Manboobs?

Remember the “bro” otherwise known as the “manssiere?” Now, before you laugh yourself silly, remembering  the episode of the Seinfeld show in which Kramer and George’s father invent  this product for manboobs, know that this overdevelopment of the male breast is a real condition. It is called gynecomastia and about half of the male population has enlarged breasts to some degree, at some point in their lives.

Several types of gynecomastia exist and may have to be treated differently. Pure glandular gynecomastia can occur in men with lean bodies. In this case the excess tissue is composed almost completely of breast tissue. In fact there is an anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) induced gynecomastia that can occur when testosterone is converted to estrogen. In other cases, such as pseudogynecomastia, the enlarged male breast is composed of adipose fat. The most common form gynecomastia is the appearance of “puffy nipples.” Enlarged nipples are generally a symptom of gynecomastia and rarely occur in men otherwise. Gynecomastia is often developmental, occurring at certain ages, because the cause of enlarged male breasts is hormones. Half of all male babies are born with some gynecomastia due to their mother’s estrogen.

Hormones. We think of estrogen as the hormone in women, and testosterone as the hormone in men, however, men also have some estrogen and women have some testosterone. Consequently, we see male babies swollen breasts reducing to a normal size as the mother’s estrogen is lost. Again at puberty, when there is an influx of sex hormones, gynecomastia can develop. Usually enlarged breast tissue at puberty recedes as well, but about 30% of the adolescent boys who develop it will have gynecomastia  for the rest of their lives. Finally, about one fourth of men are affected with gynecomastia between the ages of 50 and 80, with the reduction of testosterone.

At Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, male breast reduction is achieved in two ways. If indeed the enlarged male breasts are due to pure glandular gynecomastia, the excess glandular tissue can be removed by surgical excision. In many cases, there is combination of excess glandular tissue and adipose fat creating the enlarged breast. In that case a combination of surgery and liposuction is used to reduce breast size. Vaser liposuction is particularly helpful in this case. It is only in the case of pseudogynecomastia that liposuction alone is required. Often pseudogynecomastia is due to obesity, and in this case, it is a good idea to hit the gym before planning on surgery. Because overdevelopment of the male breast can also be caused by various drugs or other health conditions, it will be important to explore your medical history in our consultation. Breast reduction surgery can reduce social anxiety,  improve your appearance and boost your self confidence. And it works better than that manssiere!

Call Melinda at 501-227-0707 for a consultation in order to find out about all your options.