Shapewear May Destroy Our Bodies? Doctors Paint A Dismal Picture

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Sarah Hyland have come out publicly admitting they wear multiple pairs of Spanx shapewear at once to achieve their ideal body type. Famed stars and influencers like Kylie Jenner, Jessica Alba, Nicki Minaj and Coco Austin have championed waist trainers to achieve hourglass figures. Beauty may come at the cost of discomfort; beauty must still exist regardless. HuffPost spoke with six experts — doctors and physical therapists alike — regarding the pros and cons of shapewear/corsetry use for shaping bodies, like shapewear. Common reasons people turn to these garments is to create desired body contouring effects as well as smooth out appearances of flaws on their appearances. There’s nothing wrong with looking your best; however, going overboard could have serious repercussions. “Shapewear doesn’t inherently have good or bad outcomes; rather it depends on how it’s worn,” according to Dr. Raj Dasgupta of Garage Gym Reviews’ Chief Medical Advisor team. Similarly, Bhasha Mukherjee of General Practitioner Medical Correspondent in the U.K. stated “Referring back to an old saying; dose makes the poison.” Dependent upon how often, what kind of corset or waist trainer/shapewear, and its tightness. “Daily use of shapewear can lead to discomfort; at worst it could contribute to anxiety, poor ventilation in the lungs or musculoskeletal conditions,” according to sports physician and certified personal trainer Michael Masi. “Any body region subjected to prolonged movement restriction is at risk for tissue deprivation; muscles and tendons become weaker over time and less resistant to stress, leading to muscle atrophy and decrease resistance against physical strains.” “Shapewear may provide some benefits in certain circumstances; however, I never advise using it regularly,” according to Darcie Pervier of Newburyport Wellness (women’s health specialist and physical therapist). Let’s consider all of their possible side-effects on different bodily systems and functions; here is just one: breathing/lungs Mukherjee noted that often when taking deep breaths we do not allow enough space for their lungs to expand fully resulting in not inhaling enough oxygen. As mentioned by Dr. Wilson, struggling to expel all the air from your lungs may lead to fainting episodes due to lack of oxygen or too much carbon dioxide, according to research findings. “Shapewear that places pressure on the abdomen may lead to digestive issues such as acid reflux and heartburn by forcing acid up through your esophagus,” stated Purdy. Detrimental to organ movement and digestion, organ dysfunction can disrupt how effectively diaphragm, liver and gut move and shift in response to stimuli such as exercise. Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand of underwear has rocked the underwear industry, reaching almost $1 billion in net sales by 2023. Compression garments may cause hiatal hernial – in which part of your stomach protrudes through an opening (hiatus) in your chest wall – according to Amy Cooke of Women’s Exercise Specialist Amy Cooke’s exercise expertise has noted this problem as can Masi who has seen many clients experience gut issues when they wear tight-fitting clothing for too long. “Organs are designed to move and expand in response to food intake; any restriction could lead to abdominal pain or digestive issues and could potentially aggravate conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),” explained Mr. Toth. Mukherjee highlighted how shapewear puts more pressure on the pelvic floor, forcing pelvic organs forward, making controlling your bladder difficult and potentially leading to urinary incontinence. “Pressure from shapewear can cause bladder, bowel, uterus and rectum tissues to move lower down into their respective spaces, increasing their chance of prolapsing (bulging into vagina).” Cooke stated. “I have witnessed more than one client living with early stage uterine prolapse use shapewear without realizing its effects could adversely aggravate symptoms. Cooke, with Skin depending upon how tight and long-wearing garment is worn may experience irritation from this. Mukherjee stated, “the pressure from shapewear may cause pressure sores on your skin from its constant friction,” leading to skin irritation and even lead to pressure sores on nerves; and nerve pressure was noted by Dasgupta as making muscles feel weaker or sore compared to wearing natural-fit garments like undergarment or clothing made out of elastic, according to Dasgupta and Purdy respectively. Shapewear can even cause nerves pressure on nerves to cause numbness due to continuous compression on nerves by pulling tight against your skin from its pressure — something Mukherjee mentioned as well as nerve pressure from excessive tightening from tight and dig into skin caused by too tight wearing shapewear can have as resulted from digging too tight in its material in contact with nerve endings on skin contact with too tightly fitting garments pressurizes nerve endings, according to Dasgupta and Purdy respectively. As a physical therapist, I frequently see patients suffering from peripheral nerve compression causing symptoms of tingling or numbness in their legs — known as meralgia paresthetica. “This occurs due to compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve [a nerve of the thigh].” Masi noted. If there are any positive aspects associated with shapewear and corsets?It depends. “Shapewear worn regularly can help make clothing fit more comfortably while offering some light back support, potentially helping one stand up more upright,” Dasgupta suggested. Mukherjee noted how shapewear or corsetry may also provide relief following abdominal surgeries or pregnancies. “After pregnancy, abdominal muscles may weaken and you could experience tears between fibers; that can result in physiological hernias forming; whereby organs protrude through thin walls in your abdomen causing organs to protrude through as the wall doesn’t provide enough support. “Using a waist trainer may prevent hernias and provide extra support to specific muscles,” Purdy explained. While some say the trainer helps with posture by activating and supporting your back, Purdy cautioned that overexerting its use could weaken both back muscles and abdominals over time. Mukherjee agreed with Mukherjee’s assessment; corsets with ribbed fabric force the wearer to sit up straighter, helping avoid slouching. But she pointed out that any lasting posture changes likely come about through habit formation rather than due to wearing corsets themselves. “Shapewear may provide additional support that might otherwise be lacking for abdominal core muscles,” Mukherjee stated, and recommended using breathable fabrics like compression garments which don’t constrict too tightly while helping manage inflammation from scars or burns. Exercise and waist trainers: an introduction Experts agreed that wearing waist trainers or other restrictive clothing while exercising should be avoided to maximize workout effectiveness and to prevent it from hindering physical activity. “Physical activity needs full range of motion, adequate breathing capacity and core engagement to maximize its full benefits. Restricting diaphragmatic breathing may result in shallow breathing and reduced oxygen intake, and corsets may decrease intrinsic core support causing less engagement with exercises as a whole, Masi suggested. Wearing something restrictive while working out will increase sweat evaporation from the skin, potentially leading to skin barrier irritation or fungal growth, Mukherjee noted. Furthermore, there is no waist trainer which helps with weight loss or fat burn. Masi noted that compression garments do not reduce body fat, increase muscle tone or permanently reshape tissues as claimed. She further said they should not replace regular exercise as these do not engage core or other muscle groups in ways which would result in long-term body contouring benefits. How Often Should One Wear Shapewear?”It is important to recognize that wearing shapewear for an evening out should not pose any health issues,” explained Pervier. We Need Your SupportOther media outlets have hidden behind paywalls – please consider supporting us instead! At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be accessible and free for everyone. Will you help provide vital news and updates during these trying times for our readers? 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We know many of you have supported HuffPost before; let’s face it: we could use some assistance again from all of us here at HuffPost! At HuffPost, our mission of providing free and fair news is of vital importance in this momentous era, but it requires your support for us to fulfill it. Whether it is just one time donation or signing up as a regular contributor again – your participation plays an essential role in keeping journalism free for all! Support HuffPost Already donated? Thank you. Log in now to remove these messages! When wearing shapewear or corsets periodically, be sure to choose an appropriate size that won’t restrict too tightly; too restrictive of an approach could cause issues and further strain your body. Purdy advised only wearing these garments on occasion and in moderation–wearing it overnight being strictly off limits! All experts agreed with him in that wearing them all day long wasn’t advised either.