TikTok user says she ‘trained’ her F-cup boobs to be perkier

We’ve fact-checked a TikToker’s claims she trained her breasts not to sag – and what the experts had to say was surprising.

Queensland-based TikTok creator Casee Brim recently drew attention for explaining she doesn’t like to wear a bra despite having F-cup breasts.

In the TikTok, she wrote, “ur bewbs will sag if you don’t wear a bra” across her lip-synching to My Life by Billy Joel, with the lyrics: “I don’t care what you say, this is my life.”

She explained in the caption that she predominantly doesn’t wear a bra for the sake of comfort, going on to say comfort should go above all else, Body + Soul reports.

However, it was another claim that drew much discussion in the comments.

She said: “I actually found my natural F-cups became perkier when I started ‘training them’ to go bra-free.”

“Will they actually sag though?” one person asked. “I don’t wear one 98 per cent of the time.”

“Teach me,” another said.

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Are bras necessary? Pictures: TikTok/@caseebrim

Brim ended up doing a follow-up video, explaining that “science says” the skin and muscle isn’t “engaged” when in a bra, but when you go bra-free the muscles are engaged, which in turn protects and lifts the girls.

To see if that is true, we decided to consult the experts.

Assistant Professor Deirdre McGhee has studied the way breasts move for over 20 years. She would never tell someone what to do with their own breasts, but she does have some helpful suggestions for people who might not be sure.

“Although I absolutely support a woman’s choice to wear whatever she wants, from my experience as a physiotherapist for over 30 years and as a researcher in breast health biomechanics for 20 years, I have found that the posture of women who do not wear a bra or who wear bras that provide insufficient breast support, is more commonly a posture where the upper back is more curved (increased thoracic kyphosis) and the shoulders are more rounded (increased scapular protraction and glenohumeral joint internal rotation),” she told Body + Soul.

Don’t rely on advice given by someone on social media. Always consult a medical expert. Pictures: TikTok/@caseebrim

This is because of two key reasons:

1. The effect of the mass of the breasts on the upper torso

2. A tendency to hide or protect unsupported breasts

“This type of posture is problematic because it is more commonly associated with increased musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction of the neck, upper back and shoulders and puts many of the muscles and joints in these regions in a biomechanically disadvantaged position,” she said.

She also said bras can make movement a lot easier.

“Not wearing a bra makes it very difficult or uncomfortable for a woman to perform many forms of physical activity. This is because, firstly, the breasts have very limited support naturally provided by the anatomy of the breast, and this support decreases as women age,” she said.

“And, secondly, the breasts move relative to the trunk during physical activity and excessive breast movement is associated with breast pain. Therefore, to promote physical activity in all women, it is recommended that they wear external breast support in the form of a bra.”

Osteopathy Australia president Michelle Funder agreed, saying it’s important to think of the breast in its entirety, not just the muscles underneath.

“Breast tissue is made up of fatty, fibrous and connective tissue. The breasts sit upon the pectoralis muscles, often called the ‘pecs’. Often people may think that training the pec muscles may impact the ‘perkiness’ of the breast. There are so many things that can impact breast tissue such as fat content, breastfeeding, history of breastfeeding, age, and genetics,” she said.

“What is really important is to make sure women feel comfortable and supported in their chests no matter what age or size they are. If they are wearing bras, making sure they fit correctly will help avoid back pain.”

Of course, like Dr McGhee, she does believe every woman should have the right to personally determine what support is right for them.

“If women choose not to wear bras then that is also fine! Do what makes you happy and comfortable,” she said.

“You can do exercises to help your general posture which may give you a feeling of perceived perkiness of the breasts, this will not specifically change the breast tissue (although if there is weight loss associated with the exercise this may impact the size of the breast tissue).”

This story originally appeared in Body + Soul and has been reproduced with permission