Does anyone else get depressed or even angry about wearing a binder? I've just bought my first underworks one and thought I would be over the moon, but I'm not. To be fair it does exactly what it says on the tin and its probably the flattest I'm ever going to look until i get surgery and when i look in the mirror i just see a guy who looks like he's been bench pressing which is good. But then i realise after an hour that i can't breathe properly, sitting down for any length of time (which is my job) is a nightmare, and i can never forget about it cos i can feel it all the time. Then i really start hating the fact that i'm having to wear a binder and start thinking about home surgery. Can't wait for the day when i can legally walk round the streets topless (aftet a couple of years at the gym) cos it seems doing it this way just reminds me more and more that i haven't got a male body
I know exactly what you mean.
I won't go out without a binder. I'm too insecure/dysmorphic/whatever you want to call it and I've become pretty reliant on it. But I hate binding too. It hurts, and it's a constant reminder.
I think, for me, binding is kind of like a medicine, but not a cure. It relieves the symptoms to some extent, but there are side-effects and it doesn't get rid of the problem. Yet, I still prefer it to not binding at all.
Mine doesn't even get me flat, I still have to wear really baggy/layered clothes over it. It hurts like hell and aggregates my asthma....and half the time I still don't pass. I've started wondering if there's even a point of wearing it at all.
I feel the same, and it doesn't make me flat at all, but I wont stop wearing it till top surgery because it does flatten them a bit and a bit is better then nothing for me....
Yup i hate it, so much so that I have bought my surgery date forward and am paying big interest rates on my loan to get it done. Its way too hot and it doesn't do much for me either, I'm a D cup. :'(
I used to hate the fact, I couldn't wear a shirt with no sleeves with a binder. :)
I got used to it really fast. Don't notice it anymore, it's been about a year since I started binding. If I'm sick, I haaaate it cause my back hurts like a mofo during those times. Otherwise, I'm usually fine with it. Then again, I made my own binder, and I believe it's a lot better than those bought/improvised from other materials, so maybe there is a comfort issue.
Quote from: Asher on October 12, 2009, 08:00:56 PM
I got used to it really fast. Don't notice it anymore, it's been about a year since I started binding. If I'm sick, I haaaate it cause my back hurts like a mofo during those times. Otherwise, I'm usually fine with it. Then again, I made my own binder, and I believe it's a lot better than those bought/improvised from other materials, so maybe there is a comfort issue.
I made my own binders for a while too, but I found that the ones I made didn't bind as well. I still use the ones I made when I want a more comfortable binder and don't mind wearing a sweater or something. But if I want to wear a t-shirt... Or anything tighter than a giant hoodie really, I use the one I got from underworks. That one is so uncomfortable though. I don't really -need- to bind that tightly to look male, but it doesn't look flat enough for me and I'm -really- insecure. >_>
Also, nice name Asher. (That's my name too. :) )
I only wore binder for about 3 or 4 months and knew I would be getting top surgery the whole time so that made it a lot easier to deal with. It only got bother some when it was hot out and I was sweating to death, then I hated the things.
Myles
Wearing a binder for me is better than going without. Ever since I started binding it felt like a necessity. Though it isn't perfect it does the job for now. Of course having no breasts at all would be a much better option, but not feasible any time soon.
But there are downfalls to my binding.
My way of binding sometimes makes it tight and uncomfortable around my arms and when its's hot I sweat up a storm. When that happens I usually get skin irritation or a little bit of acne. Overall I'm used to it, and breathing is only a problem when I am helping my sister move by taking bags and furniture up three flights of stairs in the blazing heat ( recently discovered ).
The binders do tend to stretch out a little after you wear them about 10 times. Not enough that it doesn't bind you as well, but breathing gets a tad easier.
That said, it still sucks and is really uncomfortable. However, I used my binder as a safety net. I was forced to live as a girl for awhile (very complicated) and I would come home at night and put it on after freaking out all day. Even after I was back to life as a boy, whenever I had really dysphoric times I would go put it on to make myself better. All this, and I was only an A.
It's love-hate, and the lesser of two evils.
I don't like wearing the binders but there is no way in hell I'm being seen by other people without it. The only reason I don't wear it 24x7 is that I don't want to wear them out as fast.
And so I work on the car in them, I play paintball in them, I race karts in them, I wear them when I have a chest infection...
Top surgery is sadly a while off yet, but oh boy am I looking forward to it!
I conducted a touch of self-experimentation and took the opportunity of having no clean binders, and I put on a bra for two days.
Oh My Gods I LOVE my binder!
Yes, I'm still a bit glum about not being able to go topless, at all, anywhere, ever, because of the chest, but compared to the simple abomination of the chest in a bra (or just "not the binder") the Binder is the most awesome thing ever.
well i'm a d cup so there's no way i pass without the binder; even with it i struggle unless i'm wearing baggy tops cos i end up with a bulky chest that looks like i've been working out but not got the biceps to go with it so it looks a bit strange. Guess if i could just breathe a bit in it it would be ok so i'll carry on wearing it and hope it gives. Or take some advice from one of the other threads and diet like mad in the hopes i get smaller
Don't "diet like mad", change your food and exercise habits for a healthier lifestyle.
And T will make chesticle tissue softer and more bindable.
And I'm a DD, I barely look "normal-ish" with the binder.
And if it restricts your breathing, you might want to at least go without it around the house at home.
Exercise? How do you do that? I've read the books seen the posters agreed that its a good idea, but can't quite bring myself to do it. Which is silly considering that the inner view i have of myself is of a tanned suave bloke with rock hard abs and a sculpted chest!! Talk about an image problem
well, in my case it's the decision to walk (or ride bike) everywhere possible that presents 99.9999999% of my exercise. And the buses here are free ;)
I dont really care if my chest is 100% flat or not they will just look like moobs. It just feels good to know Im taking a step in the right direction
i hate the binder. the couple times i've tried wearing it out in public, i've gotten panic attacks. i have social phobia anyway, and i think the feeling "i dont look like people expect me to" plus physical discomfort makes it ten times worse. at home i like wearing it, though it's incredibly uncomfortable and hurts when i sit down. i've sort of given up wearing it until there comes a time that i need to (social transition maybe) and after i lose weight. it sucks because at night sometimes it's nice to take a walk with it on and just be me
Quote from: Kyle :3 on October 13, 2009, 11:17:23 AM
I dont really care if my chest is 100% flat or not they will just look like moobs. It just feels good to know Im taking a step in the right direction
That's what I keep telling myself. But I go absolutely nuts if it's not 100% F-L-A-T. (If there's anything I'm insecure about, it's my chest.) Which I can never get it down to, so I end up wearing a lot of layers.
I wonder if some kind of "shaper" is possible without looking rediculous? And a lot of guys have big pecs, often without huge arms just some muscle on the arms.
Me, I'm not gonna give up my bench press, and I don't like wearing stuff that hurts! I'll stick to my sports bras or the Speedo swimsuit top I have now, and I may just go to woven as opposed to knit shirts or something.
Swimsuits designed for performance instead of looks tend to flatten quite well keep that in mind. A one-piecer made for speed could work very well as long as you don't mind the hassles involved like having to take your shirt off and it down to have a good old sit down bathroom visit, and the pinching in the crotch.
Quote from: Teknoir on October 12, 2009, 11:43:50 PM
It's love-hate, and the lesser of two evils.
^Couldn't have said it better...^
To elaborate though, I'd say that I absolutely love the *result* of wearing a binder, while I hate the *feeling* of wearing it. I prefer the physical comfort of walking around the house without a binder, but I prefer the emotional comfort of having a flat chest. And I HATE looking down and seeing "them" (or even the contour of them beneath clothing), and I will *not* leave the house without a binder on for ANY reason (possibly save evacuating a burning building in the middle of the night, but even then I might just throw it on as I run out the door).
I have a binder questions, but I am coming from the MtF perspective. As I progress with HRT, I will need to eventually bind my new self at work until I fully transition. I am told that sports bras will work for quite a while, but I will ultimately need binding.
Do you have any good sources for binders, please? And I am open to any other advice for hiding the girls that you might have.
I figure who better to ask than a FtM? Thank you for your help!!
Tia
Tia, the Frog Bra from Title Nine works well if you have A or small B size cups.
Underworks has really nice binders. I use the Double Front Compression Shirts which I love and the Extreme Chest Concealer FTM Chest Binder which works O.K. but not as well as the Double Front Compression Shirt for me. Many guys wear the Tri-Tops too. They have many different style of binders to choose from.
Many guys also wear binders from T Kingdom. I haven't so I have no review on them. I have heard that their sizes run smaller so get them one size up from what you think you'll need.
www.titlenine.com/product/sports-bras-and-undies/medium-high-impact-sports-bras/310900.do?search=basic&keyword=frog+bra&sortby=newArrivals&page=1 (http://www.titlenine.com/product/sports-bras-and-undies/medium-high-impact-sports-bras/310900.do?search=basic&keyword=frog+bra&sortby=newArrivals&page=1)
www.underworks.com/ftm (http://www.underworks.com/ftm)
www.t-kingdom.com (http://www.t-kingdom.com)
I actually think my binder is really comfortable. I have an Underworks double-front, and I wear it all the time. I know it's not healthy, but a lot of times I just forget I'm wearing it. I've always hated the feeling of my boobs bouncing or anything - i sometimes have to sleep wearing a sports bra, that's how bad it is - and binding feels way more natural.
Aaron & Radar - Thank you both for the ideas. Those resources look perfect for me. Right now I am at an B, but I will have to handle a C very shortly. These should work well.
I am a DD and I refuse to come out of my room without my binder on. I dont get flat like i wish but it makes them smaller and flatter. One I first got my binder it worked amazingly still not flat but better but i couldnt breathe. Give it time and it will allow breathing room. I need a new binder but am saving my money for appointments and getting health insurance. So I guess I gotta live with the one i have if I wanna keep moving forward. Once I start T i will buy a new one but hopefully by then I have lost wieght. Any ideas on a good binder for the bigger guys?
I know exactly how you feel
They are so tight and uncomfortable, and sometimes they don't make you flat enough.. and it makes you think.. "I shouldn't even have to wear this!"
one tip i would give you though.. is put it on when you are in a good mood.. I know it sounds silly, but when I put mine on when I am cranky.. it makes me even more irritable
I agree. when i am feeling real down or irritated or highly dysmorphic i get worse when i put it on. it just adds to the pain mentally.
Binding is actually comforting to me.
Sure, it's hot, pinches at the shoulders and under the arms, gets dirty quick, feels like it needs constant adjustment, and I'm probably flirting with infection where it rolls up and has rubbed sores into my hips right below the belt-line... but it makes me feel more like -myself-. I only have to look in a mirror to remind myself why it's worth putting it on.
Although; that's my underworks binder (double front). I have a t-kingdom (zip-front) binder I wear around the house and when I'm being lazy just to keep them from moving around much. It doesn't do me much more good than that now that's it's stretched out.
Cody, here are some tips about the Underworks Double Front. Wear a long tank top (like an A frame) under your binder. Pull the sides of the tank top up under the armpits so that the binder doesn't touch the skin at all there. This will prevent the chaffing at the armpits (which I know hurts).
If the tank top is long enough to go down to your underwear that helps keep the binder from rolling up some- as well as wearing a belt. These things prevent chaffing for me. Really keep an eye on those sores- they can become big trouble.
I have never had a problem with a binder rolling up, I don't understand how so many people have this problem, I dunno if its my binders or my body shape
I have a double compression binder.. it is tight at the top and then no binding at the bottom, and then I have a hook eye vest, which is one layer.. I cut it in half so it only binds my boobs
maybe you guys should cut yours shorter
My binder definately rolls up. I will have to try the tank top thing. I have tried the tuck it in the belt think and it helps if you pants fit properly. I wear my pants too big so it really doesnt help me.
I was wearing a 'skin' shirt under my binder at first (because it was way too small to get on by myself without it), but I found it rolled up more with that on under than without it. I'll dig through my tank-tops and see if a different material will work better.
I don't know about the rest of the guys, but i know my binder rolls up to just under my hip-bones because my ass is huge :laugh: I can't wear the half-size binders, they make my gut stick out so far it looks absurd.
I just tugged the bottom edge up over my binder so it's folded double over my chest and pin it there with a safety pin.
No rolling up and a little extra compression to boost. ;)
I never thought of that. And this here is why we have susans... Thanks for the info. Any more tricks you know?