GP’s quick test reveals how saggy your boobs really are – and tips to delay gravity

IT’S a fact of life… as you get older gravity starts to take its toll.

Breasts come in all beautiful shapes and sizes, and as a result the inevitable pull of gravity will strike at different times.

And it turns out there are four different stages to the sagging process.

In her new book, ‘‘, GP Dr Philippa Kaye reveals the reasons why your boobs might be dropping and how to work out how saggy they really are.

“Just like the rest of you, your breasts change in appearance over time… and while sagging is more common after menopause, it can happen at ay age,” she explained.

How saggy are my boobs?

When boobs sag, doctors refer to it by its medical name, ptosis.

“Ptosis can occur in breasts of all sizes, though it is more likely in larger breasts,” Dr Phillipa said.

And one way to measure if you have ptosis is by looking at where the nipple sits in relation to the inframammary fold (the line underneath your breast).

From this, you can work out the grade of sagging “which may be useful if you’re considering cosmetic surgery,” she explained.

Start by looking at your boobs in the mirror from the side.

If you notice the nipple is above the skin fold, you do not have ptosis.

Grade one ptosis is when the nipple is in line with the fold.

When the nipple is just below the fold but is not the lowest part of the breast, this is grade two.

And grade three is when the nipple is found pointing downwards at the lowest part of the breast.

Why do my breasts sag?

Like any part of the body, breasts can begin to sag for a whole host of reasons.

Breasts are supported by skin, ligaments and connective tissues.

According to Dr Philippa, changes the skin becomes less elastic and less able to support the weight of the breasts against gravity – and so they droop.

“Hormone changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, breastfeeding, perimenopause and menopause can also contribute to breast changes,” she said.

Can sagging breasts be prevented?

Many factors which lead to ptosis are beyond your control.

But, according to Dr Phillipa, there are some things you can do to reduce sagging.

“Stopping, or not starting smoking may help; smoking damages collagen and elastin in the skin, weakening it as well as narrowing the blood vessels which supply the skin.”

“Trying to maintain a healthy weight and wearing well-fitting bras are also helpful,” she added.

Can I treat sagging breasts?

Unlike in some other parts of the body, breasts don’t contain muscle, so their aren’t really any exercises to increase the size of the breasts.

However, there are some muscles on the chest wall underneath the breasts, so exercising the chest or shoulders may help lift the boobs, the GP said.

Surgery to lift the breasts is also an option for some people.