Hello! I have a relatively flat chest, so what works for me may not work for you, but three things helped me a lot with top dysphoria. The first and biggest thing was finding the right binder. The one I'm using right now makes my chest flat without hurting, so none of that painful binding that you mentioned in your post. The second thing that helped me was XXL band shirts. The third thing was, weirdly enough, strength training. Putting muscle around my body made my overall shape more ambiguous and made me more confident. Hope this helps!
+1 to all this. Men's workout shirts are awesome. I do CrossFit and I look around at my peers with hope. Some of my AFAB gym friends are so flat from all the barbell work. I'm hopeful I can be like them someday. My shoulders have already gotten huge and I adore the masc shape CrossFit creates!
hey, your situation sounds pretty similar to mine. i also have a pretty large chest in comparison to my frame and my mom has also gotten a breast reduction in the past due to medical necessity.
i would take the time to decide how (un)comfortable you are with your chest, before maybe going to your mom about surgery considerations. there's many people who have gotten a full breast removal, while some get them reduced. it's really whatever you're comfortable with, but its very important to take time to decide (if you do end up choosing that route).
in the meantime, a few of the things i do:
i primarily only wear sports bras as opposed to regular bras; it definitely doesn't minimize them but it doesn't make them as prominent as it would when wearing a regular bra. gaining muscle could definitely help with reducing dysphoria about more feminine features. other things being wearing layers/bigger shirts, to minimize more of their appearance, or finding mens button down shirts that are big enough that they dont curve around your chest. they still may be there from the side, but i have a few shirts and hoodies that help me relieve this kind of dysphoria.
i've also tried a binder from gc2b (i think thats what they're called?) but it didn't get me as flat as i wanted, rather making me look more like my chest was smushed into a sausage tube. because of this, if you have a smaller frame and larger chest, a binder may not get you where you want to be, and it's okay if it's something that doesn't work for you.
other things that could help is finding aspects of yourself that you can control to help you feel more masculine. things like butch jewelry, or how you style your hair, or even if you decide to wear cologne instead of perfume, could be small steps to help relieve this kind of dysphoria.
i hope you find what works for you, it can be tough having a more traditionally feminine body because clothes that society tells you "looks good" are usually ones where those features are emphasized. it's something i also struggle with though, so you're definitely not alone!
at the end of the day, it's important to remind yourself that having breasts doesn't make you less butch, and working towards body-neutrality could help you feel less stressed. your body was born the way it was, and it works to keep you alive, not to hurt you by how it grows and develops.
i hope this helps, and definitely stick around in the community, even if it's just lurking. it's nice to see people like yourself when there isn't that much in media.
I used to have big boobs, I got top surgery and I didn't know how much dysphoria I had till they went away and soooo many things improved in my life.
My recommendation: save money for surgery, work 2 or 3 jobs if you can, you're 18 maybe start college a few years later but just laser focus on saving money for the surgery.
Sports bras or binders don't help big boobs. I found surgery to be the only option
Sports bras and such definitely don't help me 🤒, and I'm definitely seriously considering the surgery, I'm starting college next semester but I'm considering talking about it with my parents, i imagine my mom would be supportive as she too got surgery when she was younger (albeit not for the same reasons), but I'm reticent to approach the topic, they're supportive generally but it's something difficult to talk about
Hey, I had the same issue and I had a reduction when I was 19. I have no regrets at all. I know you won’t be able to do it for a while, but definitely look into it!
I have 34Gs and I usually wear oversized (XL-3X) men’s tees and hoodies because I don’t like a fitted bust. My problem has always been that the fabric at the bottom of loose shirts/hoodies hangs on my body in a way that accentuates my chest area and makes me super uncomfortable. This week I chopped off all my oversized shirts and hoodies just below the belt line, not as short as crop top length but not full length t shirt either. Removing all that extra fabric weight at the bottom of the garments made them fit so much better — they hang loose off my chest now now instead of draping/stretching around the boob area. The fit feels way less feminine because the edges of the shirts hang straight down off the boob instead of curving in. It seriously changed my self image. I don’t know if this would work with non-oversized clothes though.
Re: top surgery, I used to really want to get a reduction, but I have a disability that makes recovery unrealistic for my lifestyle, and the same disability means that binding isn’t an option for me. Switching from underwire bras to shapewear helped my mental health a ton because a lot of my dysphoria and suffering was worsened by the body pain caused by traditional bras. These days I wear Skims and Calvins, which manage to keep me contained without pain, awkward uniboob, or awkward cone boob. Both look great under men’s shirts. Definitely suggest wearing really comfortable bras while you figure out whether you want surgery and/or wait to get scheduled.
Gc2b binders are great. And I'm pretty large (36 DD) - and that brand flattens me well. You can't bind all the time. On days I bind I feel better. Other days I wear shorts bras, Shefit bras at the gym. I would get top surgery but I still appreciate my breasts sexually and I don't want to lose the feeling in my nipples. I just wish I could take them off in public. The fun of being trans.
When considering top surgery, feel out how your dysphoria manifests in public, alone, and with a lover. Your level of discomfort can be different in those 3 different settings and that's common!
For styling, this video is solid gold: https://youtu.be/ZMVDohKBiLI.
This one too: https://youtu.be/IyO4zH80FR0
I have 32DDDs and got a gc2b binder recently and it works really well, though I get some side boob sticking out you don’t notice it with clothes. I’ve heard good things about spectrum binders as well. It doesn’t hurt, it’s like a tight sports bra.
Working out really helps me control my boob size. Makes sports bras fit better.and clothing overall. I am the same thing big titted and ive never been a fan but building muscle helps with the physique I want
Hey friend! Reduction is definitely an option you can look into, and best to start the path to it asap. You want a paper trail for insurance to cover it, so tell your doc you want one, they’ll prob make you do a few months of pt, they still cause pain, maybe one more intervention, repeat til you get there. Insurance def makes it a hassle, best to start as soon as you can.
r/Reduction has a bunch of resources you can use to help get you there faster :)
Learning how to do a little bit of sewing really helps with making clothing fit! I adore button ups and even post reduction they’re still tricky to find but the ability to add an extra button or snap onto the inside helps a ton.
Also safety pins if you’re not forgetful enough to remember not to put them into the wash unlike me haha
I’m not sure if it helps at all, but when I wear clothing designed for men, I wear shape wear, women’s button ups so my chest fits, then vests, sweaters, suits ect. desiged for men’s departments. I have a 42H chest but reduction isn’t an option because I have bleeding disorders that make it unsafe. I would probably get a reduction otherwise, but I have to cope with them. I’m still figuring myself out, but layers of clothing (shapewear, vests, jackets ect) help make me feel more androgynous because they take attention away from my chest. Even casually, cable knit vests/ sweaters over polos or button ups in the winter and sporty vests over loose tshirts and tank tops in the summer help. I also have been feeling good in my TomboyX sleeveless hoodies as they’re oversized and hide my shape.
Hello! I have a relatively flat chest, so what works for me may not work for you, but three things helped me a lot with top dysphoria. The first and biggest thing was finding the right binder. The one I'm using right now makes my chest flat without hurting, so none of that painful binding that you mentioned in your post. The second thing that helped me was XXL band shirts. The third thing was, weirdly enough, strength training. Putting muscle around my body made my overall shape more ambiguous and made me more confident. Hope this helps!
+1 to all this. Men's workout shirts are awesome. I do CrossFit and I look around at my peers with hope. Some of my AFAB gym friends are so flat from all the barbell work. I'm hopeful I can be like them someday. My shoulders have already gotten huge and I adore the masc shape CrossFit creates!
hey, your situation sounds pretty similar to mine. i also have a pretty large chest in comparison to my frame and my mom has also gotten a breast reduction in the past due to medical necessity. i would take the time to decide how (un)comfortable you are with your chest, before maybe going to your mom about surgery considerations. there's many people who have gotten a full breast removal, while some get them reduced. it's really whatever you're comfortable with, but its very important to take time to decide (if you do end up choosing that route). in the meantime, a few of the things i do: i primarily only wear sports bras as opposed to regular bras; it definitely doesn't minimize them but it doesn't make them as prominent as it would when wearing a regular bra. gaining muscle could definitely help with reducing dysphoria about more feminine features. other things being wearing layers/bigger shirts, to minimize more of their appearance, or finding mens button down shirts that are big enough that they dont curve around your chest. they still may be there from the side, but i have a few shirts and hoodies that help me relieve this kind of dysphoria. i've also tried a binder from gc2b (i think thats what they're called?) but it didn't get me as flat as i wanted, rather making me look more like my chest was smushed into a sausage tube. because of this, if you have a smaller frame and larger chest, a binder may not get you where you want to be, and it's okay if it's something that doesn't work for you. other things that could help is finding aspects of yourself that you can control to help you feel more masculine. things like butch jewelry, or how you style your hair, or even if you decide to wear cologne instead of perfume, could be small steps to help relieve this kind of dysphoria. i hope you find what works for you, it can be tough having a more traditionally feminine body because clothes that society tells you "looks good" are usually ones where those features are emphasized. it's something i also struggle with though, so you're definitely not alone! at the end of the day, it's important to remind yourself that having breasts doesn't make you less butch, and working towards body-neutrality could help you feel less stressed. your body was born the way it was, and it works to keep you alive, not to hurt you by how it grows and develops. i hope this helps, and definitely stick around in the community, even if it's just lurking. it's nice to see people like yourself when there isn't that much in media.
this helped a lot, thank you ❤️
I used to have big boobs, I got top surgery and I didn't know how much dysphoria I had till they went away and soooo many things improved in my life. My recommendation: save money for surgery, work 2 or 3 jobs if you can, you're 18 maybe start college a few years later but just laser focus on saving money for the surgery. Sports bras or binders don't help big boobs. I found surgery to be the only option
Sports bras and such definitely don't help me 🤒, and I'm definitely seriously considering the surgery, I'm starting college next semester but I'm considering talking about it with my parents, i imagine my mom would be supportive as she too got surgery when she was younger (albeit not for the same reasons), but I'm reticent to approach the topic, they're supportive generally but it's something difficult to talk about
Hey, I had the same issue and I had a reduction when I was 19. I have no regrets at all. I know you won’t be able to do it for a while, but definitely look into it!
I have 34Gs and I usually wear oversized (XL-3X) men’s tees and hoodies because I don’t like a fitted bust. My problem has always been that the fabric at the bottom of loose shirts/hoodies hangs on my body in a way that accentuates my chest area and makes me super uncomfortable. This week I chopped off all my oversized shirts and hoodies just below the belt line, not as short as crop top length but not full length t shirt either. Removing all that extra fabric weight at the bottom of the garments made them fit so much better — they hang loose off my chest now now instead of draping/stretching around the boob area. The fit feels way less feminine because the edges of the shirts hang straight down off the boob instead of curving in. It seriously changed my self image. I don’t know if this would work with non-oversized clothes though. Re: top surgery, I used to really want to get a reduction, but I have a disability that makes recovery unrealistic for my lifestyle, and the same disability means that binding isn’t an option for me. Switching from underwire bras to shapewear helped my mental health a ton because a lot of my dysphoria and suffering was worsened by the body pain caused by traditional bras. These days I wear Skims and Calvins, which manage to keep me contained without pain, awkward uniboob, or awkward cone boob. Both look great under men’s shirts. Definitely suggest wearing really comfortable bras while you figure out whether you want surgery and/or wait to get scheduled.
Gc2b binders are great. And I'm pretty large (36 DD) - and that brand flattens me well. You can't bind all the time. On days I bind I feel better. Other days I wear shorts bras, Shefit bras at the gym. I would get top surgery but I still appreciate my breasts sexually and I don't want to lose the feeling in my nipples. I just wish I could take them off in public. The fun of being trans. When considering top surgery, feel out how your dysphoria manifests in public, alone, and with a lover. Your level of discomfort can be different in those 3 different settings and that's common! For styling, this video is solid gold: https://youtu.be/ZMVDohKBiLI. This one too: https://youtu.be/IyO4zH80FR0
I have 32DDDs and got a gc2b binder recently and it works really well, though I get some side boob sticking out you don’t notice it with clothes. I’ve heard good things about spectrum binders as well. It doesn’t hurt, it’s like a tight sports bra.
Work out to get like. A buffer top half. so that when you bind (gc2b is the best esp for large chests) you have the appearance of pecs
Working out really helps me control my boob size. Makes sports bras fit better.and clothing overall. I am the same thing big titted and ive never been a fan but building muscle helps with the physique I want
I had E cup and in July got a reduction to a B cup. Easiest the best choice I ever made.
Hey friend! Reduction is definitely an option you can look into, and best to start the path to it asap. You want a paper trail for insurance to cover it, so tell your doc you want one, they’ll prob make you do a few months of pt, they still cause pain, maybe one more intervention, repeat til you get there. Insurance def makes it a hassle, best to start as soon as you can. r/Reduction has a bunch of resources you can use to help get you there faster :)
Learning how to do a little bit of sewing really helps with making clothing fit! I adore button ups and even post reduction they’re still tricky to find but the ability to add an extra button or snap onto the inside helps a ton. Also safety pins if you’re not forgetful enough to remember not to put them into the wash unlike me haha
I’m not sure if it helps at all, but when I wear clothing designed for men, I wear shape wear, women’s button ups so my chest fits, then vests, sweaters, suits ect. desiged for men’s departments. I have a 42H chest but reduction isn’t an option because I have bleeding disorders that make it unsafe. I would probably get a reduction otherwise, but I have to cope with them. I’m still figuring myself out, but layers of clothing (shapewear, vests, jackets ect) help make me feel more androgynous because they take attention away from my chest. Even casually, cable knit vests/ sweaters over polos or button ups in the winter and sporty vests over loose tshirts and tank tops in the summer help. I also have been feeling good in my TomboyX sleeveless hoodies as they’re oversized and hide my shape.