Gynecomastia is a Term Men Should Get to Know
- Posted on: Nov 30 2019
Doctors and other healthcare providers have a specific language they use when discussing cases. The terms that are sprinkled into conversations are technical or clinical in nature, which is not of much value in the doctor/patient dialogue. What is of value is understanding. For this reason, we do want to increase awareness regarding the term gynecomastia.
Virtually no man, unless he is in the medical field, will say “I have gynecomastia.” Even once a man knows that gynecomastia is the clinical term for enlarged male breasts, he’s much more likely to use common terminology like “man boobs,” as hurtful as that may sound, to describe his concern. “Man boobs” sounds hurtful because we don’t expect a man to have breasts. What we need to understand, though, is that men do have breast tissue, and that can lead to problems.
All people have breast tissue, but we only think of women as having breasts. This is because, in general, they do. In contrast to the fullness of female breasts, the male chest is flatter and more muscular. This can change based on several factors. In some instances, male breasts enlarge in relation to weight. There are two reasons why. First, more weight means more fatty tissue everywhere. Also, when a man surpasses a certain body mass index, he is likely to experience an imbalance in the ratio of testosterone to estrogen. Where the male hormone once dominated, the female hormone now does.
Gynecomastia isn’t always a weight issue nor is it solely a weight issue. Hormone imbalance may occur for many reasons. Rather than spend time in search of the why, men are now expediting their way to the what, as in what to do about gynecomastia.
What Can be Done about Male Breasts?
To reduce male breasts, we literally reduce them. With surgery. The process may be different for every man depending on the severity of enlargement and how long the problem has existed. Some of the techniques that are commonly performed include:
- Liposuction, which extracts fat cells from the breasts.
- Breast gland excision to remove the source of puffiness.
- Tissue excision, which is somewhat like a breast lift to create smooth chest contours.
Thinking Outside the Box
There is one more way in which male breast reduction may be performed. Dr. Shridharani has developed a technique called Surgery in a Syringe, in which Kybella is injected into a part of the body to naturally destroy excess fat cells. Some patients have had great success using this technique to resolve gynecomastia.
Every person deserves to feel comfortable in their appearance. If you’re ready to boost your confidence, call our NYC office for a male breast reduction consultation.
Posted in: Gynecomastia (Male Breast Reduction), Male Aesthetic Surgery
