing sensation in the days before their period – they suffer from cyclic breast pain, which becomes more common with age. These pains arise from hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle, usually occur bilaterally, and typically end after menopause [6].

Non-cyclic breast pain is much less common and can be caused, for example, by breast inflammation, as can occur during breastfeeding.

Some women experience pain due to having particularly large breasts. Hormone treatments such as the birth control pill can also trigger breast pain – in the case of hormone replacement therapy, even after menopause [6].

Concerns that painful breasts indicate breast cancer are almost always unfounded. Most women benefit from reassuring information in this regard [5].

Our Conclusion

Scientific evidence regarding the health advantages or disadvantages of bras is lacking. It remains up to each individual woman to choose a bra based on personal comfort and preferences – or not to wear one if that feels more comfortable.

For women whose breasts repeatedly hurt, common sense is most helpful. For example, if a large bust hurts during exercise, trying a well-fitted (sports) bra may be beneficial. If the breasts hurt with – or even because of – bras, it's probably more helpful to occasionally go without a bra or switch to a better-fitting model.

The original version of this article was published on May 15, 2013. A recent literature search yielded no new findings.

Detailed Studies

We could not find a single meaningful study on whether omitting a bra has health benefits. A study from Japan examined a change in breast shape due to wearing a bra. Eleven women were given a snug-fitting bra for three months, followed by three months without a bra. Their breasts were measured and photographed weekly. Allegedly, the bra changed the shape of the breasts. However, the study had too few participants and was too short to make a clear statement. The result is thus not reliable [1].

Bra for Painful Breasts?

Even the studies recommending wearing a well-fitted bra for painful breasts are not very conclusive:

In a study over 40 years old, 114 women with painful breasts were given a well-fitting bra to wear, with a choice of 144 different sizes [2]. Almost a third of the women saw their pain disappear completely within 18 months, and another 49 experienced significant improvement. However, the study lacked a control group. No statistical analysis was performed, and the researchers considered only a few other factors in their analysis. It is therefore unclear whether improvement might have occurred without the bra treatment.

Medication or Bra?

An Arabic study compared the effectiveness of sports bras with the effectiveness of medication [3]. One hundred women with painful breasts were treated for twelve weeks with the hormone preparation Danazol or received a suitable sports bra.

In the bra group, initially, all women complained about discomfort, but later, 85% of patients reported an improvement in breast symptoms. In the Danazol group, it was only 58%. However, this study also has serious flaws and is not informative.

Case Descriptions Have No Impact

A third "study" observed three athletic women with different breast sizes trying various types of bras [4]. A sports bra is described as the most comfortable bra shape for sports. However, such case descriptions are not meaningful.

The question of whether a bra has health benefits or drawbacks remains unanswered based on existing studies.

Scientific Sources

[1] Ashizawa et al. (1990)

Study Type: Single Study Participants: 11 women aged between 22 and 39 years Research Question: Does a bra alter breast shape? Conflicts of Interest: None stated

Breast form changes resulting from a certain brassière. J Hum Ergol (Tokyo). 1990 Jun;19(1):53-62 (Study Summary)

[2] Wilson et al. (1976)

Study Type: Single Study Participants: 114, with only the results of 100 analyzed Research Question: Does wearing sports bras during exercise help with breast pain? Conflicts of Interest: Bras provided by the manufacturer.

Therapeutic value of a supporting brassière in mastodynia. Br Med J. 1976 Jul 10;2(6027):90 (Full Study)

[3] Hadi (2000)

Study Type: Single Study Participants: 200 women with breast pain Research Question: Does the medication Danazol or wearing a sports bra work better for breast pain? Conflicts of Interest: None stated

Sports Brassiere: Is It a Solution for Mastalgia? Breast J. 2000, Nov;6(6):407-409 (Study Summary)

[4] Mason et al. (1999)

Study Type: Single Study with Motion Analyses Participants: 3 athletic women Research Question: Does a sports bra protect against breast pain during physical activity? Conflicts of Interest: None stated

An analysis of movement and discomfort of the female breast during exercise and the effects of breast support in three cases. J Sci Med Sport. 1999 Jun;2(2):134-44 (Study Summary)

Additional Scientific Sources

[5] Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) (2006)

Rosolowich et al.: Mastalgia. SOGC Clinical Practice Guideline. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2006 Jan;28(1):49-71 (Full Guideline)

[6] UpToDate (2016)

Golsha et al.: Breast pain. Retrieved on 14.7.2017 from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/breast-pain

[7] UpToDate (2017)

Staradub et al.: Patient education – Common breast problems (Beyond the Basics). Retrieved on 14.7.2017 from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/common-breast-problems-beyond-the-basics

Additional Source

[8] University of Franche-Comté Radio Station (2013)

Soutien-gorge: en porter ou pas? Conversation with French researcher Jean-Denis Rouillon on 15.4.2013 (Access to the audio file in French)