Her Glorious Bounty

Her Glorious Bounty

There is no such thing as "perfect" breasts fashion sees to that. Everyday, we see images, which vary, from the surgically enhanced bosoms flashed on television and cinema screens to the more retrained measurements of the super models on the couture catwalks and in glossy magazines. And its an image that changes from decade to decade" contrast the flat chests of the twenties flappers with those of movie goddesses in the fifties and sixties.

Breasts are quintessentially female and a touchstone of female identity. Whatever the current reality, well-cared-for breasts remain important for a womans physical and emotional well being and her self-image.

Breasts play an important part in a womans maternal, psychological and sexual life. Age, pregnancy, breast-feeding, hormonal changes, and variations in weight lead to loss of tone in breast tissues, which can result in tissue slackening and drooping.

The essence of a beautiful and healthy bosom is firm healthy breasts. Do not neglect your breast because regular care today can vastly improve the appearance of your breasts tomorrow. Aware of the aesthetic and sometimes-psychological problems deterioration can imply for todays modern and dynamic women, beauty therapists are always seeking new treatments and products to offer their clients.

Anatomy of the Breast

The breasts are located on the chest wall, between the third and sixth ribs. Their beauty depends on hereditary genetic factors, (intrinsic) the tone of the pectoralis major muscle, and the state of the skin, which encloses the breast. It is made up of two separate parts: It interior, which determines the size and form of the breast, and the skin which encloses it, acting like a natural brassiere.

Breasts_her_glorious_bounty

The Interior

The interior of the breast is made up of a variety of structures which determine its appearance to a greater or lesser extent, but which have highly important physiological functions:

The mammary gland consists mainly of around 20 lobes of milk-secreting glands set in fatty tissue, with the ducts of the glands having their outlets at the nipple.

It has no muscles and is not fixed to the chest, but suspended by a framework of connective tissue, known as Coopers ligaments. These ligaments are found between the adipose tissue, and reinforce the connection between the breast and the chest wall. This connective tissue, which encloses each of these components, gives cohesiveness to the mammary structure.

While skin makes up the external part of the breast, in contrast to other bodily organs, the breasts do not have any muscle to support them. Their firmness and connection to the chest wall depends exclusively on the enclosing skin, which cover the breast and the pectoralis major muscle. This muscle forms part of the thorax and the breast rest on it, so that the muscle serves as a support and reduces the effects of gravity on the breasts.

The skin over the Breasts

This envelope of skin, which is smoother, thinner and more translucent than over much of the rest of the body, fans down from the chin. It becomes progressively thinner nearer the nipple, compared to the outermost parts of the breast, and is extremely delicate near the areola around the nipple.

Over a lifetime, this skin suffers from frequent stretching and shrinking: pregnancies, breast-feeding, menstrual cycles, sports activities and weight loss diets are all factors that place a heavy burden on the skin. All these cause its relaxation and loss of tone, it is therefore necessary to give special care to strengthen and firm the skin enclosing the breasts.

Since the breasts firmness depends on the skin, which encloses it and on the pectoralis major muscle, any cosmetic treatment designed to firm the bust and avoid the appearance of breast slackening must include active ingredients. The actives must be capable of acting directly on the inner layers of the skin. Massages and corrective gymnastic exercises to help release the tension in the chest muscles, strengthen, and develop them must accompany all treatments.

Massage, electrotherapy, short sharp bursts of ice-cold water and topical application of specially formulated products all play their part in helping keep breasts firm, toned, lifted and looking youthful.

But, however religiously carried out for whatever period of time, all are temporary measures and that also applies to plastic surgery (the most "permanent" of the measures): age ultimately takes its toll.

However, if age cannot be beaten, it can certainly be kept at bay.

Read all articles pertaining to Breast Care in this issue and learn about the formulations of breast care products, treatments, nutrition/ naturopathy and more.

Our thanks to de Spa Cosmetics Ltd for the front cover breast treatment photo.