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HEALTH
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different advice to young women with a family history or other risk factor).
We Like It When You Feel Us Up”
Contrary to what you might have been told in the past, the ACS says there isn’ t much benefit to clinical breast exams at the doctor’ s office or formal breast self-exams at home. Still,“ it’ s useful for women to know what their breasts normally feel and look like,” says Stuart J. Schnitt, MD, professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. So once a month, right after your period, touch yourself a bit. Since breasts change throughout your cycle, checking in at the same time each month will help you identify discomfort and abnormalities over time. Be on the lookout for lumps, nodules, or thickening. Note any skin changes, discoloration, or discharge. Get anything weird checked— but
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Decade that male shirtless bans were overturned. Before that, both men and women were prohibited from going topless at the beach. Fast-forward to 2017, when— despite movements like # FreeTheNipple— guys are free to go bare while American women can still be charged with lewdness, public indecency, or disturbing the peace for a nip slip.
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don’ t panic.“ Most women have benign lumps and bumps at some point in their life,” says Dr. Schnitt.
We Need a Little More Support”
Anywhere from 64 to 85 percent of women reportedly aren’ t buying the right size bra!“ A well-fitting underwire bra supports all breast tissue and does not lie on any part of the breast itself,” says bra expert Tina Omer, owner of lingerie boutique Aphrodite’ s Closet. To find one, you need to know more than band and cup size: You also need to know about your“ root shape,” the area where your breasts attach to your chest wall. If your breast root is narrow, it may require a differently shaped underwire than what many mainstream bras offer, leading to digging or poking. To figure it out, stand facing the mirror.“ Your root has a width, measured under your breast, and a height, measured around the armpit,” says Omer. Using a washable marker, put a dot on the innermost, lowest, widest, and highest points of one breast, then connect them. If the shape is more like a‘ U,’ you have a narrow root, whereas if
Estimated percentage of people who have a supernumerary( aka third or even fourth) nipple. Among them: Carrie Underwood, Mark Wahlberg, Harry Styles, Lily Allen, and Chandler Bing. Extra nipples are often mistaken for moles, so you could have one and not even know it.
it looks like a Nike swoosh, your root is wider, Omer explains.
We’ re Sensitive to the Sun”
Walking around in a lowcut shirt exposes your ladies to UV rays— any time of year. So show off your stuff, but treat the skin on your breasts delicately; it’ s slightly more sensitive than other parts of your body because it hasn’ t been exposed to the elements, says New York City dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, MD.“ It’ s more like the skin you were born with,” she says.“ I often see patients whose face looks young but whose chest has terrible sun damage.” Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 on your twins every day. At night, pamper them with a thick moisturizer. Or maybe a boob facial? Bioxidea Cosmetics Miracle 24 Breast Mask($ 29 for 3, amazon. com) takes the sheet-mask trend beyond the face, hydrating and firming your girls.
We Want to Be Played With”
Treat your tatas like your clitoris— that’ s the takeaway from findings published in Human
G I F T S FOR YOUR GIRLS
For Sweat...
Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder($ 9, amazon. com) may seem like a gag gift, but its sweat-sopping— and thus shirtsaving— abilities are not to be laughed off. Never suffer from under-boob irritation again.
For Snoozing... Stomach sleepers, rejoice: The uniquely shaped DevLon T-Wedge Breast Bolster pillow($ 50, amazon. com) takes the pressure off your breasts.
For Sex... Surprise your lover when you take your top off with a Gold Underbreast Sternum Tattoo($ 12, etsy. com). Perfect for those who would enjoy erotic body art with less commitment than vajazzling.
For Your Cycle...
Many girls get moody when they PMS, some get hungry, some get swollen boobs. For those women, there’ s Boobie Cozy($ 25, etsy. com), a hot or cold pad shaped to cuddle the breast.