With corsets making a come back in fashion -its time for you to know what can a corset do to your body before you go and invest in one. Wearing a corset is a common practice of tightly lacing the body to a desired shape and figure. The art of corsetry has been popular since the Victorian era, though it has witnessed a lot of criticism over the years. For years, doctors have spoken against the practice, citing the dramatic risks to the wearer’s health. However, many claims were based on incorrect assumptions and beliefs about the female body, which lacked medical knowledge or medical proof.
Look at the below-anticipated effects of what can a corset do to your body:
- Heart – Doctors had claimed that autopsies supported the notion that the corset damages the heart. A study of Strength and Conditioning Research in 1989 showed that participants who wore waist belts while weight lifting faced an increase in blood pressure.
- Liver – Victorian doctors believed that the liver faces multiple complications due to corsets,especially near the ribs. There are chances of the liver getting enlarged or displaced. Another possibility was mechanical congestion, putting pressure on the inferior vena cava, obstructing the flow of blood. However, corsets didn’t have a drastic effect on the liver other than squeezing and elongating it.
- Uterus -The uterus was the organ that suffered the most from tightlacing, as it failed to develop properly due to the abdominal muscle’s inactivity, which became prolapsed.
- Gall bladder – Victorian doctors believed that the corset caused extreme weight loss due to appetite getting reduced. They found that corsets had much to do with the damaging of gall bladders.
- Lungs – Corsets, if too tight, prevents the lower lobes of the lungs from expanding fully while breathing. This puts extra strain on them and causes additional load on the smaller portions of the lungs.
- Circulation – In the 19th century, corsets were believed to lead to cardiac palpitations in the heart and spanaemia, due to lack of oxygen in the blood.
- Breasts – Corset-wearing leads to a reduction in the size of the nipples. Victorians believed that corsets could cause mammary abscesses.
- Stomach – Victorian doctors believed that tightly-laced corsets would lead to stomach not been able to churn correctly, leading to indigestion.
- Back – Wearing a corset for a more extended period can result in muscle atrophy and lower-back pain.
