Question: Binding and growth
Corey asks…
I’m gender fluid and my parents are against me binding because they think that it will affect my growth (I’m 13) and that the changes that will happen to my breast tissue are a huge problem. Will binding affect my growth? And if not are there any ways to convince my parents that it’s safe?
Please post your response in the comments below.
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Posted by Freiya on July 9th, 2015 at 08:00 am
Category: questions 4 comments »
July 10th, 2015 at 6:37 am |
I wish I had better advice, but unless you find an actual doctor here the best thing is probably to see a doctor. That’ll give you an answer plus the credibility. (You may also need a therapist to convince the doctor it’s important to you to bind. But times have changed a bit even in the few years since I’ve had to go through the process).
For my part, I wouldn’t be surprised if binding did affect your growth, and in your rib cage that’s bad news bears. But then, as an adult you generally shouldn’t bind for more than 8 hours, so maybe if you only did it for a few it wouldn’t be a big deal? I mean most of your actual growth is going to happen when you’re sleeping, right? Don’t ever bind while you’re sleeping.
Hope that helps!
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July 10th, 2015 at 10:17 am |
Not being any kind expert, I would instinctually advise that you don’t bind until your ribcage, spine, etc. have had a chance to do most of their growing. Otherwise you could risk serious structural damage. I would assume the same is true of breast tissue, which is very delicate, but I’m more worried about your ribs and back.
You really need to get professional medical advice on this matter, but in the meantime please err on the side of caution. Easing psychological discomfort for the moment is not worth a lifetime with deformed ribs.
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July 11th, 2015 at 7:08 am |
I would definitely consult a medical expert on this. But wearing a sports bra may be able to give similar effects without the harm.
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July 11th, 2015 at 9:20 pm |
Sometimes I think we all get too caught up in trying to have the right look. A boy with breasts is still a boy. A girl with a bulge “down there” is still a girl.
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