Trying to look best may sometimes put you in great trouble. A new study says that regular use of some cleavage enhancing bras can increase the risk of breast cancer in women.
The tightening effect of the under wired bras particularly left a negative impact on breast tissues and lymphatic system, The Scotsman reported. Additionally, shaving the armpits and excess use of deodorants are also found playing a major role in this occurrence.
The study conducted in Scotland closely monitored more than 2,500 cases of breast cancer in women, reported in the past 40 years. Researchers from the Western General Hospital in Edinburg noticed a sudden spike in the number of women diagnosed with the deadly disease in the recent past. Importantly, they reported an increase in the number of breast tumours spotted near armpit.
Breast surgeon Dr Adil al-Ajmi and colleagues found "repetitive trauma" to the armpit area leading to this occurrence. They said that regular use of certain antiperspirants can block sweat ducts and damage skin, further leading to the development of cysts in the breasts. Researchers also found that cosmetics contain certain harmful chemicals like parabens and aluminium salts that mimicked hormone oestrogen, increasing the risk of developing breast cancer.
"Breast cancer is increasing worldwide and cases of cancer and other breast diseases in the upper outer quadrant, which is between the armpit and the breast, are rising," Dr Ajmi told The Scotsman.
"One explanation is that there is a higher amount of breast tissue in this area but this does not explain why the trend has changed over time, so we looked at other reasons. Forty years ago, women were less likely to shave their armpits every day and now this is more common. In the past, they were not using as much deodorant or anti-perspirant," he added later.
The study has been published in the online edition of the European Institute of Oncology's journal.
Countless studies in the past have shown similar negative side effects associated with bras. Wearing the inner wear for many hours has been found affecting movement of the lymphatic fluid, thus making the toxins get dumped in the breast tissues. In a 1995 book titled "Dressed to Kill," authors Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, found increased risk of breast cancer associated with continuous usage of bras.
However, according to the Cancer Research UK, there is no proper scientific evidence to prove the link between bras ad breast cancer. They said that only those bras that are "unbearably tight" will cause such an effect.
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women across the whole world. Breast cancer is expected to claim nearly 2.1 million lives every year by 2030, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International.
Previous studies have linked breast cancer to working at night shifts, alcohol consumption and smoking during young age, exposure to radiation before age 30, conceiving and giving birth to multiple babies via in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, high fat diet in pregnancy, high cholesterol, fatty food intake during puberty and certain medications used to treat high blood pressure.
