All About Shapewear - A Closer Look

A recent study of the global shapewear market estimates that in 2019 the market size was USD 2.43 billion dollars with expectations of it reaching USD 2.62 billion in 2020. As more women seek to enhance their physical appearance by turning to these foundational garments, many questions are still being ask.

Here you will learn all about shapewear for example, we will answer questions like does shapewear change your body? Or how does shapewear affect your body continue to make the rounds. In this article we will seek to answer these questions and many more.  

Does shapewear change your body?

Shapewear is foundation undergarment worn by both women and men they are design to temporary and instantly alter the shape of the wearer by slimming, lifting and control underneath your clothing. Most shapewear pieces are made from a thin piece of material that offers a firm layer of compression, which helps to create a smooth foundation beneath your favorite outfit.  

So, while it may appear that your body has changed once you put on the shapewear this change is temporary. These changes are the result of the shapewear compressing your body, but it cannot reshape your body permanently at least not in the short term. 

How does shapewear affect your body?

With the growth and expansion in the shapewear market there has also been a rising awareness about the negative effects of many of these shaping products. Richard Bricknell, director at the Bristol Physiotherapy Clinic in England, told The Daily Mail that "Control underwear is the 21st-century version of the corset, with all the same health risks, 

The article further states that “The increased pressure on your lower stomach can force acid up to the gullet, leading to heartburn. Over time, this could contribute to inflammation, ulcers and, in extreme cases, esophageal cancer”. 

It goes on to say “Meanwhile, by artificially holding in your stomach, control pants prevent your diaphragm from descending fully while breathing, which can lead to hyperventilation, panic attacks and stress incontinence”. 

It is fair to conclude that if worn day in, day out, shapewear could present some very real health challenges especially if worn incorrectly.’ 

Will shapewear reduce tummy?

Will shapewear reduce my tummy? This has been a widely debated question with some mixed arguments for and against. What we can say is that shapewear like the corset and waist cincher like most foundation garments work by using compression to push fat inwards. This action creates an instant fix will temporarily can shave a few inches off your stomach and waist.  

Having said that some of the newer waist cinchers are manufactured using composite materials and the latest technology to create a thermal effect on your stomach. So, together with firm compression these garments are known to help persons lose weight by allowing the body to lose toxins through increase sweat.  

Does shapewear help tighten skin?

Shapewear can be a viable solution to help you compress and smooth out those lumps and bumps in those troublesome areas. This however is a temporary solution once you take off your shapewear, you’ll still have that lose skin. In other words, shapewear have not been proven to permanently help with skin tightening. 

So, while these foundation garments will help you look better under your favorite outfit, they will not help with major skin tightening during weight loss. Surgery like the tummy tuck and exercise are more proven and effective methods to assist with skin tightening. 

How many inches can shapewear take off?

Shapewear is big business because you can take off inches and enhance your shape instantly, but how many inches can you take off with these garments? 

Many experts believe that shapewear garments like the full bodysuit is designed to funnel excess weight to help you appear to be slimmer. These suits use compression to take off as much as 2 inches from problematic areas like the tummy, waist, hips thighs and back.