Health And Wellness

10 Truly Wild Facts You Never Knew About Your Boobs

Photo: Sergey Zaykov / Shutterstock
woman in bra

How much do you really know about your breasts?

Sure, you know that people are prone to stare at them and that they are, let's face it, a lot of fun on their own (as well as being ever so useful during sex).

But do you know who in the world has the largest pair? Or just what it is that smoking can do to them? Well, we did some digging and found out for you!

10 Truly Wild Facts You Never Knew About Boobs

1. The largest natural breasts in the world belong to Annie Hawkins-Turner (aka Norma Stitz) of the USA, who has a 70-inch chest, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

That's a bra size of 102ZZZ. She suffers from gigantomastia, which is a slow but steady growth of breast and fat tissue.

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2. The largest breast implants in the world belong to Sheyla Hershey of Houston TX, formerly of Brazil.

Ms. Hershey's implants put her at an astounding 38KKK. She had to have the procedure done in her native Brazil, as the US doesn't allow that amount of silicon in a body. The surgery led to repeated staph infections in both breasts and the eventual necessary removal of the implants. However, the implants were later replaced, and as of 2011, she was attempting to get her breasts up to MMM.

3. Though everyone's taste buds vary, breast milk is generally considered to have a sweet flavor, due in large part to the high amounts of lactose.

4. Alas for the smokers out there, cigarette smoke is hell on your breasts.

It's true; the chemicals in cigarette smoke break down the elastin in our bodies, leading to saggier boobs.

5. There are actually five states where a woman can walk around topless: New York, Hawaii, Texas, Maine, and Ohio (though they might try to pick you up on a public nuisance charge in Texas unless you're in Austin).

There is a whole political movement behind women being topless in public, called Topfreedom.

6. Among primates, only humans have permanent breasts.

All other primates only grow full breasts for the purpose of feeding their children. So, you know, good for us. 

7. Some women can reach orgasm just through nipple stimulation.

In one study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, it was found that for some women self-stimulation triggered the genital sensory cortex of the brain. Um, yay!

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8. Breast size is not static.

Yes, we all know that if you gain or lose weight, or become pregnant, your breasts will grow or shrink. But did you know that your breasts can grow by as much as a cup size during PMS? Too bad most of us feel too lousy to enjoy it during that time.

9. Uneven? Don't worry, that's normal.

Many women have one breast slightly (or not so slightly) larger than the other. It is perfectly normal, so don't fret. Fun fact: For about 65% of women, it happens to be the left breast that is larger!

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10. They can get dry.

The skin over a woman's breasts is thinner than that of the rest of her body, with a few exceptions. Because of this, breasts are prone to dry skin, so make sure you moisturize!

Kristen Droesch has been a contributor with YourTango since 2013. She has written over 140 articles.