Alternate suggestions to hold "them" down.

[notyouraverageguy]

I don't want to bind with a binder anymore.
I mean its great: gets me flat, I feel secure, and my chest feel hard like pecs. I can stand up straight &not worry about my chest looking feminine. I can run and dance without them boucing around. And if someone touches it, they say it feels like pecs not boobs.
But there are downsides.

One, my back acne is getting worse.
Two, I feel like my ribs have gotten smaller.
Three, my armpit fat looks like its getting worse.
Four, the area it binds looks like its getting malformed.
Five, I never get to reach my full lung compacity.

I want my back to be able to breath, and my lungs not squished.

The only thing I could think of was tape.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
Also, for those who have used tape, do you have any suggestions for what type of tape and how to do it?

I just used draft tape, covered the nipples so it wouldn't hurt taking it off, and made strips.
It seems to be working well, so far. But I feel a little naked.

Im worried about the tape coming loose and falling off though.

[Ratchet]

I've tired wrapping, with bandage, and tapes. And to be honest, all of them are unsafe. I actually binded in High School with Ace bandage and would just pull it as tight as I could get it because I wanted to be flat. To just like someone with a flat chest, or at least I could pass it off as I was injured. But I literally would be 2 seconds away from flat out bawling due to back pain. I've heard of using wet suit material to fashion a binder, and various other methods. The key to binding with any sort of tape is to never tape around your back, or very lightly around your back which means you'll never get it tight enough across the front to do good enough binding.

To me, the back acne, which I have rather badly only because of the binder, is something I can live with because of the plus of being flat. I'd say, to try out a large size binder. I wear an x-small tri-top, but it is actually just about the right chest size, and I can breath, work out, and function perfectly fine with it on. I'm a really small guy. I'm trying to build muscle now though.

But to be honest, I'd just try a different binder, a lighter grade or a bigger size. It has the least drawbacks and less chance to harm you in the long run. I know the acne sucks but with proper washing and changing when sweating out, you might be able to avoid it.

[PandaValentine]

Tape will definitely cause breathing restrictions as will ace bandages. I've had ace bandages as well as binders, cut into my skin from the fabric. My binders now don't bind like they used to and it looks really terrible under tight shirts. I hate them, I completely understand. I used to use tape back even before I came out, it started from my sister showing me what models did to look thinner under outfits. I found it restricted my breathing more than any of the other options. However I never had any rib pain like I got with binders, oddly enough. I also they did not cut into the skin, though I always tapped over a shirt. Do not use things like packing tape - that clear stuff, it makes really crinkly noises. I remember one day I went to school and I kept worrying people were looking at me because every time I moved too much I'd hear little crinkling noises and it made me really self conscious. I found duct tape worked best.

I don't wear my binder a lot, because I hardly go out from pain issues, but I still get back acne. Freaking gross. So I don't know if it will help any to go without a binder for that reason. I've never had an increase when wearing the binder and I used to wear them working out (a looser one) so I did a lot of sweating in them.

Also I used to wear X-small binders since they work best but because of breathing issues I moved up to a medium for a more relaxing fit, it seriously sucks for binding compared to the other one. But I still have breathing issues when wearing it. It seems there's no way to win pre surgery.

[notyouraverageguy]

I refuse to wear ace bandages. Tried it once, and didn't like it.

Ouch, why would anyone tape all the way around their back...
I did the open shirt method, from under my pits to my chesticles.
It worked fairly fine.
No breathing restrictions, no pain, no straps, and the best part nothing across my back.
I wasn't completely flat, but I looked like I had muscle lol. At least it didn't look like a "girls chest".

I wish I could just "freeball it" but im not small enough, nor do I want to be hunching all the time.

I used the drafting tape cause its not super hard or super sticky, to my surprise it stayed all day.

Yeah man @jay, I just want top surgery already :/

I have 2 tritops one old one newer, a used df, a homemade strapless, and a juya aka my loose binder. Since its adjustable, I wear it really loose when I workout and it works fine its just the whole deal of sweating and so many layers on my back.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I appreciate the input.

[JohnAlex]

What is the "open shirt" method?

[N.Chaos]

What is the "open shirt" method?

I think someone else posted it a while back, either here or on some other site, and they'd gotten it from some cosplay site.
From the looks of it though, you've got to be pretty small to make it work unfortunately.

[emil]

you could get a a  binder with a rock-hard front panel or a binder that's padded in front, and that closes with velcro. that way you can wear it loose enough to get your lungfull of air and it still won't look too boob-shaped.

tape: don't. i thought i had mastered the open shirt method, but it only feels sort of okay as long as you don't move your arms around much. i drove my car somewhere and with every curve it hurt like crazy because the arm movement caused the tape to pull on my boobs like crazy, it felt like i was slowly pulling them apart. and i was much less than an a cup then, so i wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

edit: sorry i just read that you already tried the tape method and didn't have any pain from it. the pain it caused me was actually in the area in the middle of my chest, where all the tension is. if you don't feel any tension there, i guess you might be fine..?

[notyouraverageguy]

I think someone else posted it a while back, either here or on some other site, and they'd gotten it from some cosplay site.
From the looks of it though, you've got to be pretty small to make it work unfortunately.

Yes, just put it in the search bar to find the thread on here.
Its like the "drag" shirtless style, where you push down and out and use tape.

Thanks Emil, I try to do that with my juya. Since its not the stretchy fabric and uses a panel to bind instead.

The only problem I had was towards the end of the night, but like with any binding, my body was getting tired of it. And when I took it off there was redness, but I suppose my skin is pretty sensitive.

[Nygeel]

Tape was worse for me than wearing a binder (and I didn't even use much tape). It restricted my breathing a lot more than a binder. Could use a strong sports bra like a frog bra.

[notyouraverageguy]

Would you happen to know the comfort of the frog bra?

[emil]

actually today i was wearing a rather light, bra-shaped sports bra under my binder and that really helped a lot....though you end up with four straps on your shoulders, but i often feel uncomfortable in a binder because the boobs are squished every which way and that didn't happen. On top of that i could wear the binder quite a bit looser and still  get the same effect. mine has a bra closure in the back. unfortunately i forgot where i bought it.


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