How does a binder differ from a really tight sports bra and what does wearing one or the other or both for an extended period of time do to your anatomy?
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A binder has a panel in the front of a strong non-stretch fabric designed to create the appearance of a flat chest and reduce contours, whereas a sports bra has a stretchy fabric in the front designed to accommodate breast shape. The rest of the binder is a much thinner fabric than a sports bra, and it covers a large area in the back (more like a sleeveless shirt than a racerback shape) to distribute the pressure more gently and evenly. A sports bra also has a tight band at the bottom, whereas a binder just goes straight down and cuts off.
A binder is supposed to be tighter than a sports bra. If you wore a sports bra as tight as a binder, it would cause more issues because it’s not designed to safely be worn that tightly due to the features I just mentioned. Sports bras are tightest around your rib cage and designed to stretch to accommodate breasts, so in order to create a flat chest from a sports bra it has to be extremely tight on your rib cage, along with your neck and shoulders.
Neither one impacts your anatomy per se, but there can be general body/health impacts of binding daily over many years. Things like back and shoulder pain and lower skin elasticity. You can also have these problems from binding too often. Typically it’s recommended to not bind for more than 8 hours per day and to take days off to limit these impacts. A poorly fitted binder can also make these problems worse, along with other issues like skin irritation.
And, where can I buy a binder? I’m very tired of my DDs.
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