Why Your Underwire Pokes Out (And How To Avoid It)
The white and green parts are tips to protect you from the metal.
Forget being stabbed in the back; there’s no worse betrayal than being stabbed in the boob. And if you’ve ever had your underwire pop out, you know this can be a real risk! But, thank heavens, this risk can be managed. Underwire pokes out for lots of reasons. Here’s what you need to know.
How does it happen?
There are generally two ways underwire attacks. The first is when the underwire actually snaps into separate pieces and jabs through a random spot in the fabric casing. In the more common scenario, the underwire remains intact, but pokes through the casing either under the arm or between your boobs.
Most underwires are made of metal, although some lower-end or small bust brands do use plastic ones. Plastic wires are more likely to snap into pieces, since they’re not as sturdy as the metal ones. Another thing to be aware of is wire tipping. Most brands add a little cap to the ends of their wires, so that if they do poke through the casing, they won’t injure you. But, again, some lower-end brands do not tip their wires. Ouch!
Bad idea!
What makes it happen?
Sure, sometimes underwire pokes through or snaps because the bra is of poor quality. But underwire health is also impacted by less-than-ideal bra washing practices, the age of the bra, how you put on your bra, and even changes in your body. This sounds overwhelming at first, I know. But the good news is that a lot of this is stuff you can control.
Only YOU can prevent underwire accidents.
Wash your bra gently and carefully. Yes, that means by hand. It’s also important to wash your bra frequently, after about every 1-3 wears. A lax bra washing schedule allows sweat, body oils, and skin cells (I’m sorry) to build up, and makes the materials degrade more quickly. Degraded materials = weakened fabric = an easy escape for wily underwires.
But even with the best care, every bra has a lifespan. As your bra gets on in age, get in the habit of doing a quick inspection on wash day. Catching worn spots before they give out gives you the chance to replace your bra – without the reminder of a pokey wire.
Good idea!
I’ve covered all the do’s and don’ts of putting on a bra before. The relevant bit today is this: do not flip your bra. If you do your bra up at the front and then spin it around, make sure you keep the cups the right way up. Flipping warps the wires and puts unnecessary stress on the bra, making an underwire mishap much more likely to occur.
Make sure your bra fits. It’s tempting, when your body changes, to just suck it up and wear a bra that fit your old body. But that’s probably not going to feel great for you, and it’s definitely bad for your bra. This is especially true if your bust size has gone up. There’s more weight being carried by wires that weren’t designed to carry it, which means greater risk of underwires poking out or snapping. Get bras for the body you have now, not the body you had a year ago or hope to have a year from now.
Go forth and poke no more.
Now that you know why your underwire pokes out, you can do something about it! Sometimes it seems like these kinds of problems are just part of being busty, but they don’t have to be. Protect your boobs! Take care of your underwires.
