Gynecomastia is when men have over developed breast tissue making their breasts appear more like a woman's breast. Sometimes these breasts on men can even produce milk. This is a fairly common condition in full grown males and even more common in elderly men who have experienced weight gain. The exact cause of gynecomastia is still not known but most doctors attribute the condition to an imbalance of sex hormones. Even though physically there are really no effects on the body, mentally the effect can be devastating. Many men afflicted with gynecomastia are very self conscious about taking their shirts off in public, wearing certain types of shirts or just a general inadequate feeling.
The best way to reverse the effects of Gynecomastia or, as it is more commonly described, man boobs is surgery. The surgery consists of removing fatty and glandular tissue from around the breast. In some cases the excess skin will have to be removed as well. After surgery the breast will have a flatter and firmer appearance. The surgery can be performed on men of any age but usually with adolescents doctors recommend waiting to see if the problem is temporary and corrects it self. Most doctors will recommend an exercise program before surgery, especially is the person is overweight or naturally has a higher body fat ratio.
As with any surgery there are always risks involved even though this procedure is considered quite minor these days and there are rarely any complications. The rare complications can range from infection to a permanent pigmentation change in the breast area or possibly breasts that are uneven. Post surgery numbness is common and can last for up to 6 months.
One of the biggest misconceptions of Gynecomastia is that with more exercise it will go away. This is not true, in fact, doing more exercise of the chest area will only make the condition worse. The fat and glands sit on top of the muscle so any chest building exercises will force the man boobs out more making them appear larger. There are specific exercises that have had some success but these are part of a specially designed program not simply bench press and push ups. Many men will try exercise on their own thinking that focusing on a standard chest building routine will slim down the area but it only increases the problem. As the problem increases so does their anxiety, depression and self consciousness over their appearance.
Gynecomastia surgery costs can vary but the average is around $3,000. This is not an option for some people because they just can not afford it. The surgery is elective and cosmetic so it is rarely covered under any insurance. For those with man boobs who want to try to minimize their appearance they should begin with researching a viable chest specific exercise program. There are a few available that were designed specifically for men with man boobs.
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