Transgender breast prosthetics

Some people in our community choose to wear breast prosthetics:

before hormones and/or surgery
instead of hormones and/or surgery
in addition to hormones and/or surgery

Reasons:

to reduce dysphoria
to increase confidence
to make clothes fit better
to see what it feels like to have breasts of a different size

Homemade options

DIY fake breasts are easy and inexpensive. Below are some common types.

Water balloon

Get a light stretchy support bra (one with no underwires)
Fill water balloons to different levels to see what seems right for your body type.
When you’re done, carefully measure the water
Use that information to get manufactured prosthetics or implants.
Not good for wearing out due to leak risk.

Uncooked rice

Get nylon stockings or plastic sandwich bags, fill, then tie.
Get any kind of rice (about 4 cups / 30 ounces / 800 g)
- 0.5 cup rice = 120 cc
- 1.0 cup rice = 240 cc
- 1.5 cups rice = 360 cc
- 2.0 cups rice = 480 cc
Place in support bra.

Birdseed

Get the smallest kind, like millet (about 4 cups / 30 ounces / 800 g)
Get nylon stockings or plastic sandwich bags, fill, then tie.
- 0.5 cup seed = 120 cc
- 1.0 cup seed = 240 cc
- 1.5 cups seed = 360 cc
- 2.0 cups seed = 480 cc
Place in support bra.

Rubber fishing worms

Get cheap ones for kids, like these.
Get nylon stockings or plastic sandwich bags, fill, then tie.
Place in support bra.

Acrylic gel art supply

For something a little more natural than water, you can go to an art supply store and get thick acrylic gel used by artists. For the money you’ll spend, you may just want to get pre-made silicone gel forms.

Manufactured options

These are usually made of silicone gel encased in a thin plastic shell. There are basically two types of forms available for purchase from manufacturers:

Breast enhancers

These are typically used to make existing breasts look fuller and create more cleavage. They are usually sold in pairs. They are placed in the lower part of a bra cup below the nipple and have an effect similar to a push-up bra. They have a number of different names:

Bikini padding
Bra padding
“Chicken fillets” (because of the color and shape)
Breast lifts
Breast inserts

Breast forms

These are typically shaped like an entire breast. They are usually sold in pairs. They come in a triangle or a teardrop shape and often come in many skin tones. They are available with and without nipples. Some offer attachable nipples.

See the list of retailers at the bottom of this page for options.

My experiences

I bought breast and hip padding and almost never used either. Some people use them a lot. I wrote the original version of this in 1996. I have modified it slightly in places, marked in the text.

Fitting basics

I have tried to write this so that someone who has never even gone out as themselves in public could go into a store armed with the information necessary to make the purchase that’s right for her needs.

For me, one of the excuses I’ve made for not purchasing many clothes was that I wanted to get my body proportions looking right and consistent. [At the time, I thought] that meant getting the right kind of hip padding and breast forms.

I wanted to get a professional fitting, so I looked into what information I should know going in. If you already have a size you like, they suggest bringing in a favorite bra. If you do not, you should at least do some preparation.

The first thing I determined was what would be the easiest clothing size for me to find. Since most clothing manufacturers size clothes roughly alike, I started with my waist as a constant. I’m about a 29″ waist, so I looked on several mail-order catalog size charts and saw that typical proportions were about 38-29-40 for size 12 clothing.

They will do all of the measuring at the store, but it’s better to go in with an idea of what you’d like so that you’re not tempted to get forms that are too large (if passing is your goal). You should get a cloth tape measure and check your bust, ribcage, waist, and hips to see where you are now and then determine where you’d like to be.

Bras have two measurements: the bandwidth and cup size. To determine your bandwidth, simply put the tape measure around your ribs about an inch below your chest muscles. Hold the tape parallel with the floor, put your arms to your sides and take a medium-sized breath. The tape should be snug, but not tight. This is your bandwidth. The other measurement, cup size, is the difference between your bandwidth and the fullest part of your bust. It’s designated by letters, so an A-cup is 1″ more than your bandwidth, B=2″, C=3″, etc. Once you have your bandwidth, you simply need to determine what size you’d like to be. My bandwidth was 35, and I wanted to be a 38, which means I was looking for a C-cup. So 38C was my magic number going into the store.

[Interestingly, 38C is about where I ended up when I had surgical implants in 1998.]

My fitting

I [was] living as a male, and I definitely [did] not look very feminine yet. When I called for my appointment, I used my femme voice and asked a couple of questions, then I asked about scheduling a first-time fitting. They connected me with Sandy, their fitter. I told Sandy, “I should tell you that I am trans, and out of respect for your other clients, I’d like to schedule a time when I would not cause other customers to feel uncomfortable.” Sandy said that was not a problem, and that she could do the fitting in the bathroom, so we scheduled a low-traffic time of 4:00. She asked if I would be coming dressed, and I told her I would not be. I did wear a shirt that would give me a good idea of how I would look with the forms in place.

Having read Bloo’s breast form FAQ, I had a pretty good idea of what I was interested in. Because I was planning on getting the attachable kind, I had shaved my chest very well and exfoliated. The breast form boutique was in the corner of a much larger lingerie store. I walked in and asked for Sandy, and we proceeded directly to the back of the store. She was very courteous and sympathetic. I had a lot of questions, and she answered all of them.

Everyone has different figure flaws to deal with. In my case, I’m just over 6’1″ and weigh[ed] about 145, so I am thin enough to carry off a lot of looks. I had two problems to deal with: my height, which immediately makes me stand out, and my shoulders, which are very broad. I tried on several smaller form sizes, but I found I needed a larger size to make my shoulders seem more in proportion. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’m always going to look a bit like an American Gladiator or an East German swimmer, but there are worse things in life. Besides, Gabrielle Reese has two inches and about 25 pounds on me. And she’s gorgeous!

One thing that was very helpful was that my fitter brought in a satin robe and had me put it on backwards to get a feel for how things would look. The best way to tell if the size is right is to cup underneath the forms and press your hands to your ribs with the thumbs up along the sides. You can check the drape by putting your hands on your chest right where the forms come to a point at the top.

I asked to see the attachable nipples, and while I doubt I’ll use them much, I thought, “What the heck, they might be fun to put in for kicks now and then. They offer an adhesive with some brands, but that’s probably unnecessary unless you plan on getting really crazy. Mine stay in place just fine with a little water. Plus, some adhesives can damage your forms, so be careful!

The whole process took about an hour. Sandy wished me well and gave me her card, and I thanked her most sincerely for her understanding and discretion. I also asked if it would be OK to refer others, and she said, “Of course.” If your experience is a good one, I suggest you ask the same thing to pave the way for other transgender people who would also like a professional fitting.

One last thought: I had tried on forms at crossdresser’s boutiques to see how they looked and felt, but I did not buy them there- they will totally rip you off! Better to take your chances with mail-order. You could save as much as 50%.

My final 1996 bill:

two attachable forms at $720.00 for the pair
attachable nipples $32.00 for the pair
a new bra at $20.00
tax brought me to $800.00 total

Afterword

I only wore my forms a few times, and only a couple of times in public. In retrospect, I think it was a waste of money for me. I could have gotten along fine with the $100 Curves type for my purposes.

Care and maintenance tips

General

Remove all jewelry before handling your forms. The edges and stones of rings could damage the form. If you plan to wear a pin or brooch, put it on your clothes before putting your forms in place. So it goes without saying, do not wear the forms to receive your Congressional Medal of Honor!
You should wash your form every day you wear it. Use warm water and a very mild soap (I use unscented dish soap). DO NOT use soaps with perfumes or moisturizers- my fitter singled out Dove as an example of a bad soap to use. Putting a towel over the basin can protect your forms against damage if you drop them. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
Don’t use perfumed deodorants. Even better, stick with anti-perspirants, as sweat can damage the form over time.
Putting your forms on while sitting on the floor or the bed can also protect them if one happens to slip.
The original boxes for my forms are designed to protect the form and help keep its shape.
You can wear your forms for pretty much any normal activity, but be careful around pets – their claws could puncture your forms through your clothing.
Putting a cotton make-up remover pad behind your form can help absorb perspiration during hot weather and strenuous activity.
You can sleep in your forms, but it’s not recommended. Daydreaming in them is highly recommended, though!

Hints for attachable forms

With attachable forms, it’s important your skin is clean and dry. They include an exfoliating creme which must be used prior to attaching skin supports.
Note a freckle or mark on the skin you can use as a guide when positioning the skin support.
It works best to put on the skin support at night and waiting until morning to put on the form. The heat from your body helps the attachment last longer.
The only bad news about these forms in my opinion is that the skin supports are NOT reusable. The replacement skin supports come in packs of five and cost approximately $24 for a pack of five.
If you are wearing something strapless or a swimsuit, you might find it helpful to attach the support while wearing the garment.
The brand I purchased comes with two varieties of skin supports: one with stronger adhesive than the other. The more adhesive kind is better for strenuous activity. The only trick is to be more careful when positioning the high-strength adhesive.
You can keep the skin supports on without the forms attached, and no one will be able to tell under an undershirt and a shirt or sweater. This way, you can get more use out of the supports if (like me) you work as a male but live as a female outside of work. You can even shower with the supports on, but make sure the support is thoroughly dry before attaching your forms.
The attachable forms do not have to be attached- they will fit in a regular bra, and they have a fuzzy velcro padding that covers the rough side of the velcro on the back of the breast form.
You will have some slight redness if you leave the skin supports on, so plan accordingly if you need to have your shirt off for whatever reason. I have found it tough to get all the adhesive off, so you might end up with some lint sticking to your skin as well.

Reader comments

From a reader who used the bird seed method:

I found a way of making my own forms, in a way. I started with a 38C, Playtex bra $7.00. With the flax seed 1.99/lb I ended up with a very inexpensive alternative to breast forms.

The bra must be a dual layer cup. I made a small slit in the top of the cup area near the strap on the inside, and inserted a funnel into the hole, and then I used about 2 and ≤ cups of flax seed in each side. Once the seeds were in place I sewed the hole shut. This allowed me to decide how big I wanted to be, and it also gives me a very realistic look. I can’t go braless, but I can dress up, and have a very nice, weighted, and moving shape.

I now have 7 bras, 6 are 38C and the other is a 38G (for those really busty events) the biggest expense is the bra. The seed is very affordable, and available, in the health food section of some grocery stores, including Fred Meyers. Each of my bras gives me a different look depending upon the style.

AND YOU CAN SLEEP IN THEM!!!

I hope that this can help someone, it has made a big difference for me.

From a reader:

First of all I want to say GREAT SITE 🙂
Second I wanna tell you about my idea for home made breast forms.
I saw something on using the gel out of ice packs a few years ago and thought that would be a great idea, I tried it out for a while and well the blue gel would shine through and make it look shocking. So I searched around for more ideas without any luck, until one day when shopping I thought I could make my own rubber forms.
I searched in and out of every rubber and art shop I could think of, asking for brush on rubber but was out of luck, I went home a little pissed at not finding it, then the real idea came to me……. LATEX.
At first I bought this brush-on Latex to use in a mould, but it was taking forever so I started playing around with it and thought of the old Ice-pack gel in the sandwich bags.
I poured the Latex into the bags much like the IPG and to my amazement the feel, weight and colour was right. The great thing about this was they bounced and looked amazing under any top, I wear Cami’s a lot and no one can tell at all.
They’re easy to make, easy to wear and because air doesn’t get into them, they’ll keep for a very long time, I’m on my 2nd lot in 18 months. Pouring can be a little hard at first and I would say wear gloves and old clothes while doing it, because I wrecked a great pair of jeans the first time. As long as the bag doesn’t break (make sure the bag is inside out).
Another great thing with them is they heat up with your body temp.
I’ve found that you can also add colour to them just so you can match them up to your skin tone. I went out with this pair and got a brown paint from an art shop. I poured it into the tub (about litre) and mixed it to match my skin tone. Just pour a little at a time and you’ll get it.