Binder Issues - What to do with large chest and small frame?

[Kiara]

I finally purchased my first binder last spring/summer and had only worn it a few times since I bought it. I've been trying to work up the courage to actually wear it in public more. Today I went all in and wore it all day at work. It was terrible and actually made my dysphoria worse. I was forced to be hyper aware of my chest because my breast tissue kept sliding out of place and trying to fall out of the binder. I know it's unrealistic for me to expect to ever have flat chest, but just having less of a chest and not having to worry about it as much was all I wanted.

I really struggled to even purchase a binder. I went with gc2b because I had heard great things about them. My frame says I should be a large, but the sheer amount of tissue on my chest says 3xl or 4xl.  I asked for help with sizing and was told I needed 4xl, but ended up having to exchange for a 3xl. I still feel like 3xl is too big, but it's tight across the widest part of my chest. It only fits that part and everything else is too big. I picked the racerback style due to my need for range of motion and the fact that I tend to overheat easily. Switching to a tank style likely wouldn't do much to help since the tissue moving out of position is the main issue.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice as to what I can do? I realize I may need a custom binder, but I'm not sure how much that will help given the difference between my chest and my frame.

[VickySGV]

First thing is that it will take time to get it right for you.  I do not bind, but did the bottom thing, and it took many tries to get the tucking done right.  Being nervous about doing the binding or tucking is one of the first things to cause trouble, because you are, as you said, more dysphoric because of the stress.  Do not use tape or Ace bandages  since those cause a whole range of problems you do not want.  I know I am not much help, but you may even want to talk about reduction surgery as opposed to an actual mastectomy.

[Kiara]

I know the basics of binding and what to avoid. The problem is just huge amount of tissue and fighting to keep it properly contained. It seems like standard off-the-rack binders are just not going to work for me.

I've been thinking about reduction surgery ever since I was very young. By the time I finished high school, I had back issues and bra shopping had become a nightmare. However, the idea of surgery is terrifying for me. I used to like my chest to some degree due to the cultural idea of having large breasts being a good thing. At the same time I've come to realize that maybe I'm not actually that happy since I remember trying to bind in middle and high school. My mother was extremely anti-male and constantly made my life a nightmare any time she perceived me as not living up to her idea of high femininity.

I'm trying to be more me and not the version forced onto me by my abusive mother. It's really been a struggle for me. Small changes like clothes and such were easy. It was about as much as I could get away with when I was younger until my mother quite literally threw out a large chunk of my wardrobe and policed my clothing after that. More drastic changes like cutting my hair super short and wearing a binder have been more work.

[Justsam]

When I used to bind I used to pull my beats up and apart. This gave a more realistic chest definition. I never had any trouble slipping but I purchased a binder that was super tight and just learned to breath from my stomach limiting the amount I had to raise my chest. I got used to it after a while and used to exercise and hike with minimal issues. Looking back though as really tight binder did have its down sides. Once I had top surgery I had to learn how to breath using my chest again. Also an extra tight binder can be pretty sore after wearing it all day. 

 

As for the bottom of you binder being too big. I went to a tailors and asked them to shorten it for me. This made such a difference. Hope this helps a little.