On this page i will be sharing my experience with scoliosis and things that helped me deal with it, the fashion section of this page will be targeted at girls who wear a brace.
What to wear? under your brace?
What to wear underneath your brace really depends on your skin, your type of brace and of course your preference.
Some people like to wear nothing underneath their brace, however given that most braces are made from plastic this isn't always the most comfortable option and can lead to very irritated skin and can also be quite sweaty.
Some people like to wear sleeveless tank tops underneath their brace and for most people this works fine as it reduces irritation in their torso.
Some people like me have to wear t-shirt vests underneath their brace as a brace tends to come very high up into the armpits and if you have sensitive skin it is not nice for the plastic to touch anywhere. For those who just wear a tank top, you can also get special ones with little flaps that go over the brace in the arms. Although this is better than nothing i found the flaps quite often didn't stay. If you have sensitive skin it is okay to wear the flap tank tops once or twice a week, however if you wear more skin can get really sore and irritated.
My brace specialist gave me special cream to put on if the brace was bothering me and helped with skin irritation. I recommend that anyone having problems with their brace try this, if you don't have access to this I highly recommend washing everyday incase you wear sweaty under the brace and also keeping your skin around irritated areas very moisturized.
How to wear your brace to school-
Most likely when you first get your brace it will be one to three weeks before you start wearing it to school anyway as you try and break it in. A lot of people fear about wearing their brace to school for the first time or having people find out about their scoliosis.
My brace experience was that I was diagnosed over the summer and on the first day back I told all my close friends about my scoliosis. Then when we were being assigned lockers I asked out loud if I could have a top one because I would need to wear a brace, this way everyone in my class heard my explanation at once so I didn't have to explain over and over again, and it also allowed for me to just get it out of the way and inform my teachers too. Before I got my brace i told a lot of people and the day I wore my brace to school I let people see it and knock at it.
When people ask questions it's never to embarrass you they just want to find out more and from my experience everyone was really supportive! I recommend getting all the explanations out of the way as soon as you get it and act as if it is not a big deal, this way people will just see it as part of you and they won't have to wonder or ask about it again.
Throughout the year others that you haven't already explained to will inevitably find out by someway hugging you or seeing the brace sticking out, when this happens just explain to them why you wear it and what it is and they will most likely support you or find it cool.
I know it gets tedious explaining everything to everyone however it is better to be relaxed about it and act as if it is no big deal rather than worrying about hiding it or being self-conscious.
I know wearing your brace to school can be really difficult at first but if you tell your teachers they have no problem supporting you by letting you stand or walk for a few minutes. I even would take my brace off in the middle of class sometimes and since everyone knew I was confident about taking it off and no one would ask any questions except for maybe, 'are you ok?'
I recommend that even though your brace is really annoying and difficult at first, wear it with pride and don't hesitate in explaining why you wear it.
Standing straight-
A lot of people with scoliosis from mid to moderate in degrees unfortunately sometimes feel embarrassed or self-conscious about the way they stand and how scoliosis has affected their posture. Although this can never be completely fixed, unless you have surgery, there are many ways to help.
Clothing- see my fashion pages in the above drop down menu, dressing properly can really help hide scoliosis especially when paired with pretty accessories.
Physio- Using the Schrot method, see physic tips page, you can learn how to correct your scoliosis from how you stand, this is what I do and although it took me a while to get it, I can even run and swim in my corrected position now!
Posture- Although this doesn't have much to do with actual scoliosis, having a good posture and always standing tall helps to make it look like your back is straight too. Those who consistently slouch, can have scoliosis more easily spotted as well as it not looking as nice.
Abs- Keep your abdominal muscles tight and it pulls your back in and helps with overall stability when standing.
What to wear? under your brace?
What to wear underneath your brace really depends on your skin, your type of brace and of course your preference.
Some people like to wear nothing underneath their brace, however given that most braces are made from plastic this isn't always the most comfortable option and can lead to very irritated skin and can also be quite sweaty.
Some people like to wear sleeveless tank tops underneath their brace and for most people this works fine as it reduces irritation in their torso.
Some people like me have to wear t-shirt vests underneath their brace as a brace tends to come very high up into the armpits and if you have sensitive skin it is not nice for the plastic to touch anywhere. For those who just wear a tank top, you can also get special ones with little flaps that go over the brace in the arms. Although this is better than nothing i found the flaps quite often didn't stay. If you have sensitive skin it is okay to wear the flap tank tops once or twice a week, however if you wear more skin can get really sore and irritated.
My brace specialist gave me special cream to put on if the brace was bothering me and helped with skin irritation. I recommend that anyone having problems with their brace try this, if you don't have access to this I highly recommend washing everyday incase you wear sweaty under the brace and also keeping your skin around irritated areas very moisturized.
How to wear your brace to school-
Most likely when you first get your brace it will be one to three weeks before you start wearing it to school anyway as you try and break it in. A lot of people fear about wearing their brace to school for the first time or having people find out about their scoliosis.
My brace experience was that I was diagnosed over the summer and on the first day back I told all my close friends about my scoliosis. Then when we were being assigned lockers I asked out loud if I could have a top one because I would need to wear a brace, this way everyone in my class heard my explanation at once so I didn't have to explain over and over again, and it also allowed for me to just get it out of the way and inform my teachers too. Before I got my brace i told a lot of people and the day I wore my brace to school I let people see it and knock at it.
When people ask questions it's never to embarrass you they just want to find out more and from my experience everyone was really supportive! I recommend getting all the explanations out of the way as soon as you get it and act as if it is not a big deal, this way people will just see it as part of you and they won't have to wonder or ask about it again.
Throughout the year others that you haven't already explained to will inevitably find out by someway hugging you or seeing the brace sticking out, when this happens just explain to them why you wear it and what it is and they will most likely support you or find it cool.
I know it gets tedious explaining everything to everyone however it is better to be relaxed about it and act as if it is no big deal rather than worrying about hiding it or being self-conscious.
I know wearing your brace to school can be really difficult at first but if you tell your teachers they have no problem supporting you by letting you stand or walk for a few minutes. I even would take my brace off in the middle of class sometimes and since everyone knew I was confident about taking it off and no one would ask any questions except for maybe, 'are you ok?'
I recommend that even though your brace is really annoying and difficult at first, wear it with pride and don't hesitate in explaining why you wear it.
Standing straight-
A lot of people with scoliosis from mid to moderate in degrees unfortunately sometimes feel embarrassed or self-conscious about the way they stand and how scoliosis has affected their posture. Although this can never be completely fixed, unless you have surgery, there are many ways to help.
Clothing- see my fashion pages in the above drop down menu, dressing properly can really help hide scoliosis especially when paired with pretty accessories.
Physio- Using the Schrot method, see physic tips page, you can learn how to correct your scoliosis from how you stand, this is what I do and although it took me a while to get it, I can even run and swim in my corrected position now!
Posture- Although this doesn't have much to do with actual scoliosis, having a good posture and always standing tall helps to make it look like your back is straight too. Those who consistently slouch, can have scoliosis more easily spotted as well as it not looking as nice.
Abs- Keep your abdominal muscles tight and it pulls your back in and helps with overall stability when standing.