Hot weather and sweating behind breast forms

Erica,

I had my bil. 5 yrs ago, this past April.  I had radiation on the left over 12 yrs. ago and radiation on the right 6 yrs ago.  These areas sweat now, but they didn't used to.  After working out, it is easily enough to make the areas of my sports bra wet even where there aren't forms.  Hope yours doesn't change like mine did. 

Grandmotherextraordinaire- I'm going to try the sock thingy.

Hi Barbara,

I've not had much luck with silicone and generally wear Still You forms - the fiber fill ones are my favorites - which I always wear in a pocketed bra/cami.   But the other day I was browsing in the lingerie department at Penney's and came across some nursing bras.  Since then I've been wondering if maybe the support part of a nursing bra just might be enough to secure a breast form?  Now after reading your question,  I'm also now wondering if nursing pads might work for summertime perspiration when forms are worn without a pocket.  Designed to absorb leakage as well as provide comfort, they could be quickly changed as needed and might even add an absorbent layer in a pocketed bra.  

Hi Erica,

 Yes, the small ankle socks work very smooth.  My adult granddaughter who works in the health field taught me this neat trick.  It beats spending money and can be removed for washing whenever.

Mercedes

Yes, Barbara. The Amoena Performance Sports Mastectomy Bra 2658 totally handles the sweat problem with me. My Amoena Energy Lite forms and the pockets in that bra are always dry, even in our record heat and humidity. It is such a comfortable bra, it is just that one little piece - just the top of if in front - that can contact my sternum. I haven't had problems with chafing lately, so maybe it softened up? If so that will be my bra of choice for the silicone Energy Lites.

I tried something else yesterday which will confirm your suspicion that a bra with good wicking properties will take care of sweating with silicone forms. I have a cotton pocketed bra that I got, early on, from The American Cancer Society. I wore it yesterday during 5 hours in 93 degree heat with 90% humidity. The pockets of the cotton bra with the Amoena Energy Lites in them were half damp. Still not bad for 5 hours in the oppressive heat, but I wore the Amoena Performance Bra in the same conditions with the Energy Lites and the pockets were totally dry when I took it off. It was also one of the coolest and driest parts of my body.

I think I'm going to try the Anita Care Irina Mastectomy Sports Bra 5321 next and hopefully the top of the front material will be softer of my sternum. By the way, both bras are recommended for lymphedema - which I have the early stage of. I can concur the Amoena Performance Bra doesn't make me swell like some other mastectomy bras do. It is cool, comfortable (except for the top of the sternum piece) and not tight at all. Both these bras are back closing. I too, do not like front closing bras.

So from what I've discovered it really depends greatly on the bra worn in the heat and how well it draws perspiration away from the body. Of course, I think the Energy Lite forms help too, because even when I wore then with a cotton-pocketed bra the sweating wasn't bad. I also like that the Amoena Energy Lite forms are so easy to clean, dry instantly with a towel, and are so sanitary. I do not like material or pads of sweaty material against my skin in the heat at all.

 Thx! 

Yes, Barbara, I agree there may be no perfect solution - but at least we have solutions! 

I will let you (and everyone who is interested) know about the Anita Irina Sports Mastectomy Bra when I try it out. I think it might be of interest to any other gals who used to have a lot of weight on a small rib cage frame, i.e. big boobs, that it is possible to have a bilateral mastectomy w/o reconstruction and find some comfort. I must say though that my posture is so "humped" now as my body really seems to "freak" at the loss of so much tissue weight off my front. So, for me, one who lived in Bali underwire bras since I was 15, I like the feel of a comfortable bra and the weight of lightweight prothesis - my PT noticed my posture actually improves wearing the Amoenas and the Performance bra vs. being flat...

So, finding solutions to the sweating scenario was top of my list too, so I can wear them while exercising in the heat if I like. I learned a lot about sweating and different fabrics that worked from technical divers I knew who taught me how to stay as dry as possible while zipped up for a whole day in my scuba drysuit (that is like a big ziploc baggie). First and foremost rule was no cotton as the base layer!!!

Thanks for all your help. BTW, your site helped inspire me in my "dark days" near diagnosis that there were workable options for me, besides painful reconstruction. I'm glad I took the path I did. My magnificently wonderful and experienced breast surgeon inspired me too and he and I talked at length about how, with a bilateral, I could get back into scuba and freediving again (probably with foam forms considering depth compression and such) and not have to worry about implants or weighted prothesis problems underwater (if I had kept my healthy breast), etc. I can't wait to be done with chemo/rads and get back to my life! 

Barbara,

I've been thinking about your added comment about normal hot-weather perspiration.  What I've come up with as the difference is that when we had breasts in bras, the skin was very close to the surface and got a lot more air, with just a bra and clothing between skin and air.  When we put a bra with a prosthesis in it on top of our skin, between our skin and the air, it is a LOT of stuff between our skin and the air, which is just layers of insulation, keeping the heat inside.  The more heat that is kept inside, the hotter we become inside, and the more we sweat.  Furthermore, silicone is in a completely non-porous bag, and that adds even more to the sweat factor.  Microbead forms are less hot, at least the tiny ones I have used, but any time we add 2 or 3 or more inches of anything onto our chests, we'll get hotter and sweat (perspire, glisten) more.  At least that's my take on it.  One more reason for me to live without forms for the most part.

Dawn 

I use Certain Dry Clinical Strength roll on behind both prosthesis and it works great.  Form still get warm of course but at least sweat is not running down my chest. The Amoena ones with cool gel bumps I currently have are  like wearing a water heater blanket.

I will try a new brand this time.  Any one have cooler brands they really like? I live in So. California. I put mine in the fridge overnight, they stay cool for an hour or two when I wear them They were hot before they were ever refrigerated so that is not the cause.

One odd thing,when we went to the Grand Canyon,the boobs developed little black dots  on them. After several days of being home with much lower elevation they went away.

Hi Girls?

Does anyone know of a truly weighted foam form?  I work outside all summer in a garden centre and have tried every combination of forms and bras, silicone and otherwise, to prevent the sweating problem.  The silicones are out!  I bought Ameona Style 132 last summer....love the way they look and fixed the sweating problem but unfortunately they ride up to my neck when I lift my arms.... and in a garden centre you lift your arms above your head often.  I was hoping they would be a little heavier.  I bought Size 4 but I should have got 5.  Do the Trulife's have more weight?  Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Hi Solstice girl, glad to help! Have you tried any of the camis with the Mx bra inside them? I find they are much gentler on the chest than a constructed bra, and the crop top sports bras are jut as comfortable.

I hope Erica will come back and may be able to help with your question about the already fitted bra. I have seen them, but can't remember where, maybe TLC, not sure, but Erica is the guru of all things Mx for me. I too, used her website extensively.

Just wanted to mention that Jodee makes the Perma-Form bra in several styles.

No, I haven't tried any of the styles. I just recalled seeing that they have quite a few.

I haven't worn forms in quite some time, other than in swimsuits. I'm just more comfortable without them and nobody seems to notice with the styles I tend to wear. But I still haven't found a swimsuit that I feel confident enough to wear without forms, and I refuse to give up swimming so I wear foam forms or shower scrunchy foobs in those.

I have thought of getting a Handful camisole/tank as it looks like it might be something that would be both comfortable and give me more clothing options - just not sure of what size to get as I don't like anything tight.

I know lots of companies sell good breast forms but why are they so expensive!!!?? All I want is small rounded pieces of foam rubber I can sew into my bras and as much cotton as I can find in the bra and cover without going to the poor house. I bought a pillow form and tried to cut out my own but they weren't thick enough. I'm going to keep shopping until I find the right pieces of foam and they will be cheap and wonderful. Goodbye to all those companies who want to make us survivors feel like they care about us while they are fleecing us.