Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I know that the recommended amount of hours is eight, but I can't bring myself to take it off before I go to bed. Sixteen hours is about how long I'm awake for, I put the binder on in the morning, and take it off right before I go to bed. I won't take it off anytime before because I don't want to be extremely dysphoric, and I can't be seen without a binder.

It doesn't really bother me when I wear it, I've had it for over a year and it's pretty loose. My shoulders sometimes hurt at the end of the day, but I don't think that that's a big deal. I don't want to f up my ribs or damage anything permanently, though. But, at the end of the day, I value not being chest dysphoric for the day over not having and future rib and/or back problems.

Also, I'm on the cross country and track teams. I wear my binder when running, and I run 5 miles a day on average. Again, it doesn't bother me, but is it safe?

Should I stop this? I could definitely handle wearing it for long, but, again, I don't want to f anything up.

Yeah...I'd just stick with the 8 hours recommended time. I know dysphoria is a bitch but it's not worth risking damage to breast tissue or muscle. You don't want to have muscle damage.

You're also running the risk of lung/breathing issues..

Quote from: maiLMan on April 12, 2015, 04:01:07 PM
Again, it doesn't bother me, but is it safe?

Should I stop this? I could definitely handle wearing it for long, but, again, I don't want to f anything up.

Well the short answer is no. It is not safe. Is it going to kill you? Probably not. 
While I am sure we all want to say that you need to wear it the recommended amount and know more, I think most of us also understand that sometimes dysphoria is too hard to ignore. You should definitely try and wear it as short for as you can possibly bear though. I do not know how large you are but if it's possible, perhaps you can wear a sports bra at home away from others, or order a binder larger than you wear so it's looser. Since your shoulders can hurt at the end of the day, I would highly recommend that you try to wear your binder less than you do, or wear a larger size sometimes. Even if nothing has happened yet, you are bound to injure yourself at some point, and if that happens, you're going to have to stop binding until it's healed. So you need to decide whether you think it's worth the risk. At the end of the day none of us know your dysphoria.

Lung damage, rib dislocation, back problems... binding for too long (or too tight) can do enough damage that you wouldn't be able to bind again, ever. I don't know how old you are, but, trust me, you're not invulnerable or immortal, and living for the rest of your life with that kind of damage would be no fun at all -- the future comes faster than you might think, and it's a long time. It's seriously not worth the risk.

You already have symptoms in your shoulders, and it would be smart to pay attention to that and find some less constrictive method of binding (different brand, different size, whatever) that you can use when you're at home or not much around people. If you look at some of the binder review threads here, you'll find some that people say are more comfortable, even if they don't flatten quite as well.

Keep in mind, too, that you don't have to be board-flat in order to pass -- lots of cis guys aren't.

Quote from: maiLMan on April 12, 2015, 04:01:07 PM
Also, I'm on the cross country and track teams. I wear my binder when running, and I run 5 miles a day on average. Again, it doesn't bother me, but is it safe?

Should I stop this? I could definitely handle wearing it for long, but, again, I don't want to f anything up.

No, it is not safe to do either of these things. Yes, you should stop.

Not only does it have a huge impact on your ribs, lungs, and shoulders, but long term binding can have a negative impact on the skin and tissue of the chest, which will make your future surgeon's job more complicated. You're already going to pay a lot of money for top surgery. Less than ideal conditions to start could mean future revisions. You'd also probably need to see someone to sort out the back/shoulder complications from binding for so long.

Overall, no, it's not worth it.

I agree with the others. It's not safe, and you could hurt yourself. I remember binding from 7am to at least 7-10pm some days years ago and I had breathing problems so intense that I'd have near black outs at school and would get dizzy within 15 minutes of putting it on.

Try to limit it to eight hours at a time if you can.

Wear some big shirts or hoodies at home. Don't look at yourself in a mirror. Lots of what you describe is just damaging or dangerous. Read that thread re: pleurisy.

--Jay