So I just got my first chest binder via a friend yesterday, and I wore it for about 5 hours or so. I took it off once I got home (unaccepting parents) and obviously didn't wear it to sleep. I am 14, so I am still developing (therefore my chest is always somewhat tender), but this morning I noticed that pressure on my breasts hurts a little bit more than normal. Is that normal? I assume it is, but I just want to stay safe.
It's pretty normal. Some people are lucky and bind with no pain, but many people just have to live with some level of aching or pressure-induced pain if they want to bind. It's generally worse with a new binder or a newly-washed binder. It's generally better if you don't bind every day. It's generally worse if you bind for a long time (10 hours or more) on any one day. It's generally better once you are more used to wearing a binder. Physically, it's not good to wear clothes that hurt, but if it is good for your mental health and it doesn't hurt too much then I think it's okay. I've had mild aching in my breasts fairly often over the past couple months because I abruptly started binding far more than is recommended, but it's never gotten any more severe and it goes away if I bind less, so I don't think it's a problem. It would be a problem if the pain got more severe or didn't go away; in that case, I would cease all binding and go to a GP in a few days at most. Listen to your body and stop binding when your body tells you to bind. That's the most important thing; if you do that, you'll probably be fine. If you bind for 10+ hours and your body still seems okay, fair enough, but remember that you might pay for it over the next few days. If you feel any stabbing or cutting pain, if you find it hard to breathe, if you become unusually light-headed, if your ribs hurt (not just your breast tissue), or if the binder leaves bruising or a rash, then stop binding immediately and go to a doctor if things don't clear up within a day or two. Taking slightly shallower breaths and feeling a bit of an ache in your breasts is normal and not that bad, however. Oh, and don't do what I did and pull a shoulder muscle while trying to put your binder on. Oops.
Everything that Dachs said and I want to add..... if you notice dimpling on your breast.. please go to a doctor as soon as possible. You are 14, so I don't want to get into it... I'll just say that my own trans son went through this and it's something to watch for.
Thank you! ---------- Post added 29th Dec 2016 at 02:07 PM ---------- I am aware that that is one sign of breast cancer, but do you believe that was caused by binding? My parents don't accept me, so I have to be careful about binding because I don't want something to happen where I have to tell them.
