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Can Shapewear Reshape Your Body Permanently?

Can Shapewear Reshape Your Body Permanently?

When you look good, you feel good. On your way to a healthier you, you want the world to see that you are making changes to look and feel better. Shapewear has become a popular way to slim and smooth out curves while encouraging the wearer to look and feel healthy and sleek all the time. But on your way to making those healthy changes, you don’t want to damage your body in the process. With that said, you may be wondering if shapewear can permanently reshape your body.

Shapewear cannot permanently reshape your body. It is designed to slim and tighten through compression clothing; it is not a corset. Shapewear should not be painful, pinching, or squeezing, so it’s important to make sure you buy the right size for your body.

Maybe you still have some misgivings about shapewear. You want to look good, but you don’t want to do permanent damage to your body. Shapewear is intended to make that tight-fitting dress look better and give you more confidence. But there are similar products, like waist trainers, of which you should be cautious.

Can Waist Trainers Reshape the Body?

Waist trainers are different than shapewear in that their purpose is to slim down your waist passively, for the most part. Their effects are short-term unless major lifestyle changes have been put in place. They work by keeping your core tightened, but they make it weaker in the long run because while you wear the waist trainer, it keeps your posture upright for you.

Waist trainers seek to rid your body of water weight, particularly around your stomach, from sweating. As mentioned, this may result in a few inches off your belly initially, but you have to do the work to keep it off.

It might even suppress your appetite for a while since your organs are being squished together. There won’t be much room for your stomach to fill up. However, if you become too dependent on the waist trainer, you may suffer some long-term effects.

Long Term Effects of Waist Trainers

With the tightness around the core, waist trainers can make breathing more difficult. It will reduce your lung intake by about 30-60%. This can result in fluid building up or your lungs becoming inflamed. Add lowered oxygen and blood flow to the literal pressure on the organs, and it will diminish their functioning as well. These two things alone could greatly affect your overall health.

With the organs not functioning as they should, problems can also arise in digestion, causing acid reflux, heartburn, and intestinal pain. Additionally, long-term use of waist trainers can even cause ribs to fracture and become deformed. This alone can be very painful and prevent you from completing daily tasks.

Effects of Shapewear on the Body

It’s important to keep in mind all these warnings for waist trainers. But shapewear clothing is quite different and much safer. Because there is no metal boning, it isn’t nearly as binding and stiff but instead gives an illusion of smooth curves and a slimmer waistline.

How to Avoid Damage from Shapewear or Waist Trainers

So now we ask the question, what is your purpose for buying shapewear? Are you trying to hide a bulge? Do you need help with posture? Is it overall body shape you want to smooth out? Perhaps there’s a special occasion, and you just want a single dress to fit well on your body. Thankfully, there are different shapewear items for all these different needs.

The following are a few things to keep in mind to avoid any short or long-term damage from the use of shapewear:

Sizing

Many shapewear clothing lines run small, so don’t be discouraged if you are a size larger when purchasing the items. Also, it is recommended if you are between sizes to go with the larger of the two. It will be more comfortable and still do a good job of slimming and smoothing.

Dependence

Be on the lookout that you don’t become too dependent on shapewear. Looking good can be mentally and emotionally addicting, so beware of signs of dependence on shapewear. Remember that you are creating an illusion, and the purpose behind shapewear is self-confidence as you work your way to a healthier you. So, be sure to keep your lifestyle in check while on this journey.

In Summary

Shapewear cannot change your body’s shape. But even though shapewear cannot do this, it can be a good assistant along the way to slimming down. There are many products out there and many fads. Carefully make decisions that improve your health and aren’t quick fixes that will destroy your body and mind in the long run. Finally, be sure your shapewear is the right size and supports your goals, and you’ll be satisfied with your purchase.