Some men have an embarrassing and unfortunate medical condition where their breasts are overdeveloped or larger than the average size of male breasts due to a number of reasons. This condition is known as gynecomastia and is quite common in teenagers, young adult men, and even older men.
The condition usually develops when a man is in his 20’s or 30’s or sometimes even when he is in his teens. Gynecomastia is also referred to as “man boobs” and can be really embarrassing as it hinders the man from wearing the clothes of his choice and he may get ridiculed in public too. This condition can make a man socially withdrawn, extremely self-conscious, and shy around people.
What Are the Signs And Symptoms of Gynecomastia?
The major signs of gynecomastia are when the breasts of the boy or man start to swell up or grow to be much larger than that of a normal man’s breasts size. The breast tissue surrounding the nipple area becomes much larger than usual and makes the breasts look more enlarged, prominent, and swollen – like the breasts of a woman. The breasts may also feel tender or painful sometimes depending on the person.
What are the Causes of Gynecomastia?
The most common causes of gynecomastia are:
• Hormonal imbalances – men may develop this condition due to an imbalance of the sex hormones in the body – estrogen, and testosterone. Estrogen causes the breast tissue in women to grow and when men have more than the normal amount of this hormone in their bodies their breasts tend to grow bigger than normal.
All men usually have higher levels of testosterone and this helps to stop the estrogen from allowing the breast tissue to grow any further. So any imbalance of these hormones in the body can cause the breasts to grow larger than usual.
• Obesity – being overweight or obese will naturally cause the breasts to be bigger than normal, but being overweight also leads to increased amounts of estrogen in the body. This makes the breasts larger than normal.
The growth of the breast tissue is not due to the person being overweight but due to the imbalance of hormones in the body so even exercising, dieting, and losing weight will not help fix the condition.
• Age – as a man gets older, his body produces less testosterone and older men tend to have more body fat and together, this can lead to increased levels of estrogen in the body. These changes in hormones can lead to the excessive growth of breast tissue.
How Do you Treat Gynecomastia?
If you have large male breasts that aren’t responding to diet and exercise, then you may have gynecomastia. If you feel like you’re suffering from the condition, it is important that you contact your care provider. There are primarily two types of treatment for gynecomastia, and they include:
• Taking medication to help adjust the hormonal imbalance
• Having surgery to remove the excess breast tissue
Contact Our Office
Contact our office for more information about how to treat gynecomastia. Dr. Jaime Schwartz, a board-certified plastic surgeon, will talk to you about your needs and help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
