About Gynecomastia
The abnormal development of male breast tissue is a condition called gynecomastia. The word gynecomastia comes from the Greek, “gyne” meaning woman and “mastos” meaning breasts. The condition is not uncommon in male adolescents or in males who are obese. Other causes may include certain medications, alcohol, some tumors, marijuana or even genetics. Unfortunately the exact cause of the condition in a patient may not be able to be determined.
Whilst there is no clear cause for the condition it is thought that the primary factor is an imbalance between estrogen and androgen levels such as testosterone in the patient. Even though an imbalance in favour of estrogen is thought to be the main factor in the development of gynecomastia, there is no conclusive evidence that treatments such as testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) are effective in reversing the breast tissue growth or even stopping it.
It is not uncommon for adolescent males to experience the condition and for most of them it will pass by the time their bodies have reached adult testosterone levels. However if it persists for more than a year after adulthood is reached it will be unlikely that the condition will go away on its own. For some the breast tissue will continue to increase in size.
Significant weight gain can also cause breast enlargement. Whilst this enlargement may be predominantly a result of an accumulation of fatty tissue in the breast, which is not gynecomastia there may also be an excess of fibrous breast tissue as well which is gynecomastia. It is thought that the obesity of the patient may cause an estrogen imbalance resulting in the increase in breast tissue. After weight loss he will still have the enlarged breasts because of the increased breast tissue. Liposuction as a treatment will only remove the fat from the breast and not the fibrous breast tissue. The only way to remove the tissue is by surgery.
Body builders and some athletes who use prohormone and anabolic steroid supplements can also finish up with enlarged breasts. The supplements result in the body converting some of the supplements into excess estrogen like compounds which in turn causes the increase in breast tissue growth.
Gynecomastia is a very embarrassing condition for males and although the exact cause of the condition may not be known it is very important that any man suffering from gynecomastia consult with a qualified plastic surgeon before proceeding with any treatment. Please check with our directory on the web site to obtain the details of a qualified plastic surgeon.
Man boobs can be the result of a medical condition that a man was born with, they could manifest as a side effect from a disease or they can be caused by obesity. Given the levels of obesity in our society today it is not surprising that this is the most common cause.
Increased fat levels result in too much estrogen in your system. And what causes this high level of estrogen you ask? Amazingly enough it always comes back to the foods we eat and the exercise that we aren’t doing.
Possibly the first realization for a man of his man-boobs or “moobs” occurs like this:
It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, 28 degrees, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. You can picture the beach scenery of white sand, rolling breakers and beautiful blue waters.
“Right everyone, let’s get our swimmers on and head on down to the beach” you say to the family,
“Hurry up now we don’t want to waste any time”.
So you rush into your bedroom, whip off your duds and shirt to put on the beach gear and by chance you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror. It’s like a scene from jaws except it’s the sight of your man boobs that scares the living daylights out of you. No amount of sucking in or searching for a single redeeming feature can change the fact that your man boobs are not a manly sight. Suddenly the thought of parading around in full view down at the beach seems not so wonderful.
As I said in the opening paragraph, obesity is the major cause of man boobs. For these man boobs it’s not been some mysterious infection that has struck in the dead of night. The wrong foods and a lack of exercise are the culprits. So now you know the cause, let me give you a few quick hints on how to reduce them.
STOP eating all that fast food. If it comes in plastic from a drive-thru window then there is a good chance that it will increase your estrogen levels and promote your man boobs. Believe me I know how easy it is just to hit the drive-thru and order those double cheese burgers and fries with a large thick shake, non-dairy of course. Now whilst your food choices may not be the only thing that is causing your estrogen levels to be elevated, it will help if you limit your trips of convenience to the fast food joint down the road. You should try to eat more organically grown and produced foods where you can afford to. A range of these foods are increasingly being sold in major supermarkets at affordable prices.
Are you ready to start exercising yet? Okay, I’m not asking you to turn into a gym junkie or a body builder with a massive chest and washboard abs, but weight lifting is going to give you some good results when you’re ready to lose the man boobs. Doing some weight lifting in a structured program will increase your testosterone levels and your sex drive as a bonus. Over doing the heavy weight lifting is going to decrease both, so make sure you get the advice of a professional first and foremost. Add into the mix plenty of walking, 8,000 – 10,000 steps per day and your exercise component will be taken care of.
Now these are things that you simply must do – no buts about it. And if you want some added assistance then you can add surgery into your game plan. Male breast reduction is now the second most popular cosmetic surgery procedure being performed on men. The most popular remains a nose job. You can find out more about male breast reduction by following the link to Gynaecomastia. Alternatively, feel free to contact us and we can provide you with advice on who would be a recommended plastic surgeon for you to have a consultation with.
Further Reading about Male Breast Reduction Surgery
- Gynecomastia Sydney – Male Breast Reduction Surgery by Dr Kernohan Plastic Surgeon NSW
- Male Breast Reduction Surgery for Gynaecomastia | My Klinik
- Gynaecomastia Surgery Sydney – Male Breast Reduction
- Male Breast Reduction Surgery Melbourne by Dr Carmen Munteanu FRACS (Plas)
- Gynaecomastia – Male Breasts – Man Boobs – Anca Breahna