Male Breast - How To Treat It?

One of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the world today is that of breast augmentation or reduction. This is a fairly common surgery wherein depending on the requirement of the patients; the breasts are either made bigger with the help of implants or reduced in size by excising fat and tissue. Although a majority of these patients are female, there are an increasing number of male patients, who opt for male breast surgery as well.

The need for male breast surgery-

The requirement for male breast surgery arises due to the occurrence of Gynecomastia or the development of male breasts. In this condition, fat and glandular tissues are stored within the male chest in the pattern of female breasts, thus giving it a feminine look. This is a common occurrence among men and can be a cause of social embarrassment for the man as well as affecting his self-esteem. Some of the causes for gynecomastia or male breasts would be –

1. Excessive Weight Gain.

2. Hormonal changes within the body where testosterone levels drop due to conditions such as ‘Hypogonadism’ (in men, the inability of the testicle’s to function correctly) and estrogen levels increase.

3. Medications used to treat other disorders such as certain anti -depressants, cancer medication, and anti-anxiety medications among others.

4. Excess consumption of alcohol and certain drugs.

5. Hyperthyroidism (excess thyroid secretion by the thyroid gland).

It isn’t always just fat!

While many people tend to blame male breasts due to the accumulation of fat, this may not be the case always. Even skinny or people with an athletic build may notice misshapen chest that has more of a feminine appearance and thus would like to correct that. This is obviously caused by hormonal factors and genetics of body shape as well rather than just being obese or overweight.

Types of Male Breast Surgery-

Male breast surgery revolves around breast reduction and contouring to give it a more flat and toned look. This can be achieved in either of these ways:

1. Liposuction – This is a fairly common procedure and is minimally invasive; meant to suck out the fat through a small opening on the skin. With the help of liposuction, doctors can easily contour your chest to have a more masculine look by removing the excess fat. This procedure is a very popular one as it takes less time to recover and also isn’t invasive. However, this is used as an option for male breast surgery when the problem isn’t acute.

2. Surgery to remove excess tissues and fat – If the male breasts have excessive glandular tissue and the problem is acute, a more extensive form of surgery wherein the glandular tissue is excised may be required. However, this is also not very invasive and you can get back to your regular routine within a few days after surgery.