Binding is not safe. Long term, it is detrimental to your physical health. While the social and psychological benefits might outweigh the physical risks for many people, the choice to bind should be made with the understanding that the risks cannot be eliminated even with great care to ensure good fit and avoid overuse. Tightly compressing a large part of your body with many complex skeletal and muscular connections on a regular basis damages your body over time. Take off-days, wear the proper size from reputable makers, don’t sleep or exercise in them, and take them off as often as possible – all good advice that you absolutely must follow to be as safe as possible, but it’s impossible to guarantee that there will not be complications.
People tend to downplay the physical risks of binding because the payoff for self-confidence can be so profound. But seriously – even responsible binding is likely to cause complications ranging from sharp pains, nerve damage, dramatically decreased lung capacity, fluid buildup, skin issues, and back injury. Do not take it lightly just because it’s a piece of clothing that can be removed and does not need a doctor’s approval or informed consent to use.
If you must bind, be gentle with yourself. On your off-time, or if you choose not to bind at all, puffer vests are your new best friends. Seriously. Get your Marty McFly on. Not your style? Your loss, you unfashionable fool, but scarves, loose-fitting button-downs, and bomber jackets can help as well.
Okay shut the fuck up.
If it’s a decision between hurting myself but feeling confident, or killing myself because I don’t feel like I belong in my own body, I think I’d choose the former.
That’s your prerogative. I never told anyone NOT to wear a binder. However, it’s a major medical decision, and minimizing or dismissing the very real and common side-effects is not good for anyone, especially young people just beginning to transition. Like I said, sometimes the psychological benefits outweigh the physical costs – if not wearing a binder makes you suicidal, then clearly continuing to wear a binder is the correct decision for you.
The problem lies in presenting binders as a miracle solution that everyone can and should try if they are distressed by the appearance of their chest, or that only “incorrect” binding (as with ace bandages) poses any dangers. Some people may develop complications that make it impossible for them to continue binding. It is vitally important that people are aware of the potential harm before they begin and are able to make informed decisions by weighing their own priorities and exploring alternatives.
Unlike surgery or hormones, binders are not medically regulated and don’t require you to understand what you’re getting into. That means we have to look after each other, and in this case, that means being honest about safety.
Okay, now shut the fuck up twice. People are pushing the agenda, and have been pushing the agenda, for making studies about binding for YEARS. And some traito…. I mean, trans people, are advocating for it to happen, and advocating for medical personel to overlook trans person’s binding as a medical procedure in need of ‘professional regulating’. I don’t fucking care about you or your self-righteous quasi fight for ‘heath of trans people’, because it’s just gatekeeping, plain and simple. Now, get the fuck out off my face, you tool.
[Deep breath.]
I… really don’t know where to start with this. Are you suggesting that peer-reviewed scientific studies on the long-term effects of binding are a bad thing, and that trans people who want this information to exist are “traitors”? Is that honest-to-god what you’re saying here?
I’ve never met anyone advocating for binding to be “regulated”. If that’s what you think I’m saying, please read my post again. Binding can affect your body dramatically and irreversibly, and trans people deserve access to information about their health so that they can make informed decisions about their bodies.
Reliable information on trans health issues is virtually nonexistent because it hasn’t been widely formally studied over decades. It’s nearly impossible for trans people to make genuinely informed decisions about their health. If we cannot talk about the risks or are shushed for talking about our experiences, people get hurt and make decisions they may later regret. Just read through the notes on this post for many, many examples.
Hiding or downplaying the risks of binding, especially from young people, is wildly irresponsible. I have no respect for you at all if you think that it’s better for kids to accidentally hurt themselves because they aren’t aware of potential dangers, than to “gatekeep” by asking them to consider their options carefully before proceeding.
The nerve damage on my left shoulder blade that causes gentle hugs to be agonizing is not an “agenda”. The fact that I can no longer safely enter water deeper than my neck because my lungs and ribcage can only expand to a fraction of what they used to is not an “agenda”. The constant aches, the faint wheeze, the tissue degradation, the fact that I’m unable to truly pursue the active, outdoorsy life I hoped for until and unless I get a surgery I can’t afford? Not an “agenda” either. I’m lucky in that I can still bind routinely and function throughout the day.
I wish I had known what I know now before I started binding. Would I have made the decision to bind anyway? Yeah, I really think I would. But I am furious that no one hit me with hard truths beforehand so my decision could have truly been informed.
It is EXTREMELY important that this circulates, especially considering that (unfortunately) tumblr is a resource for many young trans/nb people. Binding can help alleviate dysphoria, but Ship is right, it can do a significant amount of IRREVERSIBLE damage. I’m repeating this because it NEEDS to be heard and acknowledged. I understand that this is hard to come to terms with, but binding is not meant to be a permanent solution. Please take all precautions necessary when binding. Don’t try and push your body’s limits.
Please. Please be careful when binding.
the fact that there are people getting mad about this post blows my mind. op is just informing people of the risks of binding, in the same way a medical professional warns you about the side effects of a medication. they never said binding should be regulated, just that you should be careful. I cannot believe people are mad about a post about the importance of binding carefully. (if you can, you should probably run the fact that you bind by your primary care doctor so they can watch you for issues, but you don’t have to if they’re not trans-friendly or they might tell your parents or whatever)
yeah like i get chest / rib pains cuz for a year i exercised in a binder and like
don’t do that y’all
i have to take week long breaks from my binderyeah, i don’t have any major complications from binding, but sometimes my chest starts to really hurt and my rib cage is somewhat damaged and my breathing sometimes compresses. one time when i was visiting my boyfriend his family didn’t know im trans (nor did they know we’re dating) and so i couldn’t take my binder off the entire time and i told him how dangerous it was to bind for more than eight hours and we both were pretty worried. and sometimes i wear my binder for hours and hours without taking a break from it. to any trans* ppl (especially young ones like me) who wear binders, PLEASE be extremely careful
when i was 14 and dumb with unsupportive parents I used an ace bandage every day for probably two years, and now I have severe problems exercising because my lung capacity is awful, and my ribs are probably warped judging by the aching pain I get sometimes. Don’t be like me, kids. Bind safe and bind smart.
Yep. Even binding for short amounts of time can be damaging if you have other health issues. I can’t bind AT ALL anymore. I can’t even wear sports bras if they’re at all tight around my ribs.
I have a lot of health problems, sure, but so do a lot of other trans kids and disabled folks. AND WHEN YOU’RE A TEEN YOUR BODY IS STILL FORMING SO BINDING CAN REALLY MESS YOU UP.
I’m not saying: nobody bind ever.
What I’m actually saying is: BE AWARE OF THE RISKS and don’t pretend everything is harmless.
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