Everyone has breasts, even you. Breasts, boobs, twinnies. Whatever you call them, or whoever you are, whatever your sexual orientation is, we know you love them.
They’re a part of both the reproductive anatomy as the method by which those who choose to feed infants that way do so) and the sexual anatomy, since they’re often sexually sensitive.
Most of us, no matter what gender we identify as, will fret about our breasts at some point in our lives, be it about size, sensitivity, or just wondering why exactly they’re there. But fear not! Boobs are actually great on everyone, and we have the facts to prove it.
Yes, boobs can cause an orgasm. Why? Because women’s brains process vagina and nipple stimulation in the same way. Bonus.
Statistically, left boobs are bigger – why? We’re not sure. In a survey, 65% of women stated that their right breast was smaller.
Breast Health Foundation states that 80% of women wear the wrong bra size. How do you find the right one? Book a fitting at a proper lingerie shop (there should never be any wonky wires or slack in the back of a good bra). Not only does wearing the wrong bra size make an outfit look bad, but it can also have all sorts of health repercussions, including back, neck and shoulder pain.
Annie Hawkins-Turner from America has the largest natural boobs in the world. She wears a UK 48V. She has been diagnosed with breast hypertrophy, which caused her breasts to grow excessively. Doctors advised a reduction, but Annie refused, saying she doesn’t interfere with nature. As my breasts grew, the muscles in my back developed and supported them.”
Men technically have breasts because all foetuses are female during their first weeks of development.
The biggest bra available on the high street is size L, and the smallest is AAA. If these don’t fit, you can have your bras tailored.
Breast milk is technically not a food or a liquid – it’s a tit’se. It’s packed with hormones, microorganisms, bioactive molecules, proteins, fats, and even substances that scientists haven’t yet identified.
Mammary glands in both humans and animals possess receptors that collect hormones in the mother’s milk, detect the gender of the fetus, and change the composition of the mother’s milk accordingly.
In the UK, public nudity is legal, which means you could go to the shops topless; you just have to prove you’re not doing you’recause harm or offence to anyone.
Think your boobs are bigger and perhaps more perky during your period? You’re probably right. During a menstrual cycle, boobs can change up to a whole cup size, and breasts are actually most symmetrical between days 14 and 16 of the monthly cycle. Confused as to why? It’s all due to hormones being released during ovulation.
The reason breasts get “saggier” as we get older is that connective tissue in breasts is replaced by fat over time. Unfortunately, breasts contain no muscle, so you can’t tone them. The only option is to try and beef up your pectoral muscles, but we’re not convinced we’ll reverse much.
There’s a 50% chance you’ll get your shape from women on either your maternal or paternal side; otherwise, it’s just chance.
Jogger’s nipple is a real thing, people. Yes, if you don’t wear a sports bra and go out running, your nipples can rub against the material of your top, causing burning pain.
“Senology” is the study of the breast, coming from seno, which is “bosom” in Italian and Spanish.
“Bras” have been around for, well, what seems like forever. Roman women wrapped cloth around their breasts for support, but the first modern bra—with cups, straps, and separation—debuted on November 3, 1914. That was the day the US Patent and Trademark Office granted Mary Phelps Jacob a patent for her “brassieres”.
Vogue began discussing brassieres in 1907, but the Oxford English Dictionary officially recorded the term in 1911.
If you really want to know more about bras, you can actually get a degree in them. Hong Kong Polytechnic University offers a course called Intimate Textiles and Accessories.
Humans are the only species to have permanently enlarged breasts. Other mammals’ boobs produce breast milk when they have offspring to feed. After lactating, their breasts will dramatically reduce in size.
The average breast weighs 1.1lbs and contains around 4-5% of the body’s total fat.
Gigantomastia is a term for when breast and fat tissue steadily grows throughout a person’s life and can affect all genders.
Smoking can cause your breasts to sag because the chemicals found in a cigarette break down the body’s elastin. Stub it out.
There are eight types of nipples. Here’s a run-through: normal means that the nipple protrudes just a few millimeters from the areola (the pigmented skin that surrounds the nipple). Flat nipples remain level with the breast but rise slightly with arousal or temperature changes. Puffy nipples look similar, yet the areola sits raised above the breast. Inverted nipples appear dimpled, with three degrees ranging from mild dimpling to complete inversion, which can hinder breastfeeding. Unilateral nipples describe one inverted nipple while the other remains outward.
Some humans have as many as eight nipples. Nipples greater than two are called supernumerary nipples. About one in eighteen people have them naturally, making the condition relatively common. They tend to appear on the “milk line”, which starts at your armpit, but they can appear as far away as the foot. Mark Wahlberg, Tilda Swinton and Lily Allen all have three nipples.
Boobs will continue to grow on average for about two to four years after a girl gets her first period.
Let’s wrap up this listicle with the most absurd boob fact of them all: scientists still haven’t quite figured out why we have breasts in the first place. “Scientists Still Stumped By The Evolution of Human Breasts,” reads one Discover Magazine headline, in case you thought I was bluffing.
Breasts, like those of all mammals, are vital to early survival — that much is certain. But why humans are the only primates with perennially enlarged breasts remains a mystery.
