What Men Really Think About Small Breasts (As Told By Very Honest Men)
Are small breasts more attractive than bigger breasts? We found out.
Voyagerix / Shutterstock I don't know what it's like to have small boobs. For me, small breasts were never a thing. First, there were no breasts and then the breasts were legion. This is not comedy, this is reality.
I was self-conscious of the mounds that had sprung forth seemingly overnight, bent on ravaging my 9-year-old frame. My mom, a large-chested woman herself, took my development in stride. "The bigger the better the tighter the sweater," she said.
Based on the way my breasts suddenly made me visible to the opposite sex, I figured she must be on to something. It wasn't until later in life when I heard the phrase "more than a handful is a waste" and began to wonder about the particular charms of small breasts.
Do men like small breasts?
According to a study in the academic journal Evolution & Human Behavior, with men's breast preferences, when it comes to shape and size, size isn't nearly as important to men than the feel and shape of breasts.
If a woman's breast can perfectly cup in a man's hand, men find them attractive. Men also find women with small breasts to be more attractive, as smaller breasts look more symmetrical and men are subconsciously attracted to symmetry. Smaller breasts can also sag less and therefore feel more firm, which is what the men in the study favored more than size.
Another study from the University of Vienna found that smaller breasts are more sensitive; large-breasted women have 24 percent less sensitivity than smaller breasts. Small breasts also have less fatty tissue, which means they are easier to stimulate during foreplay. That means more motion, feeling, and fun for women with small breasts.
RELATED: There Are 7 'Types' Of Breasts: Which Kind Do You Have?
What does it mean if you have small breasts?
Breast size is all about genetics. If your mother's side of the family all were flat-chested, you are more likely to as well, and vice versa. A woman's breast size is hereditary and determined by individual set of genes and body type.
Luckily, there's always the option to manipulate genes and go down the surgery route.
For women who want a bigger cup, there's the option of breast augmentation or breast implant surgery, which gives women with smaller breasts the look of larger breasts with breast implants. Women with smaller breasts might want to get a boob job to boost self-esteem and help with body image issues if they feel insecure about their chest size.
Is it good to have small breasts?
The perks of having small breasts are endless. Women with small breasts are more likely to have more pleasure during foreplay, attract wealthier men, don't have the fear of saggy breasts or back pain, and can exercise with no problems.
The other major plus is being able to detect breast cancer easier; smaller breasts have fewer layers of tissue in front of them, so it's easier to detect any lumps and catch breast cancer early on. They can also easily wear button-up shirts and V-necks without having to worry about their breasts popping out.
Some men preferred small breasts, although I've never had an occasion to discuss it with these gentlemen. As a plucky sex writer, I had the opportunity to talk to men (and women) who love breasts and get them to open up. And open they did.
What's the first feature men usually notice on a woman? Why do you think that is?
1. There's always a butt guy in the mix.
"I generally notice their bum first."
2. And then there's the person who remembers they are being interviewed about breasts.
"Reading the word 'breasts' just before this might skew the results a bit, but truthfully, it's probably the hair."
3. Some are mathematical.
"Overall body shape: shoulders/waist/hip ratio. Then probably face and breasts slightly after."
4. Others may have more singular tastes.
"If I can see her face, it's probably her face. If I can't, it's probably things like tattoos, crazy hairstyles, or, if lacking those, clothes that reveal parts of her body. I like looking in windows made by clothing at the flesh beneath."
5. Others play by the rules society has set for them.
"Depends on the context. Generally, I probably instinctively pick up on the usual social metrics like age, class, group identity, and likely availability. I try to consciously determine how they're presenting themselves, how they want to be seen (professional, flirty, athletic).
If you mean physically, overall figure and what's being accented by their attire usually draws my eye (and figuring out if that accent is intentional or not, 'please notice my breasts' vs. 'this is still my favorite t-shirt even though it's shrunk a size too small'). In American culture, this usually means breasts (or at least cleavage)."
Do you prefer women with bigger breasts or small breasts? Why?
6. Nothing shocking here, by and large folks answered like this responder.
"Yes. Big boobs are sexy. Small breasts are sexy. Women are sexy."
7. When pressed, some folks did have a preference.
"All the breasts. Probably smaller breasts, because they're easier to play with."
8. For some, it's a simple equation.
"Smallness = perkiness."
9. Some folks could work for Downy.
"I genuinely don't have a preference. There are nice things about each. But I don't have a type. I like to appreciate each woman's unique beauty. Which sounds like a soap commercial, but it's sincere."
10. It's complicated.
"If we're talking in terms of physical attraction, I'm more often than not drawn to bodies with an overall curvy figure (round hips, full bosom, plump cheeks). If forced to choose, I prefer full breasts over small, but ratio mismatch can be unattractive; a woman with an overall trim dancer's build is more attractive to me than one with the same narrow frame but large breasts."
11. But also, boobs.
"Breasts are only a portion of determining physical beauty, but to answer the question, bigger within reason. I know that science says breasts are evidence of fertility/nurturing ability and bigger breasts are a bigger advertisement of that, but personally, I have no idea. I just like the breasts."
What do you love about small breasts?
12. I genuinely had no idea one nipple could be cuter than another.
"They often have cuter nipples and can be more sensitive. They also tend to have more predictable movement, so it's easier to rub or suck a nipple in the heat of the moment."
13. We're seeing a pattern here.
"They're usually perky and fun to hold."
14. More than once, in fact.
"The perkiness and holding their shape in and out of the bra."
15. Others claimed smaller nipples are more sensitive.
"More sensitive nipples fit nicely in my hands or mouth."
16. Some love small breasts and feminism.
"Better shape. Also more practical for the women involved."
17. Others love small breasts because it's the punk rock thing to do.
"Well, it probably has something to do with the attractiveness of a healthy body. I don't generally care about physical qualities, as long as we are both healthy and happy. I would guess there are a lot of health benefits from smaller breasts, or maybe I'm just a punk and rebel society telling me big breasts is what is preferable."
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer and the Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, and true crime.