Myths and Realities about Gynecomastia

Many men suffer from Gynecomastia. What is it? Do you have any idea? Well, Gynecomastia or ‘Man Boobs’ is a benign enlargement of the male breasts. To put it in simple words, it’s an abnormal development of the mammary glands or glandular tissues. It might affect a single breast or both breasts in men. It might not have an impact on the overall health of a person, but it can affect a man’s self-esteem to a great extent.

Understanding the Medical Condition 

Technically speaking, Gynecomastia is the enlargement of the breast glandular tissues. Sometimes the enlargement takes place unevenly. Gynecomastia is experienced by adolescent males as a temporary medical condition. There is certain misinformation related to it. Hence, it’s important to debunk those myths and present reality. Only then a person suffering would be able to make an informed decision.

Myth 1: No Treatment for Gynecomastia

Some people believe that there is no treatment available for Gynecomastia. It’s not true at all. In case you are suffering from this condition, you should talk to a plastic surgeon immediately. Depending on the severity of the condition, your surgeon could suggest you with Male Breast Reduction or Liposuction surgery.

Myth 2: It’s caused By Excess Fat

Another myth about Gynecomastia is that it’s caused by excessive fat deposition. People tend to get confused as a good number of people who are overweight have excessive breast tissue. Often, fat deposition makes the breast look big. However, the fat deposition shouldn’t be confused with the enlargement of glandular and breast tissue. The truth is fat is not the only case for the development of breast tissue in males. Imbalance of hormones is another contributing factor for breast tissue development. Male breast tissue develops when the level of estrogen increases.

Myth 3: Alcohol Gives Rise to Gynecomastia

This myth needs to be addressed trickily. Often people connect alcohol consumption with gynecomastia. Although alcohol consumption might not be directly linked with the enlargement of breast tissue in males, it can affect indirectly. For instance, drinking alcohol damage the liver. This, in turn, impedes the organ’s ability to transform hormones, which leads to breast tissue enlargement. Studies have shown that IPA beer consists of hops in them. Hops contain a high amount of phytoestrogen that causes hormonal imbalances in men. Due to hormonal imbalances, men suffer from Gynecomastia.

Myth 4: Diet and Exercise Melts Away the Excess Tissue

One common misconception that people have about Gynecomastia is that it’s a fat problem. Hence, some people focus on increasing the amount of physical exercise to tone down the chest. Well, exercise might work if the enlarged breast is because of the fat tissues. But as gynecomastia is the abnormal development of breasts, burning off the glandular tissue is not possible. Most men will agree with the fact that the path towards a flat chest is to consult an experienced plastic surgeon right away. These are some myths associated with Gynecomastia. To get a bigger picture of this medical condition, book an appointment with your plastic surgeon today.

Myth 5: It is an uncommon condition

It is not an uncommon condition. The prevalence of gynecomastia may be approximately 65 percent in the general population.

Myth 6: Man’s boobs will return after surgery

Once gynecomastia is eliminated through surgery, the problem is fixed permanently. It can be seen to recur if a patient gains weight again adding to the fat in the chest.