Breast appearance can be a concern for both women and men, but for different reasons. While women may seek plastic surgery to reshape, lift or augment their breasts, men with gynecomastia are concerned with the appearance of excess breast tissue. Millions of men and teenage males are impacted by gynecomastia each year and some choose to consider breast reduction surgery to reshape their chest for a more masculine appearance.

What Is Gynecomastia?

Hormones have a significant impact on the body, especially the “sex” hormones like estrogen and testosterone. In males, testosterone is the prominent hormone, but estrogen is still present. Gynecomastia is a condition in men and teenage boys where estrogen levels become too high, stimulating the growth of breast tissue.

Gynecomastia is caused by a male hormone imbalance – the most common causes of this imbalance are puberty and aging. However, there are other possible causes that can trigger higher levels of estrogen in men of all ages, including:

• Obesity
• Drug use – anabolic steroids, heroin, cannabis
• Thyroid issues
• Testicle damage
• Kidney or liver problems
• Cancer

The cause of gynecomastia is not always apparent, but if the cause can be determined, treating that condition can help rebalance the hormones. In many cases, especially in teenage boys, gynecomastia improves on its own and the breast tissue shrinks in size. However, even with hormone therapy or gynecomastia treatment, many men are left with enlarged breasts that can impact their appearance.

Breast Reduction Surgery for Gynecomastia

When treatment does not shrink the breast tissue, many men with gynecomastia are unhappy with the appearance of their chest. To restore a more masculine chest, breast reduction surgery and/or liposuction can be performed if the gynecomastia has lasted for more than six months.

Gynecomastia breast reduction surgery techniques depend on the extent of breast enlargement. Some men can undergo liposuction to remove fatty tissue to flatten the breasts without requiring a mastectomy or breast tissue removal. If there is excess glandular breast tissue, breast reduction surgery or a mastectomy may be performed. In some cases, excess skin may need to be removed and the nipple may need to be repositioned to create a natural, masculine chest appearance.

Dr. Mark Jones offers his expertise to provide breast reduction surgery or liposuction for men with gynecomastia. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your chest due to male breast enlargement, contact Dr. Mark Jones to schedule a consultation.