Art of Transliness

Zak: I don’t have any tips and tricks myself, but this article from Binders 101 covers a lot of that stuff and provides pretty good advice. I’ve heard underworks tri-top recommended for binding a larger chest, as well as the underworks 997. It also helps to wear bold patterned shirts or layers in order to sort of disguise your chest. 

Zak: I don’t know what you’d be doing wrong, but I’d recommend you push your chest down and out toward your armpits when you put on your binder. That’s one technique I’ve heard for avoiding the “uniboob” look as well as helping the binder make you look flat. Keep in mind that often you will not look 100% flat with a binder (and that, actually, many cis guys don’t look completely flat either). I don’t know exactly what your problem would be, though, because it does sound a little unusual. If the whole down-and-out solution doesn’t work, perhaps the binder style you chose was just wasn’t great for your body type? It might be worth asking this question to one of the binder specific Tumblrs out there, such as Binders 101. 

Zak: I was curious so I did a little bit of research on this and wasn’t able to find a definitive answer. What I did find is that it is recommended that those with breasts wear sports bras that aren’t too tight for awhile after a nipple piercing, thought it did not say how long. This post suggests that binding with tape (bad for you anyway) can increase the amount of time it takes for the piercing to heal and that it takes about 12-18 months to heal in general. Obviously this doesn’t exactly apply to your situation, but might suggest that binding could increase your healing time. That person’s idea of having a little bit of foam between your nipples and the binder is also probably a pretty good one. 

I’ve read that binding with pierced nipples, even if they are fully healed, can seriously hurt. Beyond that, you have to be careful not to catch your piercing on your binder. I’ve also read that you need to be very careful to keep your binder clean when you’re wearing a binder over a piercing! 

So, I wasn’t able to find a clear answer. I think the best option would be to ask your piercer, as awkward as that might seem. You could always say that you bind to cosplay or do drag if you don’t want to out yourself. If you don’t want to ask YOUR piercer, than maybe you can find another piercer to ask. They would probably know best. If nothing else, there are definitely other people who have been in your situation who perhaps would know. 

Zak: I don’t know how effective this binder would be, particularly if you have a larger chest, but it would work pretty well under a tank top. You can also get binders that you can wear like a tank top like this one. Again, I don’t know how effective these would be, I don’t have any personal experience with either of them and haven’t read too many reviews of either. 

Zak: Binding with ace bandages is dangerous. It sounds like your binder is too big for you. I’d recommend asking around on tumblr to see if there’s anyone whose binder is too small for them that would be willing to trade you. Or you could try selling your binder and using the money to buy one in a smaller size. Your binder definitely shouldn’t feel like it’s going to fall down. 

Zak: Most of the time I see the Underworks 997 and the 983 recommended for people with larger chests. Since you already have the 997, I’d recommend checking out this article that has all sorts of tips on binding for bigger chests. I don’t know if you’ve already read it or not, but one of the major things it recommends is layering binders or wearing a sports bra underneath a binder. This might be a good idea given your chest size. Depending on the level of flatness you’re achieving with the binder you have now, you could also help things out by layering your clothes, wearing patterns, making sure your shirts aren’t too clingy, etc. I really don’t know if there’s a binder out there that would work better for you than the 997, but maybe layering or something else would help you bind more effectively. 

Zak: This is a common issue with binders. The first thing I’d recommend is pushing your chest down and out to the sides when you put on your binder. That way things aren’t just pressed down forming one single lump, but are pushed toward your armpits where they will be flattened more effectively. 

Zak: I don’t know any tricks about this, but I asked someone who is fairly knowledgeable about laundry and this is what they said:

“I recommend oxiclean or goop (found in the automotive department at Walmart). If all else fails, use bleach. Be careful with bleach, though, because the fumes can be harmful to you.” 

edit: don’t use bleach.

Zak: I was around a 34B before top surgery and was a big fan of the model 801 binder from t-kingdom. I thought it was pretty comfortable, easy to get on and off, and not too hot. However, it never got me as flat as my (pretty uncomfortable) underworks tri-top binder. I’d really recommend both for different reasons, I think which you’d prefer would probably depend on what matters to you most. The model 801 t-kingdom binder binds pretty well, just not AS well as underworks. I made up for that by layering and wearing bold patterns, which worked for me. If you’re looking for excellent binding, though, I’d go with the underworks tri-top. That’s just my opinion, though.