Growth of the breast tissue in men is common and is called gynecomastia. This condition often occurs during puberty and in many occasions resolves spontaneously. It can also occur in old age in which case it is unlikely to resolve but rarely requires treatment.

In people under the age of 20 treatment is rarely performed as the condition is likely to improve. In most cases the cause for the condition remains uncertain (idiopathic gynecomastia) and is has generally been attributed to an inbalance in sex hormones or the tissue unresponsiveness to them

However there are a number of factors that can produce the condition which need to be excluded. These include generalised weight gain. This is known as pseudogynecomastia and is best treated by judicious weight loss. Other causes include:

• Medication- the following drugs are believed to cause gynecomastia:
  • Cimetidine, Omeprazole, Spirinolacte and Cannabis

• Increase in the production of the female hormone estrogen
  • This occurs in certain testicular tumours and in patients with hyperthyroidism

• Decrease in the production of the male hormone testosterone
  • This can be caused by genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome. Diseases of the hypothalamus or pituitary can also lead to low testosterone levels. Abuse of anabolic steroids has a similar effect.

It is important to remember that in the vast majority of cases no cause is found for the condition. In many cases other male members of the family have the condition and it can be considered hereditary.

Treatment

If you are overweight it is sensible to try and loose weight as this will reduce the fatty content of the breast tissue. In some cases this will not reduce the fullness in the area as it is composed of breast tissue rather than fatty tissue.

Exercising and building up the pectoralis muscled under the breast may make the condition worse. This is because it makes the muscle bigger and thicker but has little effect on the overlying breast tissue.

There a number of medications that are reported to reduce gynecomastia. There is little evidence that they are effective but they may be worth trying in the first instance as they are unlikely to cause any harm.

Surgical reduction of gynecomastia is possible and is either performed by fat reducing or excisional techniques. Liposuction is the main fat reducing technique and is works best on people with generalised prominence in the area without excessive skin laxity. Advantages of liposuction include minimal downtime and very little scarring. The scarring is limited to 2-3 short incisions approximately 5mm in length located at the edges of the breast tissue.

In excisional techniques skin is removed along with breast tissue. This technique is best reserved for people with significant skin looseness as it will reduce this. On the downside it does involve more scarring than liposuction. This is usually located around the nipple but can extend down the fold under the breast.

After Your Surgery

Whether you’ve had excision with a scalpel or liposuction, you will feel some discomfort for a few days after surgery. However, discomfort can be controlled with medications prescribed by your surgeon. In any case, you should arrange to have someone drive you home after surgery and to help you out for a day or two if needed.

You’ll be swollen and bruised for awhile–in fact, you may wonder if there’s been any improvement at all. To help reduce swelling, you’ll probably be instructed to wear an elastic pressure garment continuously for a week or two, and for a few weeks longer at night. Although the worst of your swelling will dissipate in the first few weeks, it may be three months or more before the final results of your surgery are apparent.

In the meantime, it is important to begin getting back to normal. You’ll be encouraged to begin walking around on the day of surgery, and can return to work when you feel well enough–which could be as early as a day or two after surgery. Any stitches will generally be removed about 1 to 2 weeks following the procedure.

Your surgeon may advise you to avoid sexual activity for a week or two, and heavy exercise for about three weeks. You’ll be told to stay away from any sport or job that risks a blow to the chest area for at least four weeks. In general, it will take about a month before you’re back to all of your normal activities.

You should also avoid exposing the resulting scars to the sun for at least six months. Sunlight can permanently affect the skin’s pigmentation, causing the scar to turn dark. If sun exposure is unavoidable, use a strong sunblock.

Your New Look

Gynecomastia surgery can enhance your appearance and self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them frankly with your plastic surgeon.

The results of the procedure are significant and permanent. If your expectations are realistic, chances are good that you’ll be very satisfied with your new look.

To find out if you would be suitable for surgical treatment of gynecomastia it is best to see a specialist to discuss your options. At the Gatehouse Clinic a number of our surgeons have a special interest in gynecomastia surgery and would be more than happy to see you for a consultation in which the condition would be discussed and any of your questions answered. If you would like to arrange a consultation please contact us at the Gatehouse Clinic where your enquiry will be handled with the strictest confidence.

Gynecomastia is a common condition producing generalized enlargement of the male breast tissue.

It can be treated by Excisional techniques which involve an incision around the nipple allowing access to the enlarged tissue which is removed.

Liposuction techniques involve reducing the amount of breast tissue by suctioning it out via small incisions around the breast.

If you thought cosmetic surgery was reserved for Hollywood stars, you’re out of sync with the times. Nowadays it’s become a surprisingly affordable lifestyle choice for people from all walks of life. Here’s a look at some of the more common cosmetic procedures to help you decide if cosmetic surgery is for you.

Essentially, cosmetic surgery is a surgical procedure carried out to improve a person’s appearance. As such, it can be applied to any part of your body. But the most common are the various regions of the face, the breasts and the waist. Let’s look at each in turn.

The most famous facial surgery procedure is the facelift (rhytidectomy). The objective is to tighten up skin and smooth out the lines and wrinkles that time etches on your face. The end result is a more youthful appearance.

The second most common is the nose job (rhinoplasty). This works to bring balance to the face by changing the shape of your nose, by making it wider or narrower, for example. It’s also used to remove bumps in the nose.

Then there’s eye enhancement. This procedure centres on removing unsightly bags under the eyes.

Lesser known is ear surgery. This is for people who feel their ears are too prominent. The operation adjusts the shape of the ear cartilage so that the ear lies closer to the head.

Next is breast surgery which involves altering the size and/or position of the female breast. The most sought after procedure is breast enlargement which is achieved through implants. Another popular procedure is the uplift which corrects sagging breasts. Finally there’s breast reduction for women who suffer from back or shoulder pain due to excessive breast weight.

Finally, body surgery involves ways to improve the shape of the body, particularly the waist. The two most popular procedures here are tummy tucks and liposuction. The tummy tuck involves removing folds of overhanging skin and fatty tissue from around the midriff to give that smooth, tight, youthful look. For moderate weight reduction, liposuction is available. This involves the selective removal of fat cells by vacuum suction through a small metal tube inserted into the affected areas.

These are the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures. But in addition to the above, there are also more specialized procedures such as weight loss surgery, cosmetic surgery for men and anti-aging cosmetic surgery. Your surgeon can give you details of these.

In deciding whether to go ahead with cosmetic surgery, the first step is to consult a surgeon to determine whether you are a suitable candidate. The surgeon will take many factors into account such as your age, state of health, skin texture, bone structure and healing ability. Though most cosmetic surgery procedures are safe and carried out under local anaesthetic, there are risks involved and your surgeon will make you aware of them.

Another key factor is how realistic your expectations are about the results of your surgery. If you’re expecting to be transformed into a clone of Julia Roberts, you’re probably setting yourself up for disappointment. Results tend to be subtle rather than transformational and it’s important to remember this. However, they can be life changing too.

Some patients require neither a breast augmentation nor reduction. They have lost the elasticity of the skin of the breast either after pregnancy or weight loss. For these patients a breast lift is performed.

A breast lift, or mastopexy, is an operation to remove excess skin that has been stretched during pregnancy or weight fluctuation. The amount of skin removed is related to the degree of drooping of the breasts. Breast implants may by used at the same time when the breasts have lost substance due to pregnancy

Although there is some scarring with this procedure, women are pleased with the restructured shape and size of their breasts as well as with the way they appear in clothing and swimwear.

The patient undergoes general anesthesia with the surgery lasting three to four hours.

A breast lift surgery is normally safe when significant by a qualified surgeon. Significant complications from breast lifts are not frequent. Thousands of women go through surgery, without experiencing major problems and are pleased with the results.

Following a breast lift surgery, sometimes the breasts may not be perfectly symmetrical or the nipple may vary slightly, permanent loss of sensation in the nipples or areas of breast skin may occur rarely. Revisional surgery may be helpful where incisions have healed poorly. Bleeding and infection following a breast lift are not common, but they can cause scars to widen. You can reduce the risks by clearly following your physician’s advice before and after surgery.

Reasons for undergoing a breast lift: Breasts that lack substance or firmness. Some of the candidates have breasts that are pendulous, but of satisfactory size. Nipples and areolas that point downwards, especially if they are positioned below the breast crease. Loss of elasticity, weight loss, pregnancy and breast-feeding affect the shape and firmness of the breasts.

A breast lift surgery is normally safe when significant by a qualified surgeon. Significant complications from breast lifts are not frequent. Thousands of women go through surgery, without experiencing major problems and are pleased with the results. Following a breast lift surgery, sometimes the breasts may not be perfectly symmetrical or the nipple may vary slightly, permanent loss of sensation in the nipples or areas of breast skin may occur rarely. Revisional surgery may be helpful where incisions have healed poorly. Bleeding and infection following a breast lift are not common, but they can cause scars to widen. You can reduce the risks by clearly following your physician’s advice before and after surgery.

Even a few years ago, cosmetic surgeries were largely associated with rich and famous who desperately wanted to cling to their glamorous image as long as they live! But what do you make out of the news that a fifteen years old girl demanded a breast augmentation cosmetic surgery package for her sixteenth birthday? Well, this indicates to the latest trend: plastic surgery is no longer a domain explored by those in their middle ages, who have significantly lost their youthful grace due to growing age. Today, it is the teenagers that significantly occupy the cosmetic surgery market. Be it a breast augmentation or a rhynoplasty, a lip job or a male breast reduction surgery—-you will encounter hundreds of young faces queuing up the plastic surgery clinics in anticipation of a new enhanced look.

If you are asked to define cosmetic surgery, you may probably choose these words to describe the procedure: a procedure aimed at improving patient’s appearance and self-image. Yes, this concept of self image is extremely important when you come to explain the recent craze of the teenagers about plastic surgery. According to ASPS, among the US teenagers, the numbers of cosmetic surgery candidates are on a constant rise.

ASPS also reports varying reasons for which the teenagers resort to a plastic surgery. For the US teenagers, being acceptable in the peer group is a major stimulus for plastic surgery. Then comes the factor of self image; most of the young people opt for the procedure from the belief that certain changes will make them more attractive.

While reconstructive procedures correct defects on the face or body including the physical birth defects like cleft lips, palates or ear deformities and traumatic injuries, cosmetic procedures involve altering the appearance of a part of the body that the person happens to have a strong disliking.

The cosmetic procedures chosen most commonly by the teenagers include nose reshaping, ear surgery, acne and acne scar treatment, and breast reduction for boys and breast augmentation for girls.

Here are few things a teenager should remember before jumping into decision:

1. You should not take up surgery as an option just to please somebody else.

2. If you are too self conscious at this phase of your life just because the smallness or largeness of some part of your body, you must be informed that this is only a passing phase of your life and there are enough time left to your body taking just the right shape.

3. Never choose plastic surgery as a means to weight loss at this point of your life—instead try healthy diet and physical exercise.

4. There are certain cosmetic procedures that are not performed on the young patients. They include: Breast enlargement (not under 18), Liposuction and ultrasonic liposuction, Cheek implants (not under 15).

5. However, nose reshaping, ear pinback and removal of Gynecomastia are the commonest procedures that are commonly performed on the teenagers.

However, many cosmetic surgeons believe, that cosmetic surgeries can dramatically improve physical and emotional health of some teenagers. If you have taken your decision in favor of a cosmetic improvement, take your parents into confidence; visit the plastic surgeon along with your parents to get an overview of the expected results and possible complications or downsides to the surgery. In a nutshell, cosmetic surgery is not a subject that a teenager should jump into abrupt decision. Go for the surgery only when you know you have all the necessary facts.

Known by professionals as gynecomastia, the topic of male breast reduction is often thought of as too-taboo to discuss in public. Nonetheless, the condition is actually quite common, with 40 to 60 percent of males in the United States suffering from overly-enlarged breasts at some point in their lives. For many-especially adolescents-the condition may disappear after a matter or weeks or months. For others experiencing enlarged breasts, however, it may be medically necessary to undergo a male breast reduction.

While the most common cause of enlarged breasts in men is obesity, the affliction can also come about for a number of other reasons, including puberty, steroid abuse, genetic disorders, tumors, chronic liver disease, aging, and as a side effect of many prescription medications. Before someone suffering from enlarged breasts decides to go under the knife for a breast reduction, he should check with his doctor to ensure that his issues aren’t being caused by an outside factor, such as weight loss or switching medications.

What is male breast reduction?

Male breast reduction is a surgery performed by plastic surgeons to remove the fat and glandular tissue that create the illusion of large breasts in some men. Although the procedure most commonly involves a surgeon cutting into the skin with a singular incision to remove excess tissue, fat, and skin, it should be noted that the particulars of the procedure vary greatly based on each patient’s personal preferences, along with the cause of his problem.

For the majority of patients suffering from an excess in tissue, a male breast reduction surgery consists of a qualified surgeon making an incision around the areola or in the under arm area and cutting out excess glandular tissue. For an increasing number of patients, male breast reduction may be combined with liposuction, as well.

Although most patients will experience little to no scarring, those undergoing more major operations to remove excess fatty tissue are likely to need larger incisions that may take longer to heel.

Who are the best candidates for male breast reduction?

Men of any age can be considered for male breast reduction surgery, so long as they are both mentally and physically healthy and in good condition to undergo a major surgery. Many surgeons report that candidates with firm, elastic skin can expect to see the best results from gynecomastia, since their skin will likely be better able to reshape itself once the procedure has been performed.

Most importantly, men who are considering undergoing the surgery should be sure they have considered all other options-such as a change in diet, lifestyle, or prescription drug medications-as well undergone a full medical diagnosis to ensure the breasts did not enlarge due to a condition that needs to be treated separately. Patients who smoke, drink, or use steroids may be asked to stay away from the stimulants for a period of time before surgery as well, since it is possible that the substances are what is causing the enlarged breast to begin with.

What are the benefits of male breast reduction?

For most patients, male breast reduction surgery is a permanent solution to a problem that may have been plaguing them for years. After just a few weeks of recovery, patients can expect to have a firmer, flatter, and contoured chest with little to no scarring. Most importantly, however, patients who have undergone a male breast reduction commonly report a high boost in self-confidence that can be sensed by those around them, whether their shirt is on or off.

What are the risks involved?

As with all major surgeries, patients undergoing gynecomastia should be prepared for a number of possible complications or risks, including unfavorable scarring, excess bleeding, blood clots, infection, skin discoloration, changes in nipple or breast sensation, and-if liposuction was used-the chance of uneven contours, rippling, or loose skin around the breast area. Smokers should be prepared to quit smoking at least one to two weeks before the surgery, since smoking can decrease circulation throughout the body and slow the amount of time it takes a patient to heal, thus upping the risk for infection.

For best results, patients should follow their surgeon’s instructions to a tee, and take the necessary time off of work during the healing process. If any abnormalities should arise, patients should seek medical help immediately.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care an appropriate health care provider.