Letty's Liposuction Directory

Diminish my "Man Boobs" – Please!

Author: Letty's Staff Writer

Man Boobs are a common way to say:

1. Men with breasts, or
2. Male breasts, or
3. Men Boobs, or
4. Dude Boobs, or
5. even... "Moobs".

More technically however the term is "gynecomastia" which literally means – men who have female breasts.

This article is for you men who have extra and unwanted development in your breast tissue. There is help for you... Because we here at Letty's Liposuction Directory really get that this condition is as emotionally painful as having too little breast tissue can be for women...

So, let's talk candidly about the problem and the potential fixes.

Why do I have man breasts?

Believe it or not that is not a simple question.

The answer will vary from person to person. However, this article aims at providing some clarity for you, and offering a useful starting point when answering that question for yourself.

Let's break things down a bit.

Adolescent-onset Gynecomastia:

Gynecomastia can be quite common and a normal part of the maturing processes in adolescent boys.

For these boys, it generally occurs when excess testosterone produced during the early years of adolescence is not adequately processed by the liver. And the testosterone NOT processed by the liver can be converted into estrogen-type hormones.

The manifestation of this can be slightly puffy, raised, and tender breast tissue.

Over time - the livers of most boys eventually adjust to these increased levels of testosterone and the symptoms disappear.

Unfortunately some boys aren't so lucky...

Less than 5 percent of adolescent boys who experience gynecomastia will have the persistent form of it. And generally if it persists there is an underlying reason. Potential causes for the post-adolescent, persistent form of gynecomastia are (but are not limited to):

1. Klinefelter's syndrome
2. Incomplete androgen sensitivity
3. Feminizing testicular or adrenal tumors
4. Hyperthyroidism
5. Obesity during adolescence
6. and even the abuse of some drugs have all been implicated in the development of persistent excess male breast tissue.

Adult-onset Gynecomastia:

For a number of reasons adult-onset gynecomastia is on the rise in the US. A few key factors are driving this growing trend.

1. Prescription Drugs. One factor to discuss is the rise of prescription drug-use globally. Unfortunately for many drugs, the side-effects are not at all desirable. Certain drugs that are used to treat depression, acid reflux, blood pressure, and prostate issues have all been implicated in adult development of man boobs.

2. Obesity. Another factor greatly influencing the trend for adult-onset breast tissue development is obesity. As you might suspect, high caloric, highly saturated fat diets compounded with a sedentary lifestyle are wreaking havoc not only with waistlines, but with unwanted breast development in men.

3. An Aging Population. The last factor which I will touch on here in this article, is the graying of America. Due to the aging of Baby Boomers in the US, many more men who are entering the aging population, will increasingly experience man boobs.

   As men get older they experience a decrease in testosterone production.

   This age-related loss of male hormone and the loss of other androgen-type hormones results in a subsequently loss of lean muscle mass and an increase in body fat storage. Body fat produces feminine-type hormones which all taken together can result in older men with softer and fuller breast tissue.

   In fact, up to 50% of elderly men will experience "man boobs". Not necessarily a problem, but it is definitely a factor influencing the increased prevalence of gynecomastia in the land.

Treatment Options

Whether your man boobs started before or after adolescence doesn't matter to you so much.

In the end you'd just like to get rid of them...

So the first step in the clinical evaluation of men with enlarged breast tissue is to determine whether the enlargement is due to benign gynecomastia or some other disorder.

For adult-onset gynecomastia - if a specific cause of man boobs can be found and treated during the active enlargement phase, there is a possibility that the enlargement can be reversed. BUT if your gynecomastia has been present for more than 1 year, it is NOT likely to go away...

In those cases surgical intervention is required.

Surgery as the Final Phase of Treatment

I entitled this section, "Surgery as the Final Phase of Treatment", because it is obvious that if underlying problems aren't identified and solved, then your man boobs may still re-appear after plastic surgery.

Why?... Because the man boob generator is still on-board.

Once you have gotten to the point where you can realistically consider surgery, your surgeon may do one of several things. He may discuss traditional breast reduction surgery with you (especially for men with extremely large breasts).

For those men with moderate breast size, power-assisted liposuction with a pull-through surgical technique may be able to address your appearance adequately.

What is the take-home here?

There are many reasons for the increasing prevalence of gynecomastia.

Despite the reasons for it - if you are among the many men who are considering a surgical solution, be sure to consult your primary health-care provider to ensure that any underlying issues have been resolved.

When you do get to the point where you are looking for a surgeon - always be sure to select one who is a board-certified plastic surgeon AND who has tons of experience in successfully treating gynecomastia.

You don't want to be someone's guinea pig... just makes sense.

About Injection Lipolysis References:

• "Liposuction; New Liposuction research from F. lista and co-researchers described." Life Science Weekly. vol.22 (Apr. 2008): 1942. eLibrary (Apr. 2011).

• "Gynecomastia; Psychotherapist releases book on medical condition that causes boys, men to grow breasts." Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week. 12 Aug 2006: 1261. eLibrary (03 Apr. 2011).

• Nuttal, Frank Q. "Gynecomastia." Mayo Clinic Proceedings. vol. 10 (2010): 961. eLibrary (May 2011).

• "More 'moob jobs' [Edition 2]." Times of London. 31 Jan 2011: 4. eLibrary (03 Apr. 2011).