Effects of tightlacing on the body

Tight lacing is the practice of wearing a corset that has been tightly laced to shape the body to the desired figure of the wearer. This practice has been in effect since the 16th century and endured as a part of the fashionable wardrobe until the French Revolution in 1789 when the empire waist become the fashionable style of the day. In her article, The Corset Controversy, published in 2007, Gretchen Riordan explains that although tight lacing was popular for nearly 300 years, the corset was often worn so tightly that the practice had many physically harmful and even deadly effects on the wearer. In spite of the known physical harm directly related to corseting, the practice continued well into the 20th century. Medical texts published as early as 1897 documented potential risks including effects on the heart, lungs, circulation, breasts, stomach, liver, colon, uterus, muscles, gall bladder, and other organs. However, corsetry as practiced by the majority of women only resulted in a shortness of breath.

Heart

Damage to the heart is a very common effect of tight lacing. After extensive wearing of the corset, the ribs are forced to move closer together and, as a result, the rib cage becomes smaller and more compact. With a smaller rib cage and the same number of organs in the rib cage, the organs become compressed and are no longer able to function properly. One of these compressed organs is the heart. The restriction of this vital organ forces it to work harder to do its job completely. In Gaillard’s Medical Journal published in 1897 when corsets were still considered the height of fashion, Dr. Eugene Crutchfield says that because the heart has to work harder, cardiac palpitation is the inevitable result. Though not usually fatal, cardiac palpitation can lead to impaired vision, signs of choking, partial unconsciousness, vertigo, and fear of death.

Lungs

Damage to the lungs is often one of the most deadly effects of tight lacing. The constriction of the corset prevents the lower lobes of the lungs from fully expanding when taking a breath. This puts extra strain on and causes additional work for the lower lobes of the lungs. They eventually become tired, worn out, and exhausted which prevents them from doing their job properly. David Kunzle puts emphasis on the fact that because the lower lobes have been strained, they are unable to adequately fight off pneumonia or bacillus tuberculosis which go to the lower lobes of the lungs first. However, Valerie Steele notes that the corset's association with tuberculosis originated before the bacillus was discovered, and that the corset may have only aggravated the condition.

Circulation

The combination of heart damage and lung damage were thought to lead to problems in the circulatory system. The cardiac palpitations in the heart and the prevented full expansion of the lungs lead to a condition called spanaemia, or the lack of oxygen in the blood. One of the effects of spanaemia is syncope, or loss of consciousness due to lack of blood supply to the brain. Lack of blood to the brain can also lead to death. There is no evidence to support corset-caused circulatory damage.

Breasts

The pressure placed on the breasts results in many injuries and complications. Corset-wearing cannot cause breast cancer. Occurring more frequently is a reduction of the size of the nipples. Victorians believed the corset caused mammary abscesses, a common inflammation of the connective tissue in the breast; however, mastitis is caused by bacteria, and there is little evidence that clothing may cause the condition.

Stomach

Victorian doctors believed that, in a tightly-laced corset, the stomach would be unable to churn correctly, making it difficult to digest food completely. This condition is called dyspepsia, more commonly known as indigestion. However, there is no evidence linking corsetry to dyspepsia, although it may cause constipation and make it difficult for the wearer to eat a sizable meal.

Liver

Victorian doctors believed that the liver experienced many complications while the body is tight laced, becoming severed due to the location of the ribs as a result of the tight lacing, and that the liver would become enlarged or displaced. Another possibility was mechanical congestion, the result of the pressure placed on the inferior vena cava, thus obstructing the flow of blood. According to Dr. Tse-Ling Fong, liver cancer is often the result of this vein being blocked. The blocked vein is not able to filter out the bad blood in the liver resulting in a cancerous infection. However, corsets would not have had a drastic effect on the liver, merely squeezing and elongating it, and modern research shows that much of the liver function can be lost without causing health problems.

Uterus

The uterus was believed by Victorian doctors to suffer the most from tight lacing, failing to develop properly due to the inactivity of the abdominal muscles or becoming lapsed uterus. Others believed that every time the bladder or rectum emptied, the uterus was unable to be lifted back into place due to weak ligaments, causing head and back pain, and inability to stand or walk, and improper menstruation. However, this line of thought rested on very little evidence and the assumption that the uterus was one of the most important organs in a woman's body, and it is unlikely that the uterus actually suffered from corsetry.

Gall Bladder

Victorian doctors believed there was a relationship between gallstones and tight lacing, the corset causing extreme weight loss. (Gallstones are the result of the body metabolizing fat to compensate for rapid weight loss.) However, the most common sufferers from gallstones are female even today, and it is unlikely that the corset had much to do with the condition.

Muscles

Wearing a corset for a very extended period of time can result in muscle atrophy and lower-back pain. The pectoral muscles also become weak after extensive tight lacing. These weakened muscles cause a greater reliance on the corset.<ref name="Steele">