[Blue_lover86]

So, I'm 12 weeks in and wanted to share my experience so far.
Originally, I planned to stop at twelve weeks...which I extended to 14 weeks...and then again to 16 weeks plus an additional 2 weeks for my right breast in an attempt to achieve perfect symmetry
Honestly...this journey sucks, but I'm commited to seeing it through to the end. It makes me hot, itchy, and uncomfortable. I will have spent around $1500 for this Dolly Parton costume, and I want to see the best results possible. I don't want to stop now and wonder how much better it could/would have been had I not given up.
I was a 36B/34C prior to starting...with a slight gap, especially on my right side. (Pre-breastfeeding days, I was a full 36B/34C...my breasts looked like partially deflated balloons afterwards and left me hiding my breasts from my husband due to horrible self esteem.)
I have worn it an average of 12 hours a day...I've never missed a day, and I can see a difference as far as fullness is concerned. I wish I had taken pictures, but I honestly couldn't stand to look at them myself...not to mention imagining someone else ever seeing them like that - so no before pics. I think I'm retaining an inch and a half. Great! BUT...
My skin still hasn't totally adjusted to wearing this thing...I thought I was free and clear for over a month, but I seem to get rashy very easily lately. I can't seem to go over 12 hrs without my skin getting irritated. Moist burn pads help A LOT during wear, but they are expensive!
My hubby is soo ready for me to get rid of this thing...I was hoping maybe to go another round, but his sexual frustration forbids it
*So, for those interested...I will have a complete Brava System on Ebay with wide large domes in about 6 weeks!*
So that's where I am...just wanted to share I would especialy love to hear from those of you who are enduring Brava with me!

[lled34aa]

i'm on my 14th week of brava. my breasts are much smaller than yours and i've never had kids so it's more challenging for me to grow. i too have noticed fuller and rounder breasts. i'm planning on wearing them for at least 24 weeks though, maybe 30 weeks.

i was having skin problems at the beginning. but ever since i ditched the skin-prep wipes and went with aloe vera gel, i haven't had any skin problems. taking off the domes is a breeze. the red marks last around 2 hrs. no rashes, itchiness etc. i would highly recommend switching to aloe vera gel if you haven't already. i've done 24hr with the domes on using aloe vera gel with no skin problems. the only thing is, you'll get less stickiness with aloe vera gel so the domes will lose suction more easily.

[Blue_lover86]

Wow,24 hrs is amazing! I could never go that long! I switched to aloe vera my first week on the system, so unfortunately I'm not sure what else I can do to combat the irritation. I've used anti-itch lotion as well as benadryl, which hasn't helped.
I read somewhere (in Brava paperwork/website) that there is no benefit to wearing the system past 20 weeks or so?
I'm not telling you I think you should stop or anything...just thought I would pass along the information. I apologize for not remembering the exact number of weeks, but I'm for sure it was on Brava's website or in the instructional booklet. I have heard some women say they wore it for 30 wks or so...so maybe Brava doesn't know what they're talking about. Wouldn't surprise me...when I called my Brava rep, she told me to ignore several things in their instruction manual & do something different. If I wasn't so tired of this thing, I would go longer for sure!
Good luck in your journey! I would love to hear your results when you're done And thanks for your reply.

[EmmaB]

Hi, I've completed 10 weeks today (woohoo) but plan to carry on for another 3 and half until I have to go away and can't take Brava with me. Once I get back I'm debating trying a little upkeep like doing it for an hour a day but have no idea if this will be of any use, or maybe doing another session next year. If it gets me results that'll be proof enough for my husband that it's worth another go (at the moment he's convinced it'll all disappear once I stop!)

I got a rash to begin with down the middle and I used micropore tape to cover over it so the skin could heal. I was actually more allergic to the tape than the sticky gel but I found that if I left the tape there then it gradually got better. I changed the tape about once or twice a week (always making it moist with aloe gel to get rid of the sticky and peel it off gently!) and by week 6 when the rest of my skin had adapted to the system I stopped using tape and it's now much better. Apart from that I hadn't had much problems with irritation. Once I started using Aloe Gel it got even easier, but recently I have got a blister on my rib under my right breast and it's very sore! I have to make sure the dome is as high up as possible or I can't get any sleep because lying down means the suction is right on top of it! Blister plasters (for your heal) have helped too.

Otherwise, I would also recommend hydrocortisone cream. I have Eczema so I have lots of stuff like this handy which was a help with the original rash I got. Also, I know this might sound crazy but I noticed even my lips were a lot drier when I woke in the morning and my boobs had swollen, I guess they've got to be full of something right? I've found that drinking more water has helped make my skin less dry overall too which would help with rashes.

[lled34aa]

brava keeps on changing their recommendation of usage so i think they're as in the dark as we are. if i follow their program of 10hrs a day for 10 weeks, i wouldn't have gotten any results.

i read through a lot of the older archived forum posts from x-brava users and most of them used it for around 20 something - 30 something weeks... a couple used it for a year straight. i don't mind wearing it too much, so i'm going to wear it for as long as i can. as i put in more hours, i'll stress less about putting in 12hrs a day and just basically wear it whenever i can, and not really canceling out social plans so i can go home and wear it. i think that's what i hate the most about brava, is me missing out on doing other things.

i'm sorry to hear you're getting skin problems despite using aloe vera gel... have you tried switching to a different brand? some brands are more pure than others, some contains more chemicals.

and yes, i've been drinking TONS of water! especially before going to bed.

are you measuring as you go along? are you retaining a lot of swelling by the end of the day? i'm posting photos of my progress over on my program page. i'm definitely fuller now than before, but nothing drastic.

[Blue_lover86]

Yeah, I don't know what's going on with my skin. It acted like it was finally used to the system and then it started getting irritated again. I can't help but wonder if the dome cleanser or the aloe gel has somehow lost its potency or something, but I'm determinted to deal with it and meet my goal. I'm into my 14th week now, and I don't seem to retain much swelling (hydration definitely boosts retainment in the evening), but I can definitely tell I'm fuller. I was hoping for DRASTIC results, but if I can just acheive the goal of fullness it will have been worth it...definitely not as exciting, but worth it.

EmmaB - I would consider going another round too(some days), but I don't think my hubby can take it...however, he has no complaints about the morning swelling!

lled34aa - Kudos to you for going so long...again, I don't think I have the will power for that! No social life after 8 PM and having to sleep on my back with no chance of cuddling with the hubby are hard on me lol...not to mention extra-curricular activities are almost out of the question with those things on!

[lled34aa]

blue lover,

have you tried doing extra-curricular activities on say, the kitchen counter with u sitting on it and him standing? i hope there's no kids on here reading this.

i've been find ways to do yoga with the brava on. i think the trick is to manually suck the air out so the domes are on there tighter than they would be if you're just using the smartbox. that way you can do all sorts of activities with a much lesser chance of them falling off.

the morning swelling is amazing! if i had boobs that look like my morning swollen boobs, i think i would be walking around naked all the time!

[Blue_lover86]

lled34aa,

Haha, no I haven't tried that, but it's not a bad idea
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I would walk around naked too if the morning swelling would just stay!
I try to exercise w/out Brava on...I sweat too much with that thing just going about my normal routine.


I just finished my 14th week and am happy to report that my skin is getting back to normal...again . I can officially see the light at the end of the tunnel!! Hopefully 16 weeks will give me what I'm looking for...fingers crossed!

To those who are just browsing or considering Brava for themselves...

I do have to say...as hard as it was to convince myself that I could take this on, it's now just part of the routine. Once you sit down and watch the instructional DVD, you start questioning the purchase and wondering if you just wasted a lot of money. It seems like a lot to take on...a minimum of 10 hrs a day (which should be more like 12 hrs), 10 weeks of your life...functioning in your everyday routine with giant domes stuck to your chest...possible rashes...no evening social life...7PM curfew...and the list goes on. Now, I don't even dread putting it on at night anymore...it IS my routine now. It's hard...you have to be strong and determined...it's not a quick fix, but it's definitely doable. I'm hoping when I am done here, I will also have wonderful results to share with you ladies.
By the way, has anyone had someone (other than your significant other or children) see them in this contraption?? The reaction is priceless

[lled34aa]

please come back and post after you've finished brava to let us know how much growth you're able to keep after a few weeks. from what i read in the old forum, most girls lose about .5"... a few barely lost any growth... but there's also a few that lost everything. i am scared to stop. i am happy with the size of my breasts 6 hours after taking off the domes. by 12 hours though, they are noticeably smaller. at 14 weeks, are you happy with the size of your breasts at night before putting the domes back on? i know it's not a drastic difference, but going into brava, i told myself if i can just get to a full A cup, it would be worthed.

my next door neighbor caught a glimpse of me with the brava on under an oversized shirt. i have a small body and usually non-existent boobs so with the large brava domes on, it was definitely quite a drastic difference. i think he wanted to start a conversation but i was too mortified. i basically waved hi back and ran inside.

[EmmaB]

Hi

Glad to hear your skin is getting better, mine had a wobble but is back on track now. Oilatum is wonderfully soothing.

As for being seen, I went to a wedding where my Mother-in-law was watching the kids so I had to wear it at her house when we stayed over and I had to put it on early afternoon as I knew I'd be missing time the next day. If that wasn't bad enough, her boyfriend was there as well!! Bless him though, he never even asked *cringe*. I just thought there's no way I'm throwing away all those weeks worth of work so I just have to suck it up. When I speak to my parents on Skype I make sure the camera's angled high so they can't see anything but they're coming to stay soon so I'll have to explain to them too. It is embarrassing though. I live very far north so I can't even take the rubbish out as it's so light in the evenings my neighbours would see me! Maybe we should start a new thread for embarrassing stories?!

I've got two and a half weeks left to go so I'm really trying to put time in before I run out. At least with the kids now on school hols I can keep the domes on longer so will be aiming for a Marathon nearly non-stop wear Thur-Mon. Depends when my kids want to leave the house though!