THE BINDING TRUTH
Chest binding is practiced by many trans and non-binary people for a flat-chested look. But it comes with risks unless done properly, experts say
Golden Globe winner Emma Corrin, who has updated gender pronouns, posted arresting photos on social media earlier this week wearing a chest binder.
Chest binding is a non-surgical option that can be effectively used to create a ‘masculine’ chest. “It is used for many reasons — for beauty, suppression of lactation, after surgery to prevent movement and promote healing, and in pubescent girls for cosmetic-aesthetic reasons,” says Dr J Anish Anand, Consultant Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospitals.
Elaborating on this, Arouba Kabir, mental health counsellor, wellness coach, and Founder, Enso Wellness Centre, says compressing breast tissue by chest binding gives the appearance of a flat chest and is commonly done by those who don’t want their chest to look feminine.
“It’s all a journey right,” Corrin, who played Princess Diana in the fourth season of the Netflix series The Crown, wrote on Instagram. “We used boxing wrap, thanks for capturing this with me, very intimate, very new, very cool. Lots of twists and turns and change and that’s ok! Embrace it.”
For some trans and non-binary people, breasts are a visual reminder of birthassigned sex, and binding can improve mental health by reducing gender dysphoria — the strong and persistent feeling of identification with another gender and discomfort with ones assigned gender or sex at birth. “They often desire to live in accordance with the gender they identify with, and dress and use mannerisms associated with that gender,” explains Arouba.
“A person with female sex characteristics, for example, may privately identify as a man while publicly presenting themselves as a woman, and so might
wear male underwear or use binders to flatten the chest. Others may seek hormone treatment or surgery as part of a transition to live full-time as the gender with which they identify,” Auroba adds.
However, like other methods used to modify outward appearance, chest binding comes with some risks.
Last year, The Unshockable Dr Ronx on BBC3 came under fire for promoting the use of breast binders in a programme aimed at young people. A doctor explained to a young transgender patient how to give the appearance of having a flat chest without undue pain.
At one point, Frankie, the patient, who
has 36D breasts, tells the doctor: “I can’t walk a lot. It compresses my chest so much I can’t breathe properly and I can’t really leave the house without it.”
There are a number of potential side effects of chest binding that people should pay attention to. “Binding can affect skin, muscles, and movement, particularly over long periods of time. Continuing this for long may cause injury to underlying tissue and dysmorphic changes. It may promote fungal infection and if done too tightly, cause injury to ribs. It may also restrict lung movement and lead to breathlessness,” cautions Dr Anand.
Binding can affect skin, muscles, and movement, particularly over long periods of time. Continuing this for long may cause injury to underlying tissue and dysmorphic changes. It may promote fungal infection and if done too tightly, cause injury to ribs.
— DR J ANISH ANAND,
Consultant Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospitals