Waist Trainer Side Effects

Waist training is the process of reducing your natural waist size and accentuating curves with the aid of a waist trainer or a tight-laced corset. These garments are responsible for giving a woman an exaggerated hourglass figure, which is a tiny waist and curves over the hips.

While there is no evidence to support the idea that your body can be molded into a specific shape using spot reduction, there is proof it can lead to some nasty side effects.

Side effects of using a Waist Trainer

1. Skin irritation

One of the most common side effects of a waist trainer is skin irritation. Having something so tightly fastened to your skin for a prolonged amount of time will cause chafing that can cause serious discomfort. You may think a rash is a cheap price to pay for the ‘perfect’ hourglass figure, but you may not feel the same way if it leads to infection and your shape is the same as it always was.

2. Acid reflux

Anyone who experiences acid reflux will appreciate the intense pain it can cause. By compressing your midsection, the trainer is also pressing your stomach up higher increasing your chance of heartburn and indigestion. Not only can it cause pain, but recurring acid reflux can cause long-term damage by eroding the walls of the esophagus.

3. Breathing

As well as putting pressure on your stomach, your entire internal network is being pushed to fit the shape of the clincher. By restricting your diaphragm, you’re reducing the amount of oxygen you can take it. This can leave you feeling short of breath, lightheadedness and even cause you to faint.

4. Bruising

Unlike traditional corsets, modern waist trainers don’t have the same strength to affect the shape of your bones. This will mean you will be left with bone bruises as the trainer compresses your body. You may not think this sounds that bad but bone bruises are significantly more painful and long-lasting than regular bruises. With social media users getting younger and younger, there is a far greater risk to children whose bones have not formed fully as cinchers could actually affect the development of their bone structure.

5. Numbness

Not only will your blood flow be limited by the compression, but your nerves may also be affected. This could cause you to experience pins and needles or numbness in your legs.

6. Psychological toll

Although a waist cincher will make your waist appear slimmer while you’re wearing it, every time you take it off your unhappiness with your shape will be perpetuated through comparison. You’re constantly reminding yourself of how much you dislike your body and being fooled into thinking your ideal figure is just out of reach.

This false hope can even leave you with the belief that diet and exercise is no longer necessary, as well as becoming addicted to wearing the cincher. In the long run, you’ll mostly find the whole experience rather distressing when the desired results are not met.