Binding your chest can be really serious business, depending on you and how you feel about your body. If that's something you're considering doing, read all the safety information you possibly can, and don't assume that said information isn't necessary for you! Safety first!

I started binding in June 2005 with a Futuro abdominal binder. It wasn't comfortable (binding is never comfortable, but this was definitely the most uncomfortable out of everything I've ever used), and it slipped down a lot, but it got the job done for a brief time. In my experience the elasticity wore out after about four months of consistent use. The box also says that it hides well under clothes, but I still ended up wearing at least two shirts over it because I was worried it was noticeable after all.

I also tried to use ACE bandage a couple times, but putting it on was a two-person job, it slipped down more frequently than the Futuro, and I could never get it tight enough to even mimic the support of a sports bra. In other words, it was super impractical. Due to its intended use, it's right up there with duct tape as far as being unsafe and physically damaging, so it's really good that it didn't work out for me!

It wasn't until April 2006 that a friend ordered me my first Underworks binder. In my opinion, it's far better and safer than the Futuro binder or ACE bandage since it's intended to bind breast tissue down. Not to mention one binder could last me for over a year before it started to lose its give. Also - and this was important to me as someone who likes his t-shirts relatively tight - I could wear it under just a t-shirt and it wasn't too noticeable.

Despite never being able to ignore the physical discomfort, I was most concerned with how emotionally painful it was for me. The only reason I even started and was able to continue doing it was because I told myself each and every day that it was just something to do until I could get top surgery. When I started, I was binding every single day for about 12+ hours a day (I do NOT advise that!), but by 2009 I was really only doing it when I absolutely had to (read: on those summer days when it was too hot to hide behind a coat).

Here's a picture of me wearing my Futuro binder around January 2006. And here's me wearing my Underworks binder around August 2010.

While I didn't like having breasts, I still learned how to bind my chest safely. Dysphoria or not, those things were a part of my body and I didn't want to damage myself (how you choose to bind can affect top surgery results for those who want to get top surgery). I also tried to be realistic with my process. Breast tissue can and, if you bind often enough, will break down. Testosterone will also break breast tissue down, but neither binding nor T will make the tissue go away! Some folks who are well-endowed can make themselves look "perfectly" (in quotes, since that's subjective) flat because they've been binding for a long time. But binders, even the best ones, despite what advertisements in any media may tell you, will not make you flawlessly flat. Unless you're a super small A-cup or something...

I probably was a large A or small B cup prior to binding. And I'm very fortunate that I didn't bind in such a way that severely damaged my skin or ribs, and that the results of my top surgery weren't compromised in any way. I used to have pictures that demonstrated results of one month and then five years of binding, but I don't think they're necessary anymore. If you're curious to see what I looked like prior to top surgery, you'll find some there.