Bust-conscious facts  
 
A woman's breasts are an important part of her body. Large or small, perkily erect or gently drooping, women are rarely satisfied with the pair of breasts nature gave them.

Every woman has different breasts. What is more, there is no single woman whose two breasts are exactly the same. Sometimes a woman has two so different breasts that one of them is a size larger than the other. No wonder breasts make so many women feel unsure of themselves.

Recent research has shown that 35% of all women are unhappy with their cup size. Around 9% of these women are even so unhappy with the size of their breasts that they are considering having a breast enlargement - even with all the risks this entails.

 
 
Breast development 
 
A woman's breasts develop during puberty under the influence of hormones. Oestrogens are responsible for the initial growth. Progesterone stimulates the growth of the milk pools. Breasts consist of three types of tissue: fatty tissue, connective tissue and glandular. The amount of glandular and fatty tissue determines the size of the breast. The connective tissue serves to support the breasts. The glandular tissue is a network of channels or canals called lacteal glands, an average of twenty in each breast. 
 
 
Finding your cup size 
 
Cups: from large to small
Your cup size depends on the proportion of glandular tissue in your breasts. Often this is a matter of heredity; if your mother had large breasts, then it is likely that you will too. If the women in your family have smaller breasts - or less glandular tissue - then it is very likely that you are not very buxom either. When women have small breasts, it is simply because their bodies produced less glandular tissue during puberty.

Nice firm breasts
It is sad but true: your breasts will not remain firm forever. Not only do they become slacker with age, but weight fluctuations and pregnancies take their toll as well. Naturally, the firmness of your breasts is related to their shape. But it also has quite a lot to do with your posture and - to a lesser extent - with muscle training. There is no such thing as exercises for firm breasts, although the media and sports schools would like us to believe there is. Breasts cannot be exercised because they do not contain any muscles. However, your pectoral muscles are located underneath your breasts, and these muscles can be trained and firmed. Good sports for this purpose are swimming, rowing and yoga. These sports call on muscular strength and endurance, and they do not require sudden movements in which the weight of the breasts might tug the skin.

Alternate hot and cold showers for lovely breasts
The skin gives support to the breasts. The softer and smoother, the more supple your skin, the more attractive your breasts will look. The skin that covers your breasts is naturally smooth and satiny. To make sure it stays that way, you can try hot and cold showers. Every day, after two minutes under a hot shower, splash your breasts with cold water for one minute. This encourages the circulation and helps the skin to stay strong and elastic. After showering, it is a good idea to apply a nourishing body lotion to your breasts. But remember: the most important thing is that your breasts are healthy, that they show it and that you are happy with them.

How can you find out your cup size?
A bra size is composed of two parts: a number and a letter. The number refers to the circumference of your body in centimetres measured just below the breasts. The letters tell you the cup size. AA is the smallest and G is the largest. To find out what cup size you need, put the measuring tape around your body exactly at nipple level. If this measurement is 10 to 12 cm more than the measurement just below your breasts, your cup size is AA. Remember, though, that each body is unique. If you have round breasts, your cup size will turn out to be somewhat larger than the measuring tape tells you. If your breasts are more 'pointy', the effect will often be the reverse.

AA 10-12 cm
A 12-14 cm
B 14-16 cm
C 16-18 cm
D 18-20 cm
E 20-22 cm
F 22-24 cm
G 24-26 cm
 

What cup size do average women wear?
Recent research has shown that over 35% of average women are unhappy with their cup size. But what is the average cup size?

Cup AA or smaller 3%
Cup A 13%
Cup B 31%
Cup C 22%
Cup D 15%
Cup E or larger 16%