What are the risks of breast binding?
The most common side effects of chest binding are related to skin and breast tissue:
- Acne.
- Bacterial infections.
- Fungal infections.
- Itching.
- Scarring.
- Swelling.
- Tenderness.
What is the purpose of breast binding?
Chest binding has become a popular practice to make a person’s presenting gender and gender identity more compatible. Chest binding is a process of flattening your chest to make it more male-presenting. This is a common step in the female-to-male transition.
Do binders stop breast growth?
Binding. Binding involves wrapping material tightly around the breasts to flatten them. It will not shrink breast tissue or prevent the breasts from growing, but binding can help the breasts look smaller and may make a person feel more comfortable. Talk to a doctor about the safest way to use a binder.
Is chest binding harmful?
That said, even a dedicated binder is not without risk, and binding improperly or for too long can lead to chest and back pain, rib bruising and fractures, shortness of breath, overheating, and skin damage.
How do you properly bind?
Everyone binds differently, the trick is to figure out what is safest and best for you.
- Limit the amount of time you bind.
- Avoid binding while working out.
- Get the right fit.
- Don’t bind with plastic wrap, duct-tape, or bandages.
- Bind less if you are planning to have top surgery.
- Listen to your body.
Do binders hurt?
Chest Binding Helps Smooth the Way for Transgender Teens, but There May Be Risks. People who use binders report symptoms like back and chest pain, overheating and shortness of breath.
How is a binder supposed to feel?
The binder should feel snug, but you should be able to take a deep breath. Take that deep breath as you feel more like you! But, if it hurts or you cannot take a full deep breath in, then your binder is too small.
Why is my daughter binding her breasts?
Some adolescent girls bind their breasts as they enter puberty. This is done usually for reasons of embarrassment (they do not want others to know they have started developing), or desire to be as they previously were (they do not want to have breasts yet).
Can binding damage breast tissue?
Over time, continued breast binding can make breast tissue elongated and more malleable, actually making compression easier. However, studies indicated that people who bound their breasts more frequently were more likely to report negative health effects.
Is it safe to bind?
Wearing binders that are too tight can cause underlying tissue and muscle damage, prevent free movement, and even restrict a person’s ability to breathe. There haven’t been many studies about the health effects of binding, so it’s important to listen to experiences of others, and to talk to your healthcare provider.
Does binding damage breast tissue?
Unsafe binding may lead to permanent deformation of the breasts, scarring, and lung constriction, and long-term binding may adversely affect the outcome of a future mastectomy.
Do you wear a bra with a binder?
We don’t recommend wearing anything underneath your binder, especially things that compress! Sports bras in particular compress already. Although I do hear you saying that your sports bra is old and might not compress anymore, taking it off is probably best.
Does binding your chest increase breast cancer risk?
Binding and Breast Cancer There is no evidence to suggest that chest binding increases the risk of breast cancer. Whether you choose to bind or not, you should always be concerned about the health of your chest tissue.
Is sex hormone-binding globulin related to breast cancer risk?
The human serum Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) plays an important role in breast cancer pathophysiology and risk definition, since it regulates the bioavailable fraction of circulating estradiol. We here summarize data reported over the years concerning the involvement of SHBG and SHBG polymorphisms in the definition of breast cancer risk.
What happens if you don’t bind your breasts?
Binding that is not prescribed is unsafe and may lead to permanent breast deformity, scarring, and constriction of lungs. Long-term binding may also lead to a possible future mastectomy.
Could a protein found in breast cancer cells be a biomarker?
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have shown that the Atox1 protein, found in breast cancer cells, participates in the process by which cancer cells metastasize. The protein could therefore be a potential biomarker for assessing the aggressiveness of the disease, as well as a possible target for new drugs.