My name is Elias and this is my review of the gc2b half binder.
If you want to know more about my opinions on it feel free to ask or IM me. You can also ask/IM me if you need someone, need support or just need to vent
Stretching helps the muscles in your ribcage relax after having to work hard to compensate for the preassure the binder puts on your body. I find it really nice to do right after taking of the binder.
1a. Interlock you hands and raise your arms above your head. Then breathe deeply, but not into you stomch, focus on making you lungs and ribcage as big as possible.
1b. Stretch your sides extra by swaying to your sideswhile breathing.
2. Interlock your hands and push forward with your palms away from the body. Hunch a bit, like a cat, (the drawing doesn’t show it) to really stretch the back muscles and breathe deep, again focusing on making your ribcage expand.
3. Interlock your hands behind your back with thumbs down and carfeully push your hand up and breathe.
4. Stretch one side at a time by putting one arm behind your head and lightly pulling it with the other hand, or by pushing down on the elbow. Breathe
It’s really important to listen to your body and not stretch too far. It’s not supposed to hurt!!
Please feel free to add if you stretch differently or think i’ve written something wrong!
fill up some warm (but not too hot) water in your sink and put in some kind of detergent (or soap if you want), I like to use mild detergent to avoid irritating the skin.
Hey transmasculine and gender-variant folx! If you wear a chest binder, I made an Android app that you can use! It reminds you to take off your binder at the end of the day and also to stretch out your back during the day. You can find it in the Google Play store here.
If you’re having issues with it, or have any feedback for me, I’d love if you could email me at binder.reminder.team@gmail.com. And if you like it, feel free to rate and review it!
i’ve struggled so much with this i needed to make a post
(i tried to write it in a reasonable way but my thoughts are all jumbeled so here’s a short version, i’ll post a more in depth text if anyone is interested)
i have two sides arguing about my identity, one says i’m trans, the other says i’m a liar. But no one has ever told me i’m trans, a lot of people have, on the other hand, expected me to be cis. it’s obvious (but hard to accept) that the side that invalidates me all the time isn’t me, it’s the views i’ve got from society. What helped me end this constant arguing was validating my own identity (dressing how i wanted, coming out, using a different name and pronouns).
you can’t ignore you’re identity (wether it’s regarding gender or sexuality) it will always come back to the surface and nag, the least painful thing to do is to just accept it
fill up some warm (but not too hot) water in your sink and put in some kind of detergent (or soap if you want), I like to use mild detergent to avoid irritating the skin.
If you cough, take off your binder! Whether it’s corona or not doesn’t matter. If you have a cough, take of your binder immediately and don’t wear it untill you are 100% well again.
I got a gc2b (x) half binder in black and i’m so happy with it. And it binds really well! i’m a DD and look at the picture! And it’s so comfortable
My breast tissue is very firm (which apparently in normal, but not so common) which makes it very hard to bind well. This is my first binder and i have never tried anything from underworks and so on, so i don’t have anything to compare it with. Before i got it i used the “too small sports bra”-trick, but this is actually more comfortable.
the binder has a panel in the front with fabric that doesn’t stretch. But the back piece stretches so it’s easy to breath in.
it comes in a very neutral package which is good if you don’t want anyone to know what you’ve bought. There is no way to figure out what is in.
it comes with a note
it can be a bit scary to put on, so if it’s your first time you just have to brace yourself and remember to breath calmly so you don’t panic. I made a post on how i put my binder on you can watch it –here–
When buying a binder from gc2b it is very important to follow their sizings, they don’t use the same as other binder companies. And please follow their instructions and don’t buy a size smaller thinking it will bind better. If you get a binder that is too small but manages to put it on, it will be imposible to take of and you’ll have to cut it apart. The size you are supposed to have binds really well anyway.
When i was looking for a binder i looked at a lot of reviews (as i’m imagining you doing right now) and i noticed that small chested people perfer underworks and those with larger chest generally perfer gc2b. Idk if that is helpfull but anyway.
the binder doesn’t have any zippers or stuff like that. It is thin and skin thight. This makes it hard to see through cloths. You cloud probably hug people without them feeling the binder in the back. There is nothing bulging out anywhere. The arm holes are a bit biggar than most other binders so it’s impossible for it to cut into your armpits. The shoulder straps are very somfortable and doesn’t cut in anywhere.
The preassure is even around the chest and i haven’t noteced any discomfort, scratching, pinching or backaches. It’s like a hug.
You can wear both regular t-shirts and v-necks.
Because this post is so long you can look –here–, --here– and --here– for more pictures that i took
If you are getting your first binder remember to don’t wear it for longer than 8 hours. Don’t sleep or exercise in it either.
I’ve been using my binder for some time now and it binds just as well as before. Of course it looks a bit more stretched out (when i’m not wearing it) now than when i put it on the first time, but it hasn’t stretched since like the third time i wore it. It just makes it easier to take on and off. And it’s still very comfortable.
I’ve noticed that it’s not a good idea to wear i when you have a cold (and i think that goes for all binders) because it’s hard to cough properly.
I got a gc2b (x) half binder in black and i’m so happy with it. And it binds really well! i’m a DD and look at the picture! And it’s so comfortable
My breast tissue is very firm (which apparently in normal, but not so common) which makes it very hard to bind well. This is my first binder and i have never tried anything from underworks and so on, so i don’t have anything to compare it with. Before i got it i used the “too small sports bra”-trick, but this is actually more comfortable.
the binder has a panel in the front with fabric that doesn’t stretch. But the back piece stretches so it’s easy to breath in.
it comes in a very neutral package which is good if you don’t want anyone to know what you’ve bought. There is no way to figure out what is in.
it comes with a note
it can be a bit scary to put on, so if it’s your first time you just have to brace yourself and remember to breath calmly so you don’t panic. I made a post on how i put my binder on you can watch it –here–
When buying a binder from gc2b it is very important to follow their sizings, they don’t use the same as other binder companies. And please follow their instructions and don’t buy a size smaller thinking it will bind better. If you get a binder that is too small but manages to put it on, it will be imposible to take of and you’ll have to cut it apart. The size you are supposed to have binds really well anyway.
When i was looking for a binder i looked at a lot of reviews (as i’m imagining you doing right now) and i noticed that small chested people perfer underworks and those with larger chest generally perfer gc2b. Idk if that is helpfull but anyway.
the binder doesn’t have any zippers or stuff like that. It is thin and skin thight. This makes it hard to see through cloths. You cloud probably hug people without them feeling the binder in the back. There is nothing bulging out anywhere. The arm holes are a bit biggar than most other binders so it’s impossible for it to cut into your armpits. The shoulder straps are very somfortable and doesn’t cut in anywhere.
The preassure is even around the chest and i haven’t noteced any discomfort, scratching, pinching or backaches. It’s like a hug.
You can wear both regular t-shirts and v-necks.
Because this post is so long you can look –here–, --here– and --here– for more pictures that i took
If you are getting your first binder remember to don’t wear it for longer than 8 hours. Don’t sleep or exercise in it either.
tip that helped me to cope with chest dysphoria better:
When i feel intense dysphoria i tell myself that my chest is swollen, like i’m sick or somthing, and that the swelling will go down soon. I feel that is a better way to view my chest than how i usually want to distance myself from it completely, like i want to take them of. But in viewing it as swelling it feels like the skin is mine, that it’s all me and the risk that i’m gona hurt myself decreases.
Idk if this is helpfull in any way. Do you have tips you want to share?
i wore my gc2b half binder for 10 hours straight today, even if it’s still very comfortable i recomend not doing it because i’m feeling very light headed
I know, but it’s hard to find motivation to follow the recommendations when you don’t know what’s going to happen if you don’t. I experienced lightheadedness but i can’t find anyone talking about more of the consequences, like how serious should i be taking it? Is it only lightheadedness because of not properly breathing? is it bad for the muscles? bad for the breattissue? bad for the ribs? bad for the lungs? i have no idea…
are you out to your parents and if so what or how do you recommend coming out to them?
Yes I’m out to my parents. Here’s how I did it:
Between the ages of 16 och 19 i was questioning my gender a lot, but did not talk to my parents about it. I started saving up money bc i was pretty sure i wouldn’t be comfortable or welcome to keep living at their house. I moved to a dorm and studied art for a year, during that time i came out to them bit by bit by writing a letter, introducing my new name and pronouns and just generally having the conversation with them when i came home to visit. It took quite a while for them to get used to the idea. And their initial reaction was to say “Well, you’re welcome to live here, but we don’t really get it”.
After art school i lived with them for a year, it was not super great for my mental health, but over time they’ve grown more and more supportive. I’m an activist so i’m very up to date and outspoken about the way trans people are treated (mainly in Sweden, where i live) and i think hearing my rants have helped them understand that it’s hard to be trans in this current climate, and it’s not a fad or phase. They’ve also seen that i’ve become way more happy and comfortable, so i think that also helped them accept it.
What i’m trying to say with this is that it’s always gona me weird to come out, and parents reactions may change over time.
I think there are some points to bear in mind when you plan your coming out:
You can’t predict their reaction, and you can’t really prepare for it either, so focus on securing your own well being. Have money saved up, find a friend you can crash at if you need to put a little distance between you and them.
Talk about it in general terms first to gage their respons and maybe educate them. Bring up an example (a friend, a tv-show) and talk about how you support trans rights (and why).
It’s probably gonna take a while for them to get used to the idea. And their reactions will change over time.
Prioritize your own well being over their understanding. You don’t have to explain everything right away, if they don’t understand let them get up to date by giving the general information about trans issues. Try to communicate that it’s very scary to come out and that they’ll have to be gentle
It’s easy to say to near and dear ones “I use this name/pronouns now, but you can use my old”. We do this because we don’t want to lose the ones near to us by requiring them to make changes for us. And we also want them to refer to us by our right name and pronouns by their own will, not because we told them to. It’s increadibly affirming to have someone who has known you for a long time treat you in a gender affirming way. But they might never get to the point where they realize this. So if you want them to make changes for you, you have to communicate it.
As for how to go about it practically do what feels best for you. Saying it spontaniously, gathering the whole family and making a speach, writing a letter and then staying with a friend for a few days, text, over the phone, with a friend by your side, in public, in private, tomorrow, in a few years, when you live at home, when you don’t live at home, do what you feel comfortable with.
There is no rush, there is no shame in waiting. You can be out to friends, in school, at work and not at home. We do what we have to do to feel comfortable and be safe.
I hope this is something that helps you, and i hope you will reach a decision that works best for you.
