If you’ve ever been worried your boobs don’t look like the ones on social media or in the movies, you’re not alone.
Maybe they’re not particularly perky or plump, far from symmetrical, and your areolas are a little bigger than those you’ve seen on screen.
In other words, they’re normal. Normal, and worthy of acceptance.
We don’t need to tell you we live in a society fuelled by unrealistic expectations of beauty and breast bounciness. However, breast believe, holding unrealistic expectations of ourselves, our bodies, and our boobs is not doing any of us any good.
Friendly reminder: nothing is expected of our boobs. Read on for more breast loving reminders!
There’s no such thing as perfect boobs.
Just a walk down the bra aisle shows us what kind of shapes are socially acceptable. Round, smooth, plump, and pushed up.
Hey, we’re not knocking cleavage. Cleavage is fun! What’s not fun: thinking you need to wear a bra to round out the shape of your breasts or push them up to your chin, even if you don’t actually want the support.
To start practicing accepting your body despite what culture tells you, download Emjoy and listen to the collection Body Acceptance by Elle Chase.
One is probably bigger than the other.
Yup, your breasts are one of a kind. Like an older twin who loves to brag that they were born a few seconds before the other, one of your breasts is most likely bigger than the other. And 65% of the time, it’s the left one.
They’re sisters, not twins. Why that is, we don’t really know. But it’s fascinating, isn’t it?
Some medical publications will cite this occurrence as a “condition” called breast asymmetry. We view it as a medical condition about as much as we do the difference in the shape of two eyebrows.
They’re always up to something.
Breasts change. Like, all the time.
You can blame it on the hormones. For example, your menstrual cycle affects your breasts. Breast tenderness and soreness is a very common symptom of PMS. Some breasts swell up like balloons before menstruation, some during ovulation. Sometimes the color of the areola changes, too.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding both change the connective tissue in your breasts, which changes the shape and size. Can you blame them? They do some serious work during that time.
It’s no surprise that aging changes our breasts, too. Tissue becomes more fatty and less glandular, which causes them to lose their fullness. The areola will often lighten or become smaller.
Your breasts are pleasure centers, too.
Don’t ignore them, explore them. Your nipples are loaded with nerve endings, and those nerve endings expand out to the rest of each breast. When your nipples are stimulated, your brain receives its pleasure signals via the same route from your vagina, clitoris, and cervix.
Some people can have orgasms solely from nipple play. If you want to try your hand at this, head over to the Emjoy app and listen to the session Breasts and Nipple Play in the collection Discover Your Body II to get started.
If nipple orgasms aren’t your thing, never fear. There’s still a good chance that your nipples are an erogenous zone for you, so play around on your own. Experiment with different kinds of touch, pressure levels, and take note of where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Take care of your breasts, okay?
Your breasts give you pleasure, sure. But with great pleasure comes great responsibility, so make sure you take care of your breasts. We can work on the confidence thing, but first and foremost, owning a pair of breasts means ensuring they're in tip-top shape.
- Practice self-exams regularly in the shower. Some breasts simply have dense tissue, so not every “lumpy” feeling is cause for alarm, but if you start getting the lay of the land, then you’ll know when to be suspicious.
- Get to the OBGYN regularly. They’ll be able to tell if somethings up.
- Exercise is key. Exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer significantly. It also releases feel-good hormones that can help you if body image (or anything else) is stressing you out.
- Give your breasts a massage. Break out the good oil, too. If skincare is your thing, don’t leave your breasts out of your regimen.
You have a unique beauty, and you’re capable of seeing it too.
Body image is a doozy. But you are the keeper of a beauty that is totally unique to you. Others can see it, and sometimes it’s hard to see it yourself. You are your worst critic, as they say. Here are some practices that you can use to start seeing yourself in a new light.
- Do a social media purge. Unfollow accounts that embrace unrealistic body types and fill your feed with accounts that are devoted to representing all kinds of real people. Sometimes seeing other people embrace their own unique beauty, even if they don’t look anything like you, can help you find your way.
- Play with selfies as a way to celebrate your boobs. Whether you dig a full frontal or a more artistic approach, playing with photography is a great way to start catching your beauty in action.
- Do some embodied activities. Meditation, yoga, dance workout videos, biking, swimming, boxing. There are endless ways to get grounded in your body and have fun at the same time.
- Incorporate breast play into masturbation. Masturbation is an excellent way to get to know yourself and it has tons of health benefits. Make sure you’re incorporating breast play into your solo sex.
It’s not easy working through body shame, but the reward always outweighs the struggle. So for now, enjoy your breasts. Let them be what they are. We’re rooting for you.
Emjoy collections for body acceptance
Head to your Today tab in the app and check out this month’s spotlight to discover Emjoy collections about body acceptance, body image and sex, and more.