Going bra-free during self-quarantine
Is the fact that I’m not wearing a bra at home during the COVID-19 confinement causing permanent harm, such as sagging? I hate wearing a bra at home (well, actually any time) but I’ve never gone braless for this long before.
Live it up. Go for it. It’s hard to imagine that going braless for a couple weeks or even months is going to cause problems later on. But, my research actually turned up a study by a French doctor that supports (hah!) my assumption. A small study (320 women ages 18-35) published in 2013 by Dr. JeanDenis Rouillon from the University of Besançon suggested that wearing a bra contributed to sagging breasts. Bra-free women actually developed more natural muscle support of the breasts than women who wore bras, he found. Also, here’s what the American Cancer Society says about suggestions that bras cause breast cancer by obstructing lymph flow: “There is no good scientific or clinical basis for this claim, and a 2014 study of more than 1,500 women found no association between wearing a bra and breast cancer risk.”
For obvious reasons (quarantined!), I’m spending time in front of my TV screen. And yet … I seem to spend most of that time looking for stuff to watch. I usually just give up and do something else, like reading a book. Of course, I’m grateful that my family has stayed healthy and is not going hungry! I realize my “problem” isn’t really a problem, but have you got some recommendations for the leisure time I have after home schooling, laundry, meal prep and keeping the peace in my household? What are YOU doing with your time now that you’re stuck in your basement or wherever?
I don’t have a basement but I do have plenty of chores I’m avoiding. I’ve started going through the closets in the house collecting items to donate — especially clothes that we don’t wear or have outgrown. It’s not a tidying worthy of Marie Kondo, but it’s kind of cleansing and useful for charities such as Salvation Army, Goodwill and Dress for Success (professional clothing to help women’s employment). (For cash donations: goodwill.org, salvationarmyusa.org, dfsmovingforward.org). You asked how I’m spending my time working from home, so … some worthwhile stuff I’ve been doing includes answering your questions (answerangelellen@gmail.com), coloring my roots and video and phone calls with friends and family. Also, horrors, my taxes. But to tackle your issue of nothing good to watch, I could give you the list of shows and movies I’ve been watching but there are plenty of recommendations online. I use word-of-mouth, asking everyone I talk to what they have watched on the platforms I have access to (such as HBO, Netflix, etc.). Because I know I won’t remember, I keep an online list (organized by platform) and when I see a commercial for a new season of a series that I watch, I write that down too.
I have lots of curly hair and a big bushy beard. Because of the natural curl of the beard, it looks kind of sloppy and unkempt even though I groom it and shave my neck. I don’t intend to shave it off but I would like it to look more under control. My girlfriend keeps nagging me to do something about my “unruly” beard. What can I try to show her I’m acting in good faith?
Having spent much of my early adulthood trying to tame my curly hair, I would not recommend any commercial straightening products. You’d regret it. Trust me. A bearded relative pointed me to a plug-in grooming tool: Beardo Premium Beard Straightening Comb ( johnsonjonas.com, on sale for $29.97). He has not tested this thing so I can’t vouch for it but the ad copy says, “Get rid of that puffy look that nobody likes. … The conditioning steam infuses moisture and locks natural hair oil.” There’s a video on the site, but the model’s beard still looks puffy to me.
Many of you were eager to help Denise W. P. who asked for tips on putting her bulky comforter back into the duvet cover after washing. Shari K., Gail D., Karen R. and Patricia Z. saw an easy-to-use duvet cover on the TV show Shark Tank (beddley.com, $139 and up). Algis V., Barbara B. and Mary D. sent along a video from realsimple.com which involves turning the duvet cover inside out and rolling the comforter. It’s almost impossible to figure it out if I listed the seven steps so go to the video, bit.ly/2Vo3Gyk or search “burrito duvet method” on YouTube.com. Many others — Laurel S., Laura L., Charlene S., Marne T., Linda N., Mary W., Linda L. and Courtney S. gamely tried to explain their method which involves turning the duvet cover inside out and placing it on top of the comforter and working from there. The inside out method also was recommended for pillowcases.
“It drives me crazy to see men in restaurants or any building wearing hats whether backward, forwards or inside out. Did fathers neglect to teach their sons this simple point of etiquette? You will never see military personnel wearing a hat inside a building.”