What Are Man Boobs?
Men like women have breasts that are made up of breast tissue, fat, and connective tissue. For the average male, the amount of breast tissue is so small it can’t be seen or felt, and most men are not even aware it is there. True gynecomastia, sometimes referred to as “man boobs” is enlarged benign breast tissue that affects about 60% of men at some point in their life. Some male newborns will have temporary breast puffiness, and it is not unusual for adolescent boys as they go through puberty to develop breasts. Also, some men develop man boobs as they age.
Causes of Man Boobs
The male breast will develop when there is an imbalance of male and female hormones, testosterone and estrogen. There are many known reasons for the imbalance, but as much as 25% of cases remain unknown. Some of the known causes are medications, heredity, street drugs, alcohol, herbal products, and some health issues.
Types of Man Boobs
True gynecomastia is a combination of breast tissue and fat. However, some men experience what is known as “pseudo-gynecomastia.” Pseudo-gynecomastia is man boobs that are caused by fat alone. Man boobs are categorized into 4 grades with grade 1 being very mild with just a button of breast tissue behind the areola. Grade 4 is the most extreme type of gynecomastia where a man has severe and visibly feminine breasts with skin redundancy.
Get Rid of Man Boobs
Men suffering from male breasts will try almost anything to get rid of them, some work, some do not. Over the counter remedies seem too good to be true, and they are. They may help burn fat, but they do nothing to reduce glandular breast tissue. The only thing that will be reduced is their bank account. Explore the forums on gynecomastia.org from men who have tried them. If pills, ointments or lotions worked, physicians would not be performing surgery. Under certain circumstances, a patient might be treated by an endocrinologist with an anti-estrogen like tamoxifen.
Man Boobs Exercise
Being fit makes the chest look the best it can. However, there are many bodybuilders and weight trainers seeking gynecomastia surgery. Development of the pectoral muscles will not camouflage excess breast tissue; the overlying breast tissue will still be there and may actually make the man boobs more obvious. There is an exception to this, and that is for men with pseudo-gynecomastia, which is just fat and not breast tissue. Men with pseudo-gynecomastia may find that with diet and exercise they are able to reduce their man boobs. There are several recommended exercises for the patient with pseudo-gynecomastia.
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Man Boobs Surgery
Men with true gynecomastia will find the only permanent solution to their man boobs will be male breast reduction surgery. Depending on the type of man boobs will determine the best surgical approach. Men with mild to moderate gynecomastia may be candidates for the “light pull-through procedure” that is minimally invasive and performed with a small incision and a fast recovery. For men with severe gynecomastia, a two-stage procedure may be required. Pseudo-gynecomastia, where there is no breast tissue involved, may be performed with liposuction alone, or in some cases, a non-invasive an office procedure called “CoolSculpting” can give excellent results.
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