The Truth About Male Breast Enlargement

October 15, 2018

When you’re down at Jamaica Beach or Galveston hanging out and a guy walks by with larger than normal breasts, your friends may snicker to each other and allude to his “man boobs.” Some men even refer to their own chest this way.

It’s common to think the larger breasts are simply due to carrying some extra weight, and this can be the case. But in around half of those men you’d be wrong with that assumption — they have a condition known as male breast enlargement, clinically known as gynecomastia.

Gynecomastia can really impact a man’s self-esteem, making him avoid things like going to the beach or taking his shirt off for a backyard volleyball game on a hot Houston Saturday.

Dr. Barrera can address the condition with male breast reduction.

What Causes Gynecomastia?

Most people don’t know this, but gynecomastia is relatively commonplace in teenagers. Up to 70 percent of adolescent/pubescent boys have enlarged breasts to some degree. In teens, the culprit is obvious: rampaging testosterone and estrogen levels. As these levels fluctuate wildly during puberty, so can breast size and other issues that are linked to hormone levels such as facial hair.

In adults, middle-aged and older men can also develop enlarged breasts due to hormone changes that come with aging. But more often gynecomastia comes from taking certain medications. It’s especially true if a man has been taking steroids to “bulk up,” which is typical of some bodybuilders. These are the other medications known to have a link to gynecomastia:

Antibiotics
Heartburn treatment drugs
Anti-anxiety drugs
Tricyclic antidepressants
AIDS treatment drugs

Heavy drinking and smoking marijuana can also lead to gynecomastia.

Male Breast Reduction Surgery

Men with gynecomastia have a firm, rubbery mass underneath the nipple area. The size of this mass is around 1.5 inches across and it may be sensitive to the touch.

If surgery is required, small incisions are made in the armpits or around the areolae. Through those incisions, excess fat and glandular tissue are removed and excess skin is trimmed. Dr. Barrera may also include liposuction to remove fat pockets. If excess fat is the key, the patient may only need liposuction.