Transmen Empowerment through Trans tape: FTM Guide

If you are looking for a gender-affirming body transforming system that will give you a flatter chest appearance that comes with the added benefit of being backless and waterproof, look no further than a transtape.

A transtape is one of the many ways FTM individuals can feel empowered in their bodies and autonomy as it will bind your breast tissue, leaving you with vast cloth-wear options.

Explore the Transtape as a binding alternative that you can use to masculinize your chest area.

What is Transtape

A transtape is an adhesive tape used to bind the chest, although it can be used for many other roles, such as tucking or packing.

Compared to traditional binding features such as compression clothes or binders, a transtape comes with a comfortable feeling since it makes it easier to customize the body.

The TransTape comes with an adhesive that holds the binding material to your body flattening your chest tissue.

Who can use a Transtape?

Various kinds of individuals can use trans Tapes for different purposes.

• Transmen for binding

For transmen, the trans tape’s ability to bind the breast tissue while eliciting a flatter chest appearance can help you feel more masculine.

Also, another use of Transtape includes its packing capabilities that give Transmen the option of tucking or packing their genitals which helps with gender dysphoria.

• Medical Personnel

Other alternative versions of a transtape take the medical route known as KT tape.

These are often used in the muscles to help the injured body heal faster while also mitigating potential injuries.

Made of a suitable stretchy and adhesive material, these tapes are common in the fields of sports and medicine.

Even so, the transtape used in binding the chest is not to say that it is only meant for FTM individuals or trans-masculine women.

People in sports, cis-men having gynecomastia, and other non-binary individuals use trans tape for varying purposes that range from helping in gender affirmation, creating comfort, or exercising. As a result, understand that the core function of a transtape, which is to hold and move the chest tissue area in a designated position with little compression, is something that makes a transtape important to the Trans community.

Advantages of Using Transtape

There are a host of benefits that come with using Transtapes. Using a Transtape can be a very affirming practice for Transmen who want to do away with gender dysphoria. As commonly reiterated, a Transtape can very well play the role of a traditional binder.

• A More Masculinized chest area

Any FTM who uses the transtape can attest to the convenience that comes with never needing to remove the tape when engaging in water-based activities such as showering or swimming.

Most transtapes are waterproof and will give you the satisfying experience of binding while showering. Transtape also often comes with another enviable capability, such as being sweatproof.

As a result, you can enjoy the affirming experience of binding as you exercise or shower with little to no worry if it will affect your binding process.

• No Compression

The uncomfortable feelings of chest compression that traditional binding methods can impose on your body can be overwhelming.

For instance, traditional binders cause sensory issues and respiratory discomfort in breathing when used as binders.

However, Transtape comes with the ability to non-compress the chest area which is an invaluable benefit to you when using the TransTape

• Versatility in dressing

Trans tape allow for binding when you are wearing an open shirt, as they can be less obvious in sight.

Others may not even notice that you are binding which opens you up to the chance to wear tighter clothes compared to when you used a traditional binding garment.

How to use Transtape

Depending on your breast tissue, using the tape can be slightly different for everyone.

Even so, FTM beginners should have level-headed expectations and be patient when trying out a Trans tape.

Follow this seven-step process to apply and remove a Trans Tape.

Application

Step 1

Never apply the transtape directly to your nipples, and as a result, always cover the nipple using a bandage first before applying the tape.

Take another strip of tape or a small tissue. Place it on the nipple without stretching or tension.

Step 2

Prep your Transtape by cutting it down to the sizes that you need. Different Transtape brands will help you with a measuring system.

However, brands such as TransTape will recommend you cut it into 3-4 sections.

Cut the edges of the tape in a round motion and create Trans handles by ripping off the backing sheet in the middle.

The result is akin to a large band-aid, which gives you the opportunity to place it on one side of your chest at a time without the adhesive sticking to your fingers.

Imagine you have V-neckline clothing and as a result avoid placing the translation in section V of your chest.

Step 3

Remove one side of the backing sheet handle and place two inches in the middle of the chest where your breast tissue incepts.

Apply gentle pressure on the tape, massaging it into the skin to activate the adhesive.

Always hold the tape in place while making motions to evade wrinkling.

Step 4

use your hands to move your breast tissue so it is all tucked under the tape. You can add additional tape stripes if you possess more breast tissue.

Removal

Always use body oil or lubricating oil to remove the transtape. You can opt for a simple solution such as baby oil or go for Transtape brands that come with their removal oil.

Step 1: On the tape and surrounding skin, apply a layer of oil and leave it to sock for several minutes.

Step 2: Coat your fingers in oil and begin peeling the top layer of tape from the inner section to the middle of your chest and not from the outer corner.

Massage the oil into a tape layer, stripping away one at a time.

Step 3: After removing the tissue, place oil in the area previously covered by the Transtape.

This will help add more moisture to the skin and allow sufficient blood flow in the area.

Where to buy Transtape

You have myriads of options to choose from when looking for areas to buy Transtape.

• Online

You can purchase most Trans tape from online brand websites, especially if you favor a particular brand.

TransTape, for instance, shares some of its products via online places such as Amazon and Walmart, which can be beneficial if you are shipping for multiple brands at once.

Always take extra caution and look into brands to ensure that tape materials are of quality.

• One-on-one purchase

Trans men’s tapes are available at your local retail stores that deal with gender-affirming clothing.

Other sex or educational stores can also give you a one-on-one experience when choosing a Trans tape.

These are all also available for a one-on-one purchase in big box stores such as Walmart and Target.

How long Can you wear a Transtape?

Compared to a traditional binder, a transtape comes with the advantage of no limitation on how many hours to have it on.

In that case, you can wear a Transtape for as long as five days. Estimated, this is about a full workweek for many who want to bind.

Transtape/Binding Brands

The following Binding brands can go a long way in helping you choose the Trans Tape of your liking.

• K Tape

Often heralded as the original body tape having transformed into a Trans tape, K Tape is one of the most ubiquitous trans tapes in major retail stores. While not intended for binding purposes, FTM individuals can use the binding strips for their body types.

• TransTape

As the name suggests, TransTape is a firm dealing with vast types of tapes and other body after cares for binding.

Trans Tape does this as a way to appreciate the Trans community and has since partnered with organizations such as the Black Trans Travel Fund.

• Wivov

LGBTQ companies at the forefront of creating binders and trans tapes do an impeccable job of creating eco-friendly products.

Such is the case of Wivov, which you can purchase and get your TransTapes shipped to you discreetly. They offer privacy for those purchasing Trans Tape at affordable prices.

Conclusion

Trans Tape is a gender-affirming tool kit that Trans men can use for binding while meeting the needs of other members of the Trans community while extending its reach to other arenas, such as the medical field. Its waterproof, sweatproof, comfortable, and versatile nature as a form of a binder renders it a foolproof method for FTM individuals to empower themselves by masculinizing their chest area. You will reap the priceless benefits of being you by experimenting with various TransTape options available in the market.