Admit it, we all love taking off bras after a long day at work. The best feeling ever! Bras are meant to give comfort and shape to our breasts. If they feel uncomfortable or you feel discomfort wearing them, then something’s wrong! Not with you but with your bra!
Most of us face a very common “bra problem,” that is, bra straps digging into shoulders causing pain and discomfort to our shoulders. Too tight or poorly fitted bras can be a reason behind it. Although most women face this issue still, they tend to ignore it. Why ignore it? When can you come up with a solution or a hack?
In this article, you’ll find amazing solutions to your basic and most common bra problem: bra straps digging into shoulders. Read on to find out!
Why do your Bra Straps Dig Into Your Shoulders?
Bra straps digging into shoulders is very painful and uncomfortable. The right size and type of bra wouldn’t hurt or make you feel uneasy, and rather, it keeps you confident and relaxed. You shouldn’t ignore that your bra is of the wrong size and if you fail to find a solution. It can further lead to headaches, skin irritation, breast dragging and even nerve damage. So, it’s important to know why your bra straps are digging into your shoulders!
1. You are Wearing the Wrong Size
Wearing the wrong size of bra is the most common mistake that women make. It’s important to wear the right size if you want your bra to fit perfectly without any discomfort. You should check your bra size regularly every (6 months). Women wearing a smaller cup or tight band may encounter bra straps digging into the shoulder causing pain and uneasiness.
2. Your Straps are Too Tight
Adjusting your straps is key to wearing a bra comfortably. Your bra straps lift your breasts, giving you a proper fit. Adjusting the bra straps too tight might prompt them to dig into your shoulders. It is a myth that adjusting your bra straps tight will give you a proper fit. A proper fit comes with comfort and no discomfort.
3. The Bra Straps are Too Thin
Sometimes, it’s not about the right size but the right style. Most bras with thin straps might not suit women with heavier breasts and thin straps may not be able to hold off the weight of your breasts, resulting in bra straps digging into shoulders. So you should choose a bra type according to what compliments your breasts.
3 Ways to Fix Digging Bra Straps
Women with larger cup size often complain of bra straps digging into shoulders, causing back and shoulder pain. Your bra strap should feel snuggly and secured rather than tightened to lift and shape the breasts, which is not the real deal here! You can follow some tips if your bra straps are digging into your shoulders. Say bye to your shoulder and back pain. Here’s what to do if your bra straps are digging into your shoulders:
1. Adjust the Bra Straps
The most common belief about bras is that their support comes from the bra strap, but the support comes from the band. If your band is loose and you tighten the straps, you jeopardize the support. Make sure you haven’t adjusted your bra overly tight, as it may cause the straps to dig into your skin, leading to shoulder pain.
2. Check the Band Size
If you adjust the bra straps and see them digging into your shoulders, maybe the bra band isn’t snug enough. With time, the bra stretches the band and cannot offer much support. This causes the straps to work additionally to compensate for the band. So, check the band size and change your bra every six to eight months.
3. Choose the Right Type of Bra
A good-fitting bra is a different thing from the right type of bra. Once you have the right band size, you should choose the bra that suits you the best. There are different bras for different occasions. Underwire, push-ups, sports, strapless, demi, and bralettes, all work differently to support you according to your clothing. So, make sure to find the right kind of bra for comfort and the right shape.
How Should your Bra Fit?
How Should your Bra Fit?
Most women compromise with the size and comfort level of the bra. You need to find a good-fitting bra with the correct measurements. All four parts of the bra, the band, the straps, the cups and the underwire have different jobs and should not cause pain to your back, shoulders or breasts.
For the band, it should comfortably fit and snug your body, but it shouldn’t be right. When you struggle with bra straps digging into shoulders, your band is at fault and adjusting it can make a huge difference. The straps hold the cup in place and do the heavy lifting.
Still, they shouldn’t dig in, cause pain to your shoulders or leave marks. Make sure your straps aren’t too tight, which can cause great discomfort. The cups of the bra should fill your breasts perfectly. The breasts' sides, top or bottom, shouldn’t come out of your bra. Getting to know your cup size helps a lot in the proper fitting of a bra.
Underwire is additional support, and most women find them uncomfortable. To find out if the underwire sits comfortably, you must check if your whole breast is inside the wire behind the breast tissue. This was about your biggest bra problem, the bra straps digging into shoulders. If you experience shoulder pain from a bra strap, it’s probably because you are wearing the wrong size or bra. So make sure to check it for a comfortable fit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Why are my bra straps hurting my shoulders?
You might be wearing the wrong size. However, it also happens because of the compression of the costoclavicular passage.
Q2. Where should your bra straps sit?
It should comfortably sit on your shoulders and not move much during the day.
Q3. What can I use instead of a bra?
Camisoles, tube tops, and nipple covers are some alternatives of wearing a bra.
Q4. What should a properly fitting bra look like?
At the sides or in the middle, the breasts should not spill out of the bra. There should be no double breasts between the cups, and the breasts should not be pushed out towards the armpit.
