FormaChest Vacuum Bell

My mum asked me to write this, but I wanted to explain it myself

I’m 14 and my mum said I should write about how it went because she remembers how upset I used to get about my chest. I told her that sounded embarrassing, but here I am.

The dip was about 2 cm when I started. I don’t think most people even noticed it, but I noticed it constantly. I’d pull my shirt forward so it wouldn’t stick against my chest. When my friends talked about going swimming, I would already be thinking of an excuse. Mum would tell me I didn’t need to hide, and I knew she meant it, but it didn’t really change how I felt.

We read the FormaChest ebook together first, then I went back through it myself. With my mum helping and our clinician involved, I changed pretty much my whole after-school routine around the vacuum bell. Homework, using the bell, exercises, then gaming or whatever else I wanted to do. I wore my chest brace every day and fitted the ebook exercises in whenever I could within the routine we’d agreed.

Some days I was really motivated. Other days I just wanted an evening where I didn’t have to think about my chest. Mum sometimes had to remind me, which annoyed me even though I knew why she was doing it. It definitely wasn’t four months of me being perfectly positive.

After four months, my chest looked completely straight, and we couldn’t measure the dip anymore. I kept looking from different angles because I was scared I was just seeing what I wanted to see.

What meant the most was putting on a T-shirt and realising I’d walked out of my room without checking how it sat on my chest. That probably sounds like nothing. For me it was a lot.

I’m in the maintenance stage now, so I’m still following my routine. I can’t tell you what it’ll look like years from now. But right now I feel much less worried about people seeing me, and I’m really proud that I stuck with it.

Mum helped me get started. I’m glad I kept going.

I'll say it plainly: my indent was almost 1 inch deep when I started. I ordered on March 10, 2026. I thought the brace and gel were too expensive so I bought alternatives. The full treatment took 6 months and ended in September. Today my sternum sits completely flat. Not "better", not "nearly there". Flat.

I am now in the maintenance phase, and I am still a little amazed every time I catch myself in the mirror.

Spotting a women's option was what gave me the nerve to begin. I still wanted to understand exactly how it should sit on my own chest, so I spent a good while with the sizing information and asked a few questions before I felt comfortable choosing. I am so glad I did.

My one wish: more fitting illustrations for women in the ebook. Having a women's model is wonderful; seeing examples of a suitable fit would make the decision so much easier for the next woman standing where I stood back in March.

The thing I'd mention first is that I could actually contact Tomas during the treatment. Every two weeks he checked in, but I didn't have to save questions until then. I could email whenever I needed clarification, and the replies I received were almost instant.

That's useful over 8 months. There's a lot of time between ordering something and deciding how you feel about the result.

I've finished the intensive phase and moved to two short maintenance sessions a week. I'm pleased with the treatment, my sternum now sits almost straight without the vacuum bell. The updated ebook was helpful, and being able to ask about it directly made the experience feel much less uncertain.

About 0.8 inches at the start, about 0.4 inches after 2 months. I'm happy with that.

The assembly wait was frustrating, but worth it in my case. A clearer dispatch estimate would have improved the experience.

I don't always send an email the moment I have a question. Sometimes I put it off because I'm not sure it's important enough. The check-ins gave me an easy opportunity to mention those things. I liked knowing I could reply with a practical question rather than treating every message as something that needed a big progress report.

My main concern was choosing the size. The sizing information gave me a starting point, and I contacted Tomas because I wanted to be sure I understood the measurement. Assembly meant waiting longer than I'd hoped. Once the device arrived, being able to check the fit made it feel worthwhile. I'd still appreciate a clearer dispatch estimate before ordering.

I already planned my day around work, training, and meals, so I had to think about where another routine would fit. My first idea sounded fine on paper and wasn't very practical in real life. Reading the guide more carefully helped me plan. I'd like to see a few everyday schedule examples for people who train, work shifts, or have classes. That would have helped me think it through before ordering.

I nearly talked myself out of buying this. I understood the basic idea of a vacuum bell, but I still couldn't work out what made Tomas's approach different or what the timeline really meant. The older ebook had a schedule in it. I just had more questions after reading it.

Getting to speak with Tomas helped. I could ask about the parts I didn't understand, and the updated guide later gave me a much clearer explanation to refer back to.

My starting depth was about 1.4 inches. After six months, it is about 0.2 inches. I'm now doing two 15-minute maintenance sessions a week. There's still a small indentation, but I'm very pleased with the change.

I also appreciated that the contact continued. Tomas checked in every two to three weeks, and I could email between those messages. My replies came within 12 hours. I wish the information had been that clear to me before ordering, but the support throughout was very helpful.