Corset training: Waist training and tightlacing
Corset training, waist training, and tightlacing are all terms used to describe the practice of body modification using very tight fitting corsetry.  | … make your waist measurement smaller … | |
The basic idea is that you can make your waist measurement smaller by wearing tightly laced corsets for extended periods of time.
Getting Started
Most tightlacers (people who undertake corset training) start with a 4 inch compression, that is they buy a sturdy, often custom made, corset which is 4 inches smaller at the waist than their natural waist size. One has to wear the corset 12-14 hours a day, every day for good results, i.e. a reduction in the size of your natural waist measurement even after you take the corset off.
Once this has been achieved, many people find that they love the feel of the corset around them so much that they start to wear it all the time, except to bathe, and this means 23-24 hours per day, seven days a week. Wearing a corset almost constantly means that you can train your waist to be much smaller than if you took the corset off to sleep. The waist will expand towards it's natural size within an hour or so of removal of the corset, and this is why most dedicated tightlacers wear their corsets as much as possible. This is more common when the waist compression is more than 6 inches, as is the case with most all day tightlacers.
Changing your diet
When one begins tightlacing there is often weight loss involved due to the necessary changes in eating habits and diet. When wearing a tightly laced corset it is not possible to eat large meals, as the corset does not allow the expansion of the stomach necessary to accommodate it. Tightlacers therefore, must eat several (5-6) small meals during the day, as opposed to the normal 3 larger ones.
| … foods to avoid include those that expand in the stomach … | |
It is also necessary for the tightlacer to avoid certain foods that cause indigestion and gas; these foods include carbonated beverages, as they cause pockets of gas to accumulate and result in painful cramps or embarrassing belching. It is also recommended that you do not drink cold beverages with meals, as they encourage over eating, due to the numbing effect they have on the nerves of the stomach.
It is recommended that one drinks 15-30mins before the meal, and it is also recommended that you consume a lot of water, as this helps to keep the digestive tract moving, and avoid cramps and other such complications. Other foods to avoid include those that expand in the stomach, such as rice, potatoes and pasta, which may be uncomfortable, and those that cause gas, such as onions, beans and cucumbers. While red meat does not have any particular ill effects for the tightlacer, it is very difficult to digest for anyone, and can make one feel sluggish and run-down, so most tightlacers avoid red meat in their diet.
The skin under the corset of a tightlacer is under a lot of stress. It doesn't get any sunlight, or oxygen, and as a result often becomes dry and flaky, as the corset, or under corset garment, absorbs all the natural oils from the skin. This dryness can often result in chafing, itching, and in serious cases splitting of the skin, and treatment must be undertaken to ensure that the skin does not become too dry.
It is recommended that the skin under the corset be moisturised daily, and it's best done with a medicated lotion. If the skin under the corset becomes itchy, remove the corset, scratch your itch, and apply moisturiser to the affected area, as scratching through the corset will damage the fabric.
Why (on Earth) would you want to?
Well, that's something the author hasn't quite worked out, but I suppose the main reason is looks, followed closely by increased confidence most tightlacers say that feel when wearing the corset. Most tightlacers say they feel comforted by the firm grip of the corset around them, and they also say that their tightlacing was fuelled by a genuine love for corsets and their feel and look.
Many tightlacers are of the opinion that a tiny waist is extremely attractive, and I would agree to a point, however extremes like Ethel Granger (see below), take their small waists beyond what most people find attractive. This being said, many people find tattoos and body modification in general to be unattractive, so this isn't a strong argument against undertaking corset training. Many women tightlacers say they feel empowered by the confines of the corset, and by the reaction they get from others to their exaggerated curves.
On the flip side, corset training is often undertaken as part of a submissive/Dominant relationship in which the confines of the corset are a form of permanent bondage, and the waist reduction a form of homage to their Master.
I believe that corset training should be undertaken for selfish reasons only, as it is not something that should be done in order to please another person; it can be extremely uncomfortable if you don't enjoy the feeling of being corseted. Many women claim that they were coerced into corset training at the behest of their partners, but I don't believe this is healthy psychologically, except when in a D/s relationship.
It is thought that the majority of these women were simply led to something they were not aware of, but continued to tightlace for their own reasons, and not for their partners' reasons. As it was so very eloquently put by a tightlacer called Spook (see her website below) 'I always told myself that when it stopped being fun, I would stop corseting.' I think any one thinking of taking up corset training should have this philosophy in mind.
Serious ill effects of constant tightlacing
The most common ill effect, or undesired effect, of constant tightlacing, is that the stomach and back muscles become atrophied, that is they waste away. This is because when wearing the corset, you are not required to hold yourself upright, the corset will do it for you whether you like it or not. As a result, the back and abdominal muscles don't have to work to keep you erect, and thus have nothing to do, and they get smaller and smaller from disuse.
| … most common ill effect, or undesired effect, of constant tightlacing, is that the stomach and back muscles become atrophied … | |
Another undesired effect of 23hr tightlacing is that one becomes unfit. It is very difficult to exercise in a corset, and when one is very tightly laced into it, it becomes impossible to exert yourself. This is something that most tightlacers do not compensate for, and they simply become sedentary and weak. It is necessary to take the corset off in order to do any real strenuous exercise and most tightlacers are unwilling to do this, as they might lose ground with their waist measurement, and have to backtrack to get the corset closed again.
Apart from these negative side effects, which can be ameliorated with an appropriate exercise program, there are other serious changes in the body physiology caused by corset training. Tightlacers' bodies undergo many severe changes as a result of their waist compression, the internal organs are forcibly displaced, and the lower ribs, and floating ribs, are reshaped to fit the corset. Once these changes occur they are relatively permanent even after one stops wearing corsets.
Lacing a corset for corset training
Most people who want to get into tightlacing are lacing their corsets incorrectly. In order to get the corset closed, a particular method of lacing is required that is markedly different from the traditional tennis shoe lacing.
The laces must form alternating crosses on the outside and inside of the corset to achieve full closure of the corset. The laces should form a continuous line down from top to bottom, with two loops in the centre to pull the corset closed. The corset should also come with a lacing insert, so that the laces don't dig into the flesh of the back. The excess lacing should not be wrapped around the waist as it is unsightly. For a diagram, and better explanation please visit: www.waspcreations.com/howtol.htmFamous Tightlacers
There are two tightlacers who deserve a mention here, because of their sheer determination to reduce their waists to ridiculous proportions. They are Ethel Granger, who managed to have a waist size of 13inches (that is 10 inches smaller than her natural waist of 23inches) and Cathie Jung, who has a waist size of 15.5inches (a compression of 10.5inches from her natural waist size of 29inches). Cathie Jung is the current Guinness world record holder for the smallest corseted waist on a living person. Both of these women have their own websites, see below in the recommended links section. (F) Recommended links:
www.waspcreations.comwww.staylace.com/thomaslierse/@ealol.htmwww.cathiejung.comX-rays of the results of Cathie Jung's corset training www.ethelgranger.comwww.corsetheaven.comtrax.to/spookOther Parts |  |