How to get rid of man boobs?
Gynecomastia (man boobs): The enlargement of mammary glands in men is decribed as Gynecomastia, also coloquially known as man boobs, and it is a many layered condition which can have many different underlying causes. With the help of modern medicine, an operational correction can be resorted to get rid of this great issue giving birth to a serious lack of self-confidence among the affected male population.
What is gynecomastia in short?
The term “Gynecomastia” implies the unwanted enlargement of the breast glands in men. The condition is harmless in most cases. Nevertheless, the biggest issue is that the affected males most probably feel restricted and impaired in their social lives, leading to a considerably limited life quality. But we have good news: These individuals can seek and find help from hormone therapies and/or plastic surgeries.
The most important information about Gynecomastia
The increase in mammary glands can have quite different underlying reasons: From a lack of male hormones, or side effects of medications used for other purposes, to chronic diseases. Aside from all that, certain phases of a male’s life can show a tendency to increase the size of the mammary glands, such as puberty and advanced age, and the enlargement of the mentioned area is considered safe and normal for the most part among the affected.
Regardless of the underlying reasons, we cannot neglect the negative impact of such a condition on the lives of said men: They might feel less manly because of their feminine looking boobs, and they might be ashamed to publicly show their bare chest, even on a beach on a hot summer day. These individuals commonly appeal to excessive exercise with the hope that if they build enough muscles on their upper body, their breast will have the desired shape by itself.
In most cases, the wanted result fails to materialize. In majority of the cases, a non-operational solution for Gynecomastia is unfortunately nowhere to find. But if the individual is lucky enough, they can get their breasts back to their manly shape, once they eliminate the causes of this abnormal physical change.
We must accept that a considerable part of the male population is affected from Gynecomastia, depending on age and life style. We should also stress that not all the cases of man boobs can be named as Gynecomastia, and the reason behind this is that a fat accumulation in the breast area can also cause this feminine look and distress, whereas in order for it to be acknowledged as a real Gynecomastia case, the mammary glands (breast tissue) should also increase in size. These are always recommendable for the begining: 1- To perform a thorough examination to find the underlying causes. 2- To decrease the calorie intake to lose some weight. 3- Enough physical activity to get rid of the persistent fatty tissue on the chest area. Some examplary reaons for breast tissue growth might be the side effects due to some medications or unhealthy meat consumption (ie. meat high in artificial hormones). Even the male hormone, Testosterone, can be the starting point of the Gynecomastia formation, which gets corverted into oestrogen in muscles and fat-cells.
Is Gynecomastia a fatal condition?
A Gynecomastia is considered in general a benign condition, meaning not dangerous for the affected male. But we should remember that breast cancer is not only seen in women but also in men, even if the ratio is less than 1%. Every man has a bit of a mammarial gland. And in a real Gynecomastia case, this bit is a tad bigger (sometimes more, depending on the severity of the case). The more mammarial tissue is present, the bigger the risk for cancer to form. On this account, an experienced Plastic Surgeon should take a possible breast cancer risk into consideration. This is especially important when we are talking about a one-sided change in breast tissue.
Frequently asked questions about Gynecomastia
What are the underlying causes for Gynecomastia?: These are mostly not clear to explain, not easy to determine right away. Apart from Obesity (BMI over 30), the hormonal intake can be a reason for enlarged breasts. When there is excess fat tissue, we talk about Pseudogynecomastia, in which there is no enlarged breast glands. One should bear in mind that in only rare cases the condition can be traced back to its original underlying reason, therefore the only and most sought-after treatment method is surgery: The excessive tissue and fat are removed via an operation.
When can I exercise again?: In the following 6 weeks after the operation, you should wear a bodice to assist the wonderful result of the surgery. During this period of time, you should avoid stressing physical activities, especially high intensity exercise.
Is the procedure painful?: Generally, the operation is performed under general anesthesia, so there is nothing to be afraid of pain, it is non-existent during the surgery. As our doctors favors a gentle and less-incision forming method, the pain after the surgery is reduced to a minimum. As long as you follow the instructions of your surgeon strictly and take prescribed medications regularly, the following days will be as pain-free as possible.
Can Gynecomastia come back after a surgical removal?: Yes, even though rarely, it can happen. To prevent this come-back, you should rule out all the hormonal causes. If the existent Gynecomastia is caused by hormone-related reasons, these should be fought of medicinally. Even though there are no possible underlying causes, it has been observed that a surgically removed Gynecomastia made a come-back in the following years after surgery.
Process of Gynecomastia surgery (how the operation works)
Before getting to the operation itself, the treating doctor (plastic surgeon) distinguishes the individual extent of the change which helps during the plannig of the surgical approach. In doing so, it is important to make an in-depth examination of the mammarial gland. Enlarged breast tissue can be easily removed with such a procedure. Should the reason behind the enlarged breasts be excess fat tissue instead of mammarial gland enlargement, this can be treated and eliminated with a Liposuction procedure.
Our ultra-skilled surgeons with many many years of experience under their belts always choose a method which results in the least amount of scars or incisions. The goal behind this approach is that the amount of visible proof of an operation should be as less as possible, bleeding should be minimalized, and nipple sensitivity should remain unchanged. The resection of the mammary glands in combination with Liposuction yields in most cases very great results. The incision takes place on the lower part of the breast gland. As Liposuction provides a strecthing of the mammary tissue and the skin, another lifting procedure requiring more incisions and stitches will be no longer needed. Please click here to have a video-consultation with our surgeons to learn more about how gentle and modern surgical techniques we use for your sake, which is a highly important factor when making the decision to undergo this surgery.
Which men can undergo such a surgical breast correction?
In principle, these types of breast corrections have a desire for an aesthetic-improvement in the background. Men who have breasts bigger than normal (feminine looking breasts, enlarged mammary glands, increased fat pads/accumulation around the nipples) can undergo a breast correction/Gynecomastia surgery.
