I want to get a chest binder but I'm not sure how to tell my parents?

Sports bras can bind a little bit so perhaps use those when doing sports.

Could you use your debit card to send it to a friend's house?

Don't buy from Amazon or Ebay. Underworks, GC2B and lesloveboats do them.

 

If you can get your parents on board, that would be very helpful. Binders need to be washed pretty frequently (cold wash, hot wash damages them), and it's much easier to have them know about it so that it can be washed openly rather than in secret. Being able to be open about the cause of any injuries would also be much preferable. If you have your own money though, wouldn't you be able to buy it whether they approve or not? If you do tell them, it could help to say that you have extensively researched on it, you know all of the safety advice, and that as long as you follow the safety advice the risk of harm is incredibly low. Sitting in a car and driving/being a passenger carries an element of risk. The only benefit of using a car for the majority of people is that they get to be lazy. But with your binder, the benefit is to your mental health. It's more worth the risk than using a car is.

Alternatively you could tell them that it's just a compression shirt because you feel like your chest is too big, rather than telling them that it's intentionally designed to give the appearance of a male chest. Binders don't get you completely flat anyway (unless your chest is very small in the first place) - creative layering of clothing is often needed - so it's an excuse you could arguably get away with. Getting a half binder rather than a full binder could also help since they look more like sports bras, but I've heard they put extra strain on the ribs so they could be more uncomfortable.

As for advice, your first port of call is making sure that the binder is the right size. Measure your chest very carefully and compare it to the guides listed on the site (not all sites use the same sizing chart, so make sure to check!) - don't use a "bra to binder" converter chart, they don't always work. If you're on the brink between two sizes, go large. Having a slightly too big binder can't hurt you... having a slightly too small binder can. If your binder is correctly sized and you don't do silly things (gone into more detail below) then the risk of harm is minimal. Some people link binder use to breast cancer, but the studies done are shaky at best - if you have no strong cancer history in your family I wouldn't concern yourself with it too much because even the proposed "increased chance" is only 5% or so.

You're right that 8 hours is the recommended time for a binder (12 hours or higher is when things start to get extremely dangerous), but if possible you should start off wearing it for shorter lengths of time while you get used to it. 3-5 hours is a good starting point, then you can increase the length of time a little every few days and probably get up to 8-10 hours within 2-4 weeks. If you're planning to use it daily, it's a good idea to have a day where you don't wear your binder at least once a week so that you give your chest and ribs a break from the compression. I'd recommend either Saturday or Sunday. Definitely don't sleep in it. Try to avoid exercising at all in it too - including sports. You need to breathe significantly more heavily, and when your chest is restricted, that makes it harder for you to take a deep breath and could cause you to black out. So best to do as the above person stated and go with sports bras (or dance shirts - they're surprisingly good at compression and designed for strenuous activity).

If you start to feel a strong ache or shooting pains in your chest/ribs/back or get very short of breath, you should immediately take the binder off and not put it back on until the pain goes away/you're breathing normally again. If you get very bad pains that don't go away even after taking off the binder for several hours, or you start to get bruising and such, you should see a doctor. Keep in mind that binders do cause a slight level of discomfort but it shouldn't severely hamper you in any way. Listen to your body and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

Systemglitch said about EVERYTHING... very informative. I might add that the issue my kid encountered was dimpling which led to an investigation of inflammatory breast cancer. That is after literal YEARS of use of a full binder and my kid was what would be considered a DDD. I say "was" because the dimpling, mammogram, ultrasound.. all of that.. even the doctor's SUSPICION of breast cancer led us to look for an informed consent clinic and get the mastectomy done instead of wait the 6 months for approval.

My kid also used the strategic layering of clothes.. since the binder didn't really flatten his chest.

Good luck.

As a mom.. I'd prefer to know. If a medical situation comes up, I'm the one that would be communicating with doctors so my kid and I have a deal that there are no secrets. I don't care what it is.. drinking, drug use, the binder thing, vitamins.. everything. My kid only drinks once or twice a year and doesn't do drugs, but I have a list of vitamins he takes, etc. Even at 30, if he takes antibiotics, I have to know since I have his medical proxy.

Just something to think about...