Uncomfortable, annoying and potentially unhealthy. Did you know that approximately 75-85% of Canadian women wear an ill-fitting bra?

Most women wear a bra everyday, so don’t skimp out when buying a new one. These are some helpful tips when choosing the right one for you:

Place the breasts into the cups by leaning forward when putting a bra on. Then, make sure that your breasts aren’t spilling out over the top or bottom. This may look sexy, but it could cut off the circulation in the area. In fact, any part of the bra that seems to be cutting into you should be adjusted to prevent this. If it cannot, then get another bra.

The small strap between the breasts should lie flat against your body.

Underwire should extend comfortably partially around the breast to provide ample support and should be lying flat against your body rather than poking into your rib cage or breast tissue.

And don’t think that buying one bra will be good for life. The effects of time and gravity can do a number on your breasts, and finding a bra that appropriately addresses these changes is vital.

Women who have undergone breast augmentation can also follow these tips when buying a new bra, but may need different requirements because of their implants. On Monday, we’ll provide more info!

Wearing sunscreen lotion with a high SPF is good practice to protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. But what does SPF stand for anyway?

SPF is an acronym for Sun Protection Factor. Generally, the SPF of a sunscreen allows the user to stay in the sun for a specific period of time before they get red (which means their skin is burned). For example, light skin tends to get burned in about 6 minutes when left unprotected. This length of time is called the minimal erythema dose (MED for short). So, if a person with light skin wears an SPF of 20, you multiply the SPF of 20 with their MED of 6. That person will then, theoretically, be able to stay in the sun for about 120 minutes before they get red. Sound confusing? Here’s the formula:

SPF rating x your MED=length of time safe to stay in the sun.

Therefore, it’s important that you wear a sunscreen with an SPF suitable for your skin. Consider how long you’ll be staying in the sun, and remember that lighter skin tends to turn red in a shorter time than darker skin.

Back aches, droopy breasts, sore shoulders…a good supportive bra can be your best friend. But beware! Bras can also be a girl’s worst enemy.

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