To Bra or Not to Bra?

Luv Power

That is the question.  I liberated Mom last month and removed the bra from our daily dressing routine.  The bra straps and back strap were leaving red marks in her skin.  After sleeping in her clothes one night, she woke up rubbing at the areas irritated by the straps.  The bra is sized correctly, but her skin is getting thinner and less resilient and it seemed to me that she would be more comfortable without it.

However, bra liberation created a different issue ~ a rash in the skin fold underneath her breasts.  The rash is recovering quickly with barrier cream, however I can see now how the bra created a moisture barrier.  Also ~ no bra has not been noticeable with sweatshirts this winter, but I'm not sure it will go unnoticed this summer when she wears cotton t-shirts.

I would love advice, creative options and information about what everyone else does?  Thanks

Arrowhead

My wife has the same problem if she doesn't wear one. I suggest going to a lingerie shop to see if lighter weight bras are available. A slightly larger one ( 38 instead of 36 for instance) might be easier on her skin.

Rescue mom

If she’s older, she may get chilly even in the heat of summer and wear a light jacket(?). My mom went without; OTOH she was small and all her clothes were pretty loose and not “thin.” And like most elderly at her facility, she was always cold, even when it was 90 degrees outside, and always wore a light jacket, or shirt with sleeves as a jacket, so nobody could really tell. Is she out and about much in places where anyone would notice? At the facility, I’m pretty sure none of them noticed, or cared.

andrew250

I'm a son, so I'm not experienced in the ways of the brassiere. Mom was putting it on backwards to get the hooks right, then turning it around. Except, that second step didn't always go correctly. It's a great example of the loss of executive function. 

"Something's wrong with my bra," she would say. "Mom, it's on backwards." She would arrange it and still end up with it backwards. Even if she got it corrected, inevitably, one of the girls would pop out to the side at some point during the day. 

We switched her to using a camisole, like a tank top. She gets to feel like something is there, but it's so much less complicated to put on.  Of course her boobs now hover above her waist, but she seemed more comfortable. I told her it's a pandemic. No one's wearing a bra anymore. 

JJ401

I second the camisole. We switched to one for my MIL. It worked well.

As for the rash. Try using Zeasorb anti fungal powder in that area daily. It’s what the dermatologist here recommended. It works wonderfully to keep that area rash from reappearing. (CVS has a generic Zeasorb version with no talc.)

RobOT

Hi Luv. I'm thinking maybe those camisoles with the "shelf" in it.  It does have a loose band of elastic under the breasts, which could hold her up and absorb moisture, but on the other hand if not loose enough could also cause irritation.  Might be worth a try.

Dutiful One

I recommend the Buck & Buck catalog. They have some good options.

harshedbuzz

I would look into a front closure sleep bra or low impact sports bra. Camisoles are great until such time as she can't/won't cooperate with getting them over her head.

From Buck and Buck-

Leisure Bra Adaptive Clothing for Seniors, Disabled & Elderly Care (buckandbuck.com)

jfkoc

camisole or sports bra...at night you might put a Kleenex  under her breast.

mileyyy

not to bra lol ) :)

Young@heart

Andrew250 - as a large breasted woman, I have often had issues of "sweat-induced" under-breast rash. Sometimes so bad the skin split and was extremely painful. I found that if I wipe under each breast with an alcohol saturated cotton pad both in the a.m. when I dress and evening before bed, it keeps bacteria from accumulating. Make sure to gently lift each breast; swipe all areas where skin touches skin: top of ribs, breast underside and up towards arm pits, and in cleavage. When the area dries, apply a small amount of baby powder under each breast. I also wear a bra at all times...either a sports bra or conventional. It is important to keep a barrier between skin surfaces. I haven't had any issue in the 8 years since I hit on this routine. If the skin is currently irritated, try just using a solution of baby shampoo and water, rinse well...and keep kleenex or other soft material under each breast until the area heals. Change the tissue several times a day. It can be stubborn, but keep after it. When it has healed sufficiently so as not to be painful, you can move up to using a water diluted solution of witch hazel instead of baby shampoo until the skin is totally healed. Then move up to the alcohol.DON'T EVER PUT ALCOHOL ON AN OPEN WOUND! Good luck.

Iris L.

This thread is almost three years old.

Jo C.

This is a problem for so many. When my step-dad developed a fungal/yeast infection, his physician had us use an OTC anti-fungal cream which healed the infection. We also were to wash the area each day - he showered; do NOT rub the area when washing/drying, simply pat if washing out of the shower. We also were told to use the hair dryer set on cool to dry the area; that worked very well Both the wash water and dryer need to be tepid to cool so as not to have heat encourage fungal growth. Also told to use Zeasorb Antifungal powder as a preventive. It can clump a bit with moisture, so must be washed off each day. When purchasing Zeasorb, make sure it is anti-fungal; they have different types of powder in similar containers.

Wish I knew which barrier cream was best under breasts, but I do not know. Sure wouldn't be Vaseline like items which would be greasy and I would think prone to causing more rash issues.

As for putting kleenex under breasts that are moist; seems to me the kleenex would easily shred leaving bits to have to be cleaned off. Perhaps taking two soft paper towels that are still connected, sprinkling them with Zeosorb AF, then folding them in half with powdered side against the skin below and at breast level would perhaps do better. Simply tuck well under breasts.

If using Zeosorb AF, one has to sprinkle it on and it can get everywhere ; if one had a powder puff like item that would perhaps make things a bit easier to pat it on.

I was hoping Marta, our NP, would chime in re barrier cream; hard to tell what is effective. When my mother refused to wear bras anymore, I purchased soft knit camisole type undergarments for her for both modesty and comfort.

J.

storycrafter

I sometimes use long panty liners tucked along/just inside the bottom of each bra cup, easy and quick, to absorb sweat in the summertime; change as needed, depending on situation. One can also find washable, re-usable cotton panty liners if don't want to throw them away in the trash.

gampiano

this happened to me last summer. nothing worked until i tried TRIPLE PASTE. it comes in a tube, and is a bit pricey, but it really works!

It even helped my shingles rash.

Marta

As for barrier creams, I recommend against them because the most likely organism to invade under the breasts (or groin, or axillae, or anywhere two layers of skin touch), is a FUNGUS, and fungi FEAST on any organic creams or powders that are applied. Besides keeping those areas clean and dry (think hairdryer), applying an anti fungal dry power spray at the first hint of rash would be my recommendation. Lotrimin is my go to for my residents.