We’ve all heard the term “man boobs.” Not the most complimentary comment, it is usually made by a person who believes that the man boobs in question are the result of nothing more than simple weight gain in the person in question. Because most women gain some breast size with weight gain, the thinking is that the same holds true for men.
While that is true in about one half of men with larger breasts, the other 50% of men have gynecomastia or male breast enlargement. This is a condition dictated by hormones and some other causes, although its exact cause can be a mystery.
Like the general public, most men who have gynecomastia simply assume it’s because they are overweight, so they do nothing about it. They may avoid making the most of our Ohio summers on the lake by keeping their shirts on, but that’s about it.
But Dr. Fedele can fix the problem with male breast reduction.
What leads to gynecomastia?
The direct cause of gynecomastia in adults can be hard to pinpoint; not so with adolescent boys. Up to 70% of teen boys have the condition to some degree at some point. In teens, estrogen and testosterone and the changes they cause in the body are the causes. Most teenage gynecomastia passes as hormone levels stabilize.
For adult men, gynecomastia isn’t as prevalent or as understood. Middle-aged and older men can also develop enlarged breasts due to hormone changes that come with aging. Usually more likely, gynecomastia can come from taking certain medications:
- Heartburn treatment drugs
- Antibiotics
- Steroids
- Anti-anxiety drugs
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- AIDS treatment drugs
Other causes of gynecomastia are marijuana and heroin use, as well as drinking too much alcohol.
Obviously, many of these cases don’t merit surgery, as the breast enlargement is a byproduct of, say, smoking lots of weed or being on steroids.
Breast reduction surgery
Men with true gynecomastia have a firm, rubbery mass underneath the nipple area. The size of this mass is around 1.5 inches across and it may be sensitive to the touch.
If surgery is required, small incisions are made in the armpits or around the areolae. Through those incisions, excess fat and glandular tissue are removed and excess skin is trimmed. Liposuction is usually included, and sometimes it is all that Dr. Fedele performs to reduce the breasts. In either case, the incision scars heal well and become very hard to see.
If you’re concerned about enlarged breasts, you may have gynecomastia. Call Dr. Fedele at 216-464-1616 and let’s see how we can help.