Breast Cancer Awareness: October and No Bra Day

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To show our support, we're doing a complete website takeover, including a blog post dedicated to everything you need to know about breast cancer awareness. 

This includes No Bra Day, charities you can donate to, how to self-check your breasts and what bras we recommend for post-surgery. 

When is No Bra Day?

National No Bra Day 2022 will take place on Thursday 13th October. It's celebrated on the 13th October every year.

What is No Bra Day?

No Bra Day encourages women to leave their bras at home for the day, in order to raise awareness around the importance of knowing the symptoms of breast cancer, alongside breast cancer screening and regular self-checks.

Why Do We Celebrate No Bra Day?

We celebrate No Bra Day not only to encourage breast cancer awareness, but also to show support and solidarity to those who have fought, are fighting or those who have been affected by it. It’s so important to speak about it and to make sure that you and everyone you know are checking properly and seeking help when needed. 

You can take part on social media by using the hashtag #nobraday, alongside going braless and encouraging others to do so too. 

Alongside going braless, we want to focus on making sure that people know how to self-check their breasts, including different ways and what to look out for. Education is key to helping prevention and spreading breast cancer awareness.

Breast Cancer Charities

Education and spreading the word is so important, and so is supporting charities that dedicate all of their time to these efforts.

Our favourite charity for No Bra Day and spreading breast cancer awareness is CoppaFeel! They aim to educate everyone about the importance of checking their boobs, making the experience as enjoyable as possible.

They're the first breast cancer charity in the UK with a mission to increase awareness in younger people, aiming to provide everyone with the knowledge necessary to really know their bodies. You can donate and show your support by clicking the link above. 

How to Check For Breast Cancer

Checking yourself is so important and is the most preventative measure you can take. There's not one specific way to check your breasts, but it's good to be aware of the different changes you should look out for and what to feel for. No Bra Day is all about encouraging women to go braless and spreading breast cancer awareness.

We've got some really helpful illustrations from Fantasie, alongside our top tips to checking your boobs.

First of all, always remember that:

• All boobs are different in shape and size. It's also very normal for one boob to be bigger than the other. 

• The feeling of your boobs will change at different times of the month and especially around your period. Regularly checking your boobs and observing how they feel is the best way to fully understand how they change during your cycle.

• Women post-menopause will typically have softer, less firm breasts.

• Many women will have lumps in their boobs, and most of these are not cancerous. Lumps also known as cysts are particularly common in women aged 35-50 and even though they're usually not anything to worry about, you should always get them checked.

• Changes in your boobs happen for a number of many reasons and the majority of them aren't anything to worry about. If you find something that you are concerned about, don't hesitate about going to see your GP. It's really important to rule out breast cancer, so it's always best to check.

The three main issues to look out for are:

These are just some of the changes you should be aware of. You should also seek medical advice if:

• You notice discharge coming from either of your nipples.

• The position of your nipples change (for example, your nipple looks like it's being pulled in or is pointing differently)

• A rash or any kind of redness/soreness appears on or around your nipple.

• You experience pain or discomfort in one or both of your boobs.

How Often Should You Self-Check for Breast Cancer?

It's recommended that you check yourself around once a month to be safe. Aim for around a week after your period (the increase in hormones can lead to swelling and tenderness), or pick the same day of each month if you don't have periods at all.

Post-Surgery Bra/Mastectomy Bra Recommendations

It's recommended that in the first year after breast surgery you wear bras that have:

• Full cups with cup separation, letting the centre gore sit flat on the chest
• No wires
• Soft seams
• A deep front and side panelling
• A wide underband
• Completely adjustable straps

The two bras we recommend are Triumph's Doreen + Cotton Full Cup Bra and Sloggi's Double Comfort Top.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Whilst all of this information sounds very daunting, No Bra Day is all about breaking this stigma and encouraging people to make sure that they regularly self-check their breasts. We've all got boobs and it's super important to take care of them, just like any other area of the body. 

So, go braless, show your support and check yourself!

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this post, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us.

Psst. Did you know? We ship internationally! No matter where you are, we can provide you with your dream bra. Check out our shipping policy for everything you need to know about timings, prices and returns.

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