Men With Breasts.

Men with breasts. The enigma that is Gynecomastia.

Definition: Gynecomastia may be simply defined as excessive breast tissue within the male breast. Note, the definition does not say “fatty tissue” within the male breast. Gynecomastia has nothing to do with being over weigh or fat. It is excessive breast tissue within the male breast itself. It can occur in thin men or fat men with equal distribution in men of all shapes and sizes and race.

Causes of Gynecomastia: Gynecomastia may be caused by the usual hormonal imbalance between estrogens and androgen associated with puberty. In the vast majority of cases this is transient but for no known reason, it can be persistent and account for up to 25% of all adult Gynecomastia.

Certain illicit drugs, most particularly marijuana and the anabolic steroids and medications used by body builders, can also give rise to male breasts which can be bilateral or, less often, unilateral -- on one side only.

Another cause of male breasts, particularly in older men, are raised estrogens levels brought about by increased aromatization of testosterone. This is particularly so where there is age or alcohol related liver damage.

Klinefelter’s disease is another rare cause of this condition, as is testicular cancer. However, in the vast majority of cases of Gynecomastia, the defect is idiopathic. ‘Idiopathic’ is doctor speak for not knowing what the cause is. But, rather than admit this, doctors prefer to lapse into a strange language.

Treatment of Gynecomastia. The treatment for male breasts is nothing short of a major Internet industry. But be very careful here. This is one of those shark infested areas of cyberspace seething with charlatans and their cleverly written copy of false promises of hyped up miracle cures. The short answer is that there is no medicine, no hormonal gel, no herb, no exercises, no “system” of massage or any treatment that will make the slightest difference what-so-ever to reducing your “gyno” or reduce it by even a fraction of a millimetre.

The only proven way to permanently get rid of Gynecomastia is through a cosmetic surgery procedure to remove the excess breast tissue and underlying fat. Liposuction can be used to do some of this however it has to be done by a surgeon who has hundreds of these operations behind him or her and who knows exactly how much tissue needs to be excised. Do your research very carefully and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Also ask for the names of some ex-patients who have had the operation at you chosen clinic. This will probably be refused unless they have the permission of some loyal clients, but I have seen lots of helpful blogger’s sites with very useful information on this difficult and sometimes embarrassing problem.