What Is Gynecomastia?
One thing a lot of men quietly suffer from are man boobs or “puffy nipples”. Man boobs can be from excess fat on the body, but something that can enhance the “man boob” look is a condition called gynecomastia, which is the enlargement of the glandular tissue of the male breast.
It can occur during infancy and puberty and is due to a hormonal imbalance in the body like having excess estrogen compared to androgens.
It can be due to use of anabolic steroids, antibiotics, opioids, soy products, anti-anxiety medicine and more.
A lot of men just never “grow” out of it and have the excess fat in their chest forever. It’s just in their genes.
You can tell if you have gynecomastia if you can feel fatty tissue beneath your nipples and if they are more pronounced than your other male counterparts.
Gynecomastia affects about half of pubescent boys and two-thirds of men older than 50.
It’s a lot more common than you think and a lot of men are choosing to go under the knife at reputable cosmetic surgery clinics who specialize in this kind of surgery.
The operation involves removing the fatty tissue in the chest and sculpting the area so it looks natural or even more pleasing to the eye.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson admitted to getting gynecomastia surgery in 2005.
For a lot of men this really hurts self-esteem and they wind up limiting themselves to certain activities such as not wearing very form fitting clothes, not going to the beach or swimming pool, and even affects their love life.
Can You Cure It?
For some males who develop it at puberty, it can go away on it’s own. For men who’ve had it until their 20’s it might not every go away but you can certainly reduce the appearance of them.
If you are wondering how to get rid of man boobs there are a few things you can start with.
Some wear compression shirts to hide the protruding-nipple or bulge appearance.
The best way is dieting and exercising to burn off excess fat.
Incorporating weight training, especially for the chest is a good strategy, but being careful not to overdo the chest muscle.
Some supplements are available as well but many are just not that effective.
Surgery To Get Rid Of Gynecomastia
If visiting a doctor, you might get referred to a endocrinologist to treat hormone related problems.
If it’s something that is a strain on your well-being you can go visit a cosmetic surgeon and see what they say.
If you are interested in getting gynecomastia surgery, it’s a good idea to lose excess fat, as you will get better results post-operation.
Exercising is recommended even if you don’t plan to have cosmetic surgery done.
If you suffer from man boobs or gynecomastia you should:
- Avoid alcohol as this can make symptoms worse
- Stop any illegal drugs such as anabolic steroids, marijuana, and heroin.
- Check if certain medications could be causing it
- Get on a weight loss program
- Avoid supplements promising to cure gynecomastia.
If you believe you have gynecomastia than don’t hesitate to consult with a doctor on ways to treat it.