You can usually keep a bra on for a bone density scan, as long as it contains no metal.1Premier Imaging. Can You Wear a Bra During a Bone Density Test? Most clinics’ instructions focus on metal rather than on bras themselves, so the right bra is a choice you can make at home before you leave.2Brown University Health. Preparing for Your Bone Density Test3Radiologyinfo.org. Bone Densitometry (DEXA, DXA) Dressing with this in mind can spare you from changing into a gown.
Which Bras Are Fine and Which to Skip
The scan, called DEXA (also written DXA), is a low-dose X-ray that measures how dense your bones are, usually at the hip and lower spine. Clinics consistently ask patients not to wear underwire bras.4Brown University Health. Preparing for Your Bone Density Test5McComb OB-GYN. Can You Wear a Bra During a Bone Density Test?6Elizabeth Wende Breast Care. Bone Density Test: Who Should Test, How to Prepare and What to Expect The thin metal wire runs along the bottom of each cup, which puts it across the chest and upper trunk, close to the area the scanner passes over. A wire is a solid strip of dense material, so it can show up as a bright line that has nothing to do with your bones.
A sports bra is the bra most clinics recommend.7Premier Imaging. Can You Wear a Bra During a Bone Density Test?8Desert Dexa. How to Prepare for a DEXA Scan Even a sports bra should be free of metal clips or wires, though.9KALOS. How to Prepare for a DEXA Scan: What to Eat, Wear, and Expect Bras with metal hooks are worth avoiding too.10Premier Imaging. Can You Wear a Bra During a Bone Density Test? Some clinics also warn against metallic paint or threads in clothing, which includes sparkly or metallic-trimmed bras.11Brown University Health. Preparing for Your Bone Density Test
To check your own bra, press along the underside of each cup and feel for a stiff wire channel. Look at the back fastening, since small metal hooks are common even on wire-free bras. Check the straps for metal sliders or rings. Plastic hooks and fabric adjusters are generally not a concern.
Padding and foam are fine; the issue is metal. Many molded bras hide an underwire inside, so check even if the bra looks soft. Color or lace does not matter unless it has metallic thread.
If you have no sports bra, a wire-free bralette or soft-cup bra with plastic or no fasteners works. A pull-on style with no clasp avoids the hook question entirely. If you’re unsure, bring a backup or plan to wear the clinic gown.
If you arrive in the wrong bra, tell the front desk or technologist right away, before you are taken to the scan room. Many clinics will give you a gown, so you can take the bra off and the appointment is not lost.
Why Metal Throws Off the Result
Dense materials like metal block more of the X-ray beam, which falsely raises the bone density reading.12PubMed Central. Technical and patient-related sources of error and artifacts in bone mineral densitometry using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry: A pictorial review Your report gives a T-score, a number comparing your bones to a healthy young adult’s, and lower means thinner bone. In one large study, internal metal raised T-scores by about 1 point on average across the whole body.13PubMed Central. Accounting for Surgical Confounding Factors Affecting Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in a Large Clinical Trial That is enough to change whether bones are labelled normal or thin. Results are also compared with earlier scans, so an artifact on one scan but not another could make bone loss look larger or smaller than it truly is.
The scanner measures how much of the beam gets through, and it assumes that whatever blocked the beam was bone or soft tissue. It has no built-in way to tell a bone from a metal object, so both count toward the density it calculates. That is why the fix is to keep metal out of the area, or to have the technologist exclude the affected part, not to correct the number afterward.
A bra matters even though the scan targets the hip and spine. The band and back hooks sit near the lower ribs and upper spine, and whole-body or extra scans may include the chest.
If metal does show up, technologists are trained to ask questions and look for removable items before scanning.14Journal of Clinical Densitometry. Best Practices for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Measurement and Reporting: International Society for Clinical Densitometry Guidance They may ask you to remove the item and repeat the image, or adjust which area of the image is measured.
What Else to Wear and Leave Behind
Wear loose, comfortable clothing without metal zippers, belts, or buttons.15Radiologyinfo.org. Bone Densitometry (DEXA, DXA) Metal snaps or zippers around the waist are the most common problem because they sit over the spine and hip.16Elizabeth Wende Breast Care. Bone Density Test: Who Should Test, How to Prepare and What to Expect Elastic waistbands avoid the problem completely. A comfortable two-piece outfit makes it easier to stay dressed.17Diagnostic Imaging Services. DEXA Frequently Asked Questions Regarding DEXA Even some fabrics can nudge readings, such as polyester with reflective strips.18PubMed. Do Textiles Impact DXA Bone Density or Body Composition Results? Plain athletic or lounge wear is a safe choice.
Jeans are a common slip. They have a metal button and zipper right over the hip, and rivets on the pockets count as metal too. Swap them for pull-on pants the morning of the test.
Look at the small details on everything else. Metal buttons, snaps, decorative studs, and zipper pulls can appear on tops, cardigans, and pants. Hooks and eyelets on dresses and skirts count too, so a dress with a back zipper may not be the easy choice it seems. Plastic buttons and fabric ties are fine.
Empty your pockets of keys, coins, and wallets that could sit over the bones being measured.19PubMed Central. Technical and patient-related sources of error and artifacts in bone mineral densitometry using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry: A pictorial review20Radiologyinfo.org. Bone Densitometry (DEXA, DXA) You may be asked to remove jewelry, removable dental appliances, and eyeglasses.21Radiologyinfo.org. Bone Densitometry (DEXA, DXA) Belt buckles should come off.22Johns Hopkins Medicine. Bone Densitometry (DEXA)
Will You Have to Change Into a Gown
It depends on the clinic. In some cases you can stay dressed and simply remove metal items.23Johns Hopkins Medicine. Bone Densitometry (DEXA) Other clinics give everyone a gown so no buttons, zippers, or hooks interfere.24Johns Hopkins Medicine. Bone Densitometry (DEXA) Calling ahead tells you which to expect. When you book, you can ask whether they gown everyone or let patients stay dressed, whether a sports bra is acceptable, and whether there are other preparation rules for that clinic. Being asked to change does not mean your clothes were wrong; it is often just the clinic’s routine.
Changing usually happens in a private room or curtained area. You may keep underwear and a metal-free bra on under the gown. You then lie on your back on a padded table, fully covered.
When the clinic allows you to stay dressed, metal-free clothing often saves time and some awkwardness. You may still be asked to remove a belt, jewelry, or pocket items before you lie down.
Breast Implants and Metal Implants
Breast implants can’t be removed like a bra, so they show up in the image. In one study, a breast implant barely changed whole-body bone density, by under half a percent.25PubMed Central. Accounting for Surgical Confounding Factors Affecting Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in a Large Clinical Trial Because the scan targets the hip and spine, an implant sits somewhat away from the main measurement sites.
Silicone implants raised bone readings in the chest and trunk area more noticeably, though not in the arms, legs, or head.26PubMed. Effects of silicone breast prostheses on the assessment of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry Mention implants so the technologist knows what they are seeing, and a report that includes the trunk can be read with that in mind.
Metal hardware has a bigger effect. Hip replacements raised measured bone density by about 14% and knee replacements by about 11% when the metal was counted.27PubMed Central. Accounting for Surgical Confounding Factors Affecting Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in a Large Clinical Trial
Tell staff about any joint replacement, rods, screws, or spinal procedures. Joint replacements, plates, and screws from fracture repair are made of metal and are visible on the scan. Spinal fusion hardware can matter a great deal, because the lower spine is one of the main measured areas.
List your surgeries and implants, including the side of the body. Technologists can measure the side without metal instead.28PubMed Central. Accounting for Surgical Confounding Factors Affecting Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in a Large Clinical Trial For example, they may scan the opposite hip if one hip has a replacement.
Is the Scan Safe and What It Feels Like
A DEXA scan uses a very low amount of radiation, similar to an ordinary X-ray.29National Center for Environmental Health. Facts About Bone Density (DEXA Scan) Everyone receives some radiation every day from the natural environment,30National Center for Environmental Health. Facts About Bone Density (DEXA Scan) and the dose from this scan is small by comparison.
You lie still while a scanning arm passes over you without touching you. It is painless, with no needles or tunnels. Your legs may rest on a padded block for the spine image. The whole visit is usually brief, often under half an hour.
The technologist may step to the control area while the image is taken, which is routine. They may ask you to hold still or briefly hold your breath so the picture is clear.
At check-in, let staff know if you might be pregnant, as with any X-ray test. Mention recent barium or contrast tests too, which can affect images. These are standard questions.