What is Gynecomastia?
It is a medical condition in which males possess larger breasts (man boobs) than their usual size or structure. It arises due to increased breast tissue (glands) or the deposition of fat in the chest region. Technically, while the former is referred to as Gynecomastia, the latter is called Pseudo-gynecomastia.
In general, it is not a serious medical condition that needs immediate treatment or surgery. However, men feel embarrassed by their large boobs and want to remove the unwanted tissues, which is fair enough. Thus, removing these unwanted breast tissues for men falls under aesthetic needs.
Occurrence in Young Boys and Adult Men
In males, it can occur in all age groups. It can be seen in newborns, in boys’ adolescence, or even in their late 50s or 60s. Having said that, most men experience gynecomastia symptoms during their puberty period. The hormonal imbalances in testosterone and estrogen levels are the primary reason for large breasts in males, particularly during this period.
In some cases, men experience asymmetrical gynecomastia, where the enlargement occurs only on one side of their chest. However, this is considered a special case by aesthetic surgeons, as they see more symmetrical gynecomastia conditions throughout their service tenure.
Usually, be it boys or men, they don’t feel or realize they have large breasts. But plastic surgeons at aesthetic care centers can easily identify this condition in men. Thus, in order to help men get educated and well aware of this condition, industry experts have come up with a few signs for easy diagnosis.
- Swollen (distended) breast tissues
- A feeling of breast tenderness
- Nipple sensitivity when rubbed against clothes
One surprising fact about this condition is that it is temporary for many men out there and may gradually disappear when they grow. For example, a newborn is likely to show this condition due to the mother’s estrogen levels. And this may change in due course. And some men may feel large breasts during puberty and may witness a decrease in breast size three to five years down the line.
How Does It Impact the Lives of Males?
Firstly, in gynecomastia, when the majority of affected men don’t even realize their problem, how can we analyze the impact of such a condition in terms of beauty and self-esteem? Secondly, we cannot assure that men who have identified this condition will definitely worry about it.
However, it is essential for us to discuss these aspects because some men are in need of help to overcome these impacts.
(i) Impact on beauty
Undoubtedly, the beauty factor varies from one person to another. With large breast buds in males, some men may consider it fine and ignore the condition, whereas some men pay attention to their large breasts and want to sort this out because they feel it affects their beauty and self-confidence.
Additionally, it also depends on the way the third person looks at this. Whether the people around you are noticing the change, concerned that this is an issue to be treated, or not even looking at it, matters.
(ii) Impact on Self-Esteem
A couple of years ago, a group of researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University studied the gynecomastia signs, presence of excess tissue, and self-esteem of men with the help of a tripartite questionnaire among 675 men. The average age group of men involved in the study ranges between 20 and 40 years old.
The results reveal that most of the older respondents to the survey picked images with highly enlarged breasts. Strikingly, these men had a higher BMI and showed a poor self-esteem quotient. In addition, more than every second male had slightly large breasts, with 20% of respondents showing noticeable enlargement according to Simon’s visual gynecomastia scale.
Despite human nature, these kinds of studies yet again prove that men with gynecomastia have low self-esteem and confidence. Thus, in this decade, with the growing gynecomastia condition among males, finding the best treatment or solution has become indispensable.
Overcoming the Impact of Large Breasts in Males
Today, the world has seen many advancements in the fields of aesthetic healthcare and plastic surgery. So, if you’re worried about your large breasts, you can reach out to your nearest and well-established aesthetic healthcare center and get a consultation.
Important Facts and Figures About Gynecomastia
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies, 50–60% of adolescent males show signs of gynecomastia. And nearly 65% of men in the age group of 27 to 92 show some degree of gynecomastia.
And here are some more astonishing facts and figures taken from the research paper entitled “Gynecomastia: Clinical Evaluation and Management” by Cuhaci N et al., published in the Indian J Endocrinol Metab. in March 2014.
- A minimum of thirty percent of males will suffer from large breasts in their lives.
- Medications (from type 1 to type 4) account for about 25% of gynecomastia cases.
- Usually, pubertal gynecomastia begins in the age range of ten to twelve years, peaks at thirteen or fourteen, and regresses within sixteen or seventeen years.
- Klinefelter’s syndrome, in which the male is born with an additional X chromosome, i.e., XXY, is found to be associated with gynecomastia.
- The prevalence percentage of gynecomastia in the age range of fifty to eighty years is 25–65.
- Nearly 40% of males with Graves’ disease are found to have enlarged breasts.
Solutions to Man Boobs
Step 1: Identifying Gynecomastia Causes
The very first step to finding a solution is to understand the cause of large breasts. Yes, because it may arise for many reasons. Though the major types of gynecomastia are true gynecomastia and pseudo-gynecomastia, the cause can be anything and indeed many.
- If your breast size had increased in recent times due to a fatty diet, then it requires a specific treatment (a combination of fat removal and a healthy diet plan)
- If your breast enlargement is due to a drug or medication that you’ve been consuming for years, it needs a different treatment (check for ceasing the consumption of that particular drug or medication)
- If you’ve been following up with your physician or aesthetic doctor for the past six to eight months regarding gynecomastia, then this means they are already observing or in some way treating you as per the underlying condition
Step 2: Possible Treatment Methods
After the identification of the causes, the doctors will discuss personalized treatment and intervention.
(i) Obesity or drug-induced conditions are treated either by prescribing a healthy diet chart, suggesting a physical fitness plan, or halting the consumption of certain or relevant medications.
(ii) On the other hand, if the condition
- Persists for more than a year
- Induces severe pain or tenderness
Then, your one-stop solution—perhaps the last solution—is surgery.
Gynecomastia Surgery
It is a surgical intervention by aesthetic practitioners or plastic surgeons to reduce man boobs size. In addition, some surgeries involve chest contouring as per the patient’s requirements.
The surgeon performs this after studying the degree of breast enlargement that you may have. The most commonly used technique in this surgery is subcutaneous mastectomy, wherein a point of incision is identified around the glandular tissue or excess breast tissue. And the same is removed with the help of a cannula. For pseudo-gynecomastia, the fat cells are removed with liposuction using the same incision point identified.
Cost of Male Chest Reduction
In general, gynecomastia surgery price depends on the grade of the gynecomastia, the facility or infrastructure at the medical care center, and the experience of the aesthetic surgeon.
However, as per recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of gynecomastia surgery is four thousand dollars.
In India, the cost ranges from one lakh to one and a half lakh. Tamira is a leading aesthetic healthcare center in India with a NABH-accredited facility and board-certified aesthetic surgeons. Dr. Jayanthy Ravindran is the founder and senior surgeon at Tamira. She has vast experience performing numerous aesthetic surgeries for gynecomastia in Chennai, India. Did you know? Nearly a decade ago, The Hindu reported about how men in Chennai are increasingly seeking breast reduction surgery. “Now, the situation is much worse, and I consult at least five to six men every day,” says Dr. Jayanthy Ravindran.
Recovery After the Gyno Surgery
The patient need not even admit himself to the aesthetic healthcare center. In fact, he can leave the premises a couple of hours after the surgery (until the anesthesia expires). Though the results are clearly visible immediately after the surgery, the surgeon may request that you show up for a follow-up once every three months for up to 6–9 months just to validate the reduction in breast size.
Otherwise, there are no notable risks or complications associated with the surgery. If the patient follows all the dos and don’ts recommended by the respective surgeon, then the results will be promising and satisfying.
Foreword
Hey men, do not take chances! Even if you feel that you may slightly seem to have this medical condition, please consult a senior aesthetician to find out the cause. Because unless we analyze the root of your breast enlargement, we do not know how benign or chronic the condition is. And only then can the doctors suggest the best possible treatment options.
Remember, prevention is always better than cure!