Between women and their bras, it’s a big story of “I love you, me neither.” With the rise of No bra movement on social networks, some of those who have been wringing underwire and other more or less comfortable fabrics for many years say they are ready to put an end to it once and for all.
Successive confinements will have left their mark on French women tired of having their skin torn apart by elastic bands. According to an Ifop study for XloveCam, more and more people are no longer wearing bras since the end of imposed isolation. However, this boycott is still not widespread. In June 2022, 6% of French women said they had freed themselves from the “obligation” to wear a bra, compared to 3% in February 2020.
The No bra movement makes the bra fall off
For their part, their peers who still insist on the support of underwear are always taken by the throat by the same questions when starting a machine. Will the lace resist the most delicate of programs? And above all, washing so few items per week, isn’t that a bit disgusting?
We’re not going to lie, many people rely on the same balconettes for several days in a row. Alok Vij, a dermatologist who practices at the American Medical Center in Cleveland, ended up enlightening those less inclined to change it. On his clinic’s website, the specialist indicated that not changing your bra frequently enough could cause “ the appearance of spots on your underwear as well as persistent odors“ . The key to this bad habit: skin problems.
How many times can you wear a bra before washing it?
Indeed, “all the dead skin cells, oils and sweat trapped under your bra are a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast”. Thus, skin to skin with a bra that has been with its owner for a little too long can cause “ irritations, skin rashes as well as the growth of bacteria“.
To avoid any risk, he advises “change and wash your bras every two to three uses maximum”. Also you can wear “the same bra two days in a row, provided you remove it for several hours in between to allow the bra to relax.”
photo credit: Shutterstock Change and wash your bras every two to three uses maximum
How to wash your bras?
Moreover, Doctor Alok Vij wanted to warn sporting. “It is essential to take care of your sports bra”, he specified. The part in question must be washed “after each session in order to rid it of odors and perspiration installed in its fibers”.
photo credit: ShutterstockWash your bras correctly Finally, the expert recommends always “close the bra before washing” to prevent the hooks from getting caught in the machine or in other fabrics and to opt for “a delicate program” at 30 degrees. At the end of the wash cycle, lay your bras flat on a towel so they can dry without stretching. Because it ruins the stretchy properties of the bra, tumble drying should be avoided.
