Image: the black-shirted person is wearing the binder, the green-shirted person is wearing a bra.
1. Never bind for longer than 8 hours.
2. Avoid exercising while binding.
3. Try it out for a couple of hours at a time for some days before committing to doing it for a full day.
4. If it hurts, stop. Pain is your body telling you that something is wrong.
5. Most binders are much easier to get on if you step into it, instead of pulling it over your head.
6. After removing the binder, raise your arms above your head and cough. This will clear your chest of any build up of mucus to avoid infection.
7. Take breaks from binding as often as possible.
8. Do not bind while sick.
9. Swimming should be done in a size up from your regular fit or in a binder built specifically for swimming.
10. Wearing tight tshirts on binders will reduce their effectiveness; wear normal fitting tops or even slightly loose tshirts.
11. Never bind while sleeping.
12. To minimize irritation, some wear a thin T-shirt under the binder or use talc or baby powder to help keep the skin drier and less irritated.
13. According to TransGuys, you should be able to take deep breathes in your binder without difficulty.
14. Do not double bind!
15. Nipples shouldn't be pointed down while binding.