tattooed-love-boy:

BINDING: for trans*folk, genderbenders, cosplaying, drag, whathaveyou!

Bandages VS. Binders

Bandages:

• Don’t bind with bandages! Ever!
• Using bandages to bind is harmful and may cause: shortness of breath, bruising, broken ribs, fluid build-up in lungs, long term health effects, etc! Yuck!
• You have other options! Bandages are not one of them!

Binders:

• Bind responsibly!
• Proper binders are sold through the ‘Net with all the great effects of binding with (fewer to) no side effects!
• Wear longer! More breathability!
• Binders can be purchased relatively cheap; new, used, or through a big brother program!
• Never wear a binder that is too small!

Caution:

• Never bind for more than 8 to 12 hours at a time!
• Never sleep in a binder!
• If you feel sick or out of breath, take off your binder!

Let’s be honest, as I’ve spoken about before, I am sick and tired of seeing people glorifying Ace bandages as a method of binding. Be it through art, literature, photography, videography, or otherwise, it’s not uncommon to see trans*folk bound via bandages. Time to raise awareness on this matter is long overdue, and I’m hoping to spread the word.

Don’t use bandages to bind, Ace or medical or otherwise! It does not matter how stretchy they are, it does not matter if they were advised to you through a “professional”, they are not safe.

Stop glorifying Ace bandages to bind! 

If you cannot afford a real binder, look into used sales or big brother programs, there are dozens around tumblr that are eager to help! You always have options!

Spread the awareness, spread the facts, bandages are harmful to bind with!

Many of you BGC readers have asked me about Binders, either for regular or short-term wear, and I didn’t have any thorough sort of info on the subject. Hopefully this will answer the majority of questions and clear up some misinformation. 

(via transtoons)