Wearing the wrong bra size could make you look more Shrek than chic, a new study has found.
Britain-based lingerie retailer Pour Moi created a horrifying 3-D model called “Melanie” to highlight the long-term effects of wearing an ill-fitting brassiere.
Pour Moi, with its in-house medical specialists Dr. Hana Patel and Andreas Anastasiou, released an eye-opening survey that determined 91% of women aren’t getting properly fitted for a bra — and the results are disastrous.
According to the company, there are serious health concerns associated with ill-fitting bras such as chafing, back pain and skin indentation.
The company surveyed more than 1,000 Britons who wore bras, finding that on average, nearly 10% are wearing undergarments that are between six to 10 years old.
Experts recommend a bra replacement every nine to 12 months since bodies change regularly.
The survey also revealed almost 27% of women have never had a proper bra fitting and nearly half haven’t been fitted in more than three years.
Some side-effects from an ill-fitting bra are visible, such as indentations on shoulders or marks on the chest where the cup size is too small.
The bad fits can also cause major discomfort and pain, with the most common issue — experienced by nearly 37% of respondents — being rubbing or chafing.
Marks on shoulders and indentations on shoulders are the second- and third-most experienced problems, according to the survey.
Model Melanie’s hunched posture stems from wearing a bra that is too loose, which can have more dire effects than just vanity.
“Hunching the shoulders further narrows the costoclavicular passage by pushing the scapula forwards,” Anastasiou explained in a statement that accompanied the survey results. “As well as neck, shoulder and back pain, this can lead to nerve damage in the thoracic outlet, the space between your collarbone and your first rib.”
Stretching is recommended for those experiencing pain in their back or neck from an ill-fitting bra.
“Yoga or pilates are also great exercises to stretch and open up the chest,” Patel suggested. “As well as any back-strengthening exercises that specifically target the upper back, which will be most affected by this.”