Tucking is flattening your privates so your strapless and hanging parts don’t show. It helps you have a smooth crotch when you wear tight clothes. People tuck to lower dysphoria and feel more comfortable in their body. It can also help them show or be seen as their their gender! Tucking can be a big part of life for trans women, non-binary people, drag performers, and many other people. But a lot of them don’t tuck. It’s a decision everyone can make for themselves!
There are lots of ways to tuck and make tucking safer. They haven’t been studied a lot, so we don’t always know what’s safest or what works the best.
Some people tuck by pushing their hanging parts inside their body. Whether or not people do that first, they can tuck everything that would show back between their legs or their cheeks.
People can keep everything tucked with things like tight underwear, tape, or a gaff. Gaffs are underwear that’s made for tucking. You can experiment to find what kind of tucking works best for you!
Tucking gear
A lot of people use one or more things to keep everything tucked.
Some people use tight underwear. One size lower than usual works well for a lot of people. Cotton can stretch a lot. But materials like spandex and microfiber keep things in place better.
People can also tuck with tape. You can lower the risk for rashes, irritation, and pain with medical or sports tape that’s made for skin.
People can also use a gaff. This is tighter fabric or panties that you wear as underwear or over your underwear. It’s specially made for tucking!
You can get a gaff and other gender gear for free or lower cost at places like Project 10 and the Center for Gender Advocacy !!! update for COVID add UGE. You can also buy them online. A lot of people make their own gaffs at home!
Starting to tuck
Learning to tuck can take practice. Over time, hormones can make the parts you want to tuck smaller. That can make tucking easier!
Taking it slow can help avoid pain or injury. You can also start by tucking for shorter periods to learn what feels right. Experimenting with different ways of tucking can help you find what works best for you!
Tucking might feel strange at first. But if it feels painful or very uncomfortable, there’s a higher chance you could hurt yourself. Taking a break or tucking a different way could help you find what works best for you!
Tucking between your legs
Tucking between your legs can be easier than other ways. You grab everything you want to tuck. Then you gently pull it back between your legs or even your cheeks.
Once everything is in place, you can keep it there with your hand and add tucking gear like tight underwear, tape, or a gaff. You can also use a few things at the same time!
Tucking hanging parts inside your body
For a flatter look, some people move their hanging parts inside their body. You can lift them into your inguinal canals. These are finger-sized tubes above either hanging part.
People can gently and slowly move each hanging part into the canal above it. Once they’re in, some people move the extra skin inside. Others gently wrap it around their strapless.
Once their parts are inside, people can move everything back and hold it tight. Then they can keep it there with underwear, a gaff, or tape!
Using tape
Some people keep everything tightly tucked with tape. They use a wide strip. They can also stick a few strips together side-by-side to make one very wide strip. Medical tape or sports tape has less risk for rashes, sores, and irritation. Once the tape is ready, there are a few steps:
- Stick the tape down your strapless
- If you want to, move hanging parts into your body
- Pull your strapless and the tape back between your cheeks
- Once everything is as far back as you want, stick the other end of the tape to the skin between your cheeks or even partway up your back.
- Then you can put on underwear, a gaff, or both!
A lot of people feel more secure with tape. But you can’t pee without taking off the tape and taping everything again. If you don’t drink or pee for a long time, you can get health issues like urinary tract infections and kidney stones.
Tucking with tape also has more risk for rashes, irritation, ingrown hairs, and pain. These could raise your risk for STIs. But there are some ways to lower the risks of tucking with tape.
