Why Breast Massages Should Be A Thing
Not just for sexy time or cancer self-exams, breast massages have noted health benefits — and could even increase one’s bust size.
By Lara McCaffrey
Art: Maria Karambatsakis
In a world that currently feels like an apocalyptic film (e.g. global pandemic, police and protesters clashing, incompetent politicians, etc.) practicing self-care has never been more important.
Enter: breast massages.
Not to be confused with sensual massages or breast self-exams for cancer screenings, this nurturing practice has a surprising number of noted health benefits — and it’s easy to do on your own.
Although seemingly bouncy sacks of fat, breasts are more complicated than they appear. They are made up of milk ducts, tissue, and ligaments connecting to chest muscles, lymph nodes, lobules (glands that make milk), and vessels carrying blood and white blood cells.
And breasts are connected to other parts of the body, too.
For example, the lymph nodes in breasts connect to the lymph nodes in armpits. Through this connection, cancerous cells can travel from the breasts to other parts of the body.
Related: “Hungry Men Love Big Boobs”
Credit: Flickr/Peretz Partensky
The Benefits of Breast Massages
With breast massages, all of the organs and parts that make up a breast benefit. It can loosen up tight chest muscles, help with inflammation and clogging of milk ducts, improve flow of the lymph nodes, reduce stress, and even, according to some people, make breasts appear bigger.
When it comes to relieving chest muscle tension, Tsao-Lin Moy, an acupuncturist and alternative medicine specialist, says that breast massages “will help to relax the muscles of the chest that get very tight because we do almost all our activities like typing and lifting, etc., in the front of our bodies.”
A breast rub-down can help with clogged milk ducts for those who are breastfeeding and can possibly relieve mastitis — or inflammation of the breast tissue. A 2009 study in Epidemiology suggested that people with a history of mastitis have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
When doing a breast massage, it’s important to move one’s hands in a specific motion. Healthcare experts advise using a gentle stroking motion that directs the fluids under the skin towards the armpit. This not only helps improve lymph flow, but it enables the lymph glands — which collect fluid, waste material, and things like viruses and bacteria — to exit the body tissue through the bloodstream.
The waste eliminating benefits of breast massages can also help decrease swelling, which can come in useful for those who have had mastectomies. Alternatively, massages in the chest region can also aid in recovery from top surgery.
Why Breast Massages Aren’t That Common
Despite these health benefits, most masseuses and massage parlors don’t offer breast massages. Because it’s an intimate act in a private place of the body, it’s hard to dismiss the potential for misconduct or crossing the line.
“Without excellent training in sexuality, ethics, and boundaries, breast massage could easily turn sexual,” Dr. Ben Benjamin of the Muscular Therapy Institute told VICE in 2019.
He believes that ethical considerations around breast massages still need further exploration in the U.S. And even if you do happen to find a masseuse willing to perform a breast massage, the conditions under which they perform them might be limited or solely clinical in focus.
“Some insurance companies cover breast massages if they’re provided ‘in office’ by a medical professional, and [they’re] typically only performed for medical reasons like scarring from breast surgery, blocked ducts in breastfeeding mothers, and managing lymphedema, a buildup of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues under the skin, in cancer patients,” reports VICE.
Your best bet for a breast massage — especially now that businesses are closed due to the pandemic — is to do it yourself. The task is not difficult, although you might experience slight discomfort in the beginning as you adjust to the new sensations.
Credit: Flickr/Mitya Ku
Breast Massage Techniques to Consider
In Ayurvedic medicine, a health practice with roots in India, it is recommended to start in a circular pattern — moving from the nipple outward — using heated oil (such as sunflower or sesame). Next, you’ll move your hands to the outer edges of the breasts and armpits, then towards your shoulder joints. Rub along your collarbone, shoulders, and neck before ending in the center of your breastbone, massaging in a clockwise circle.
There’s also a Taoist version of breast massage. You’ll need to rub your hands together in order to warm them, and, like with Ayurveda, oil can be used but it’s not necessary. Once your mitts are toasty, rub them in circles around the breasts. The circuit of this massage should be inward towards the face, then along the outline of your breasts. Repeat this 36 times in both directions.
Performing breast massages is less a science than it is an art. In other words, don’t get caught up in the details. So long as you use your hands in a gentle, therapeutic manner, you’re doing it right — and lending your body a hand.
LARA MCCAFFREY IS A CALIFORNIA-BASED WRITER WITH BYLINES IN PSYCHOLOGY TODAY, SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT, OUT THERE PODCAST, AND MORE. WHEN SHE'S NOT WRITING, SHE ENJOYS ANXIETY CLEANING HER APARTMENT.
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