Women who dream of beautiful curves can get the best out of their bodies by taking care of their breasts.

We're not talking implants here - eating the right food, doing exercises for the chest and wearing the right type of bra can ensure that you will have the best breasts as Mother Nature intended.

Taking care of your breasts starts at an early age.

"The first time you have your period is when your breasts start developing. That's when you should get your first bra," says Prapapan Nakavachara, a gynaecologist at Bumrungrad International Hospital.

Eating healthy meals from the five food groups and doing chest exercises will also help your breasts develop fully, she adds.

"How large your breasts are also depends on your genes," explains Prapapan. So girls can expect to wear more or less than same cup size as their mothers.

But it's important to choose the right support.

According to research conducted by Marks & Spencer, 90 per cent of women wear the wrong type of bra. Although wire bras give full support and structure to your breasts, they are not suitable for everyone.

"The first bra you get shouldn't be too tightly fitting or have a wire support as your breasts are still developing. Wearing tight bras will constrict their development," says Prapapan.

Savitree Thanalongkorn, brand manager of Raphaela Magica, adds that apart from finding the right bra when breasts are developing, applying moisturising cream to the breasts is also a great way of taking care of the skin.

Other times to avoid wire supports and tight bras are during pregnancy and while breast-feeding as they restrict the breast tissue leading to blocked ducts.

To ensure that your bra is at the right size, bra fittings and measuring cup size are a must.

One of the most common mistake women make today is wearing a bra that is either too small or big. Women with large breasts tend to wear smaller bras, while women with smaller breasts tend to wear larger bras.

"If you have large breasts, wearing a small bra size will make your breasts bulge and make you feel uncomfortable. That can lead to backaches and pain in the breasts. For smaller breasts wearing a bigger bra size can conceal the real size of your breasts and make them look unnatural," says Prathana Berananda, beauty and lingerie buyer for Marks & Spencer.

As your breasts continuously change and develop during growth, weight loss or gain, menstruation and pregnancy it is advisable to have regular bra fitting and consider changing your bras once in a while.

"In general you should change or look for a new bra every three or four months," says Savitree.

The menstrual cycle also plays a major role in buying a bra. Breast can swell up by a full cup size during the period, meaning that they will need to be measured again at the end of menstruation to get the real bra size.

While having your period, Prathana suggests wearing bras that are seamless for maximum comfort.

As exercising is good for overall breast development and health, it is crucial to wear a proper sports bra that gives full support to your chest during the activities so that your breasts don't sag. Generally sports bra are divided into three types: high-, medium- and low-impact.

A high-impact sports bra support activities like aerobics and squash. Medium-impact includes tennis, skiing or weight lifting. Low-impact includes walking and running.

Remember to keep healthy and measure your bra size once every three months to keep your curves beautiful.

Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra

The Nation