The use of anabolic steroids in bodybuilding is notorious to the point of being synonymous. But the trend is not limited to the sport’s competing athletes or bodybuilders only; even the regular gym-going Joe and hobbyists are onboard the steroid train. What’s more alarming is the reports on the rising numbers of its use among teenagers.
What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic steroids are essentially synthetic variations of the male sex hormone, testosterone and often used to build muscles. Healthcare professionals prescribe them to address hormonal issues such as delayed puberty and muscle loss caused by diseases.
But it is the misuse and abuse of these drugs that often form the headlines. For professional bodybuilders or even anyone who’s looking to put on some muscles, these drugs may seem to be the “miracle” supplement and dismally, even a staple diet.
Side effects
One of the most common side effects is roid rage. Although it is not classified as an official medical condition, the root of this issue can be linked to the misuse of anabolic steroids as they can cause extreme irritability. In women, common side effects include reduced breast size, deepening of the voice and the growth of facial and body hair, among others.
In men, they include shrunken testicles, decreased sperm count, baldness, acne and even gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is the enlargement of the breast tissue in men. The cause of this condition is hormone imbalance, primarily the rise in estrogen levels. The abuse of anabolic steroids causes this increase and overtime, men will develop oversized breast tissues resulting in the, not only embarrassing but at times also painful, condition.
Although exercise won’t help, stopping the use of anabolic steroids is the first step in preventing the condition from evolving further. For those already affected, help comes in the form of Gynecomastia Surgery.
Gynecomastia Surgery
Gynecomastia surgery, usually done in the form of liposuction or mastectomy, involves the removal of excess fat and glandular tissue. This tightens the skin leaving a more contoured and flatter chest. The procedure usually takes around one to two hours and recovery typically varies with each patient.
Muscle up without steroids
Taking anabolic steroids to build muscles knowing that there is a high probability of getting Gynecomastia is certainly not an option. Instead, there are other ways to achieve your goals. These include:
Proper nutrition and dietary habits
Custom-tailored (gym) training programmes
Getting enough rest
Additional supplementation like whey proteins
and more.
Regardless of gender, a beautiful or more defined physique is arguably a common goal. If bodybuilding is your hobby, by all means, pile those muscles on. But do it the right and do it the safe way.
Man boobs or ‘moobs’ might sound like a joke or a made-up word even, but for many men, it is a real problem that’s far from being a laughing matter. This condition can also be an indication of underlying health problems. So why do men get them? Let’s explore some possible causes.
Obesity – Fat Is An Issue
Obesity as we know it, is the cause of many health problems, gynecomastia included. It lowers testosterone levels, causes havoc to your muscle-to-fat ratio and more estrogen hormones are produced resulting in the appearance of man boobs. So watch what you eat, when you eat and pen in some exercise time into your schedule. Seek help to combat obesity especially if it runs in the family.
Bad Diet – What You Eat And What You Don’t Eat
On the subject of food, a bad dietary habit is also a probable cause. Now the term bad dietary habit not only implies the kind of food you eat but equally important the ones that you don’t. What it means is – do not deprive your body of the essential nutrients it needs because when you do, your testosterone levels plummet resulting as already mentioned in man boobs.
Steroids – Let’s jack up the gains
In the pursuit to achieve that close to perfect physique, a man would at times do just about anything. Pumping iron and sweating it out in the gym is good but illegal steroids are not. The common uses of anabolic steroids are for bulking up and performance enhancement. While side effects such as roid rage seem to take center stage most of the time, other equally pressing side effects such as gynecomastia or man boobs should not be ignored. Note that this can occur with legal steroids as well so always remember that there are no shortcuts to success!
Natural Herbs And Oils – A Natural Disaster Waiting To Happen
With the increasing awareness of the importance of health, natural products are commonplace on the food shelves of supermarkets including the grooming section. While going au naturel when it comes to the latter is commendable – do read the ingredients label. When applied topically in large amounts, products such as lavender and tea tree oils can lead to the appearance of man boobs. These are commonly found in shampoos, lotions and soaps, and while the notion may seem far-fetched to the uninformed individual, it can happen. These and some other plant oils contain estrogen-like properties which dull the effects of the androgen hormones, resulting in gynecomastia.
Bad Habits – Alcohol And Cigarettes Are Not The Best Of Pals
Arguably two common bad habits among people are drinking and smoking. While it is fine to indulge in some alcoholic bevvies once in a while but binge and excessive drinking are not. Alcohol affects the liver’s ability to get rid of excess estrogen and when it can’t function effectively, it may also start converting androgens into estrogens resulting in man boobs. Smoking also causes hormone imbalance and like excessive drinking will eventually result in gynecomastia.
Because Your Dad & Grandpa Might Have Them
The cause of gynecomastia or man boobs may be due to to hormones. There are steps and precautions that you can take to help your body produce the right amount and balance like a healthy diet and lifestyle for example. It is important to take care of your body as after all, when you help it to stay well, it reciprocates by helping you to feel and look well, and avoid the dreaded man boobs.
You probably love breasts, as long as you’re not the one sporting them. More and more men are lining up to get rid of their man boobs or “moobs.”
When The Bench Press Isn’t Enough To Reduce The Moobs
If those hours of cardio and bench-presses don’t seem to be helping, perhaps you might have a medical issue. Meet clinical gynecomastia, the enemy of every guy’s dream chest. It can result from a hormonal imbalance or elevated levels of estrogen and lowered levels of testosterone. It’s usually not a serious problem and may go away on its own.
However, if you think you have man-boobs gynecomastia and it continues to persist, you should visit a doctor. If it’s not your chest that’s bothering, it must be your gut. The trouble with trying to lose weight is the whole process can be pretty stressful when it’s not working out – and stress actually sparks cravings for carbohydrate-rich snack foods.
Despite your best efforts, areas such as the hips, buttocks, and thighs are more resistant to weight loss, which is usually more obvious on the face and upper body. In addition, fat can be unevenly distributed causing certain areas to be more out of proportion than others.
Gynecomastia is frequent during three phases in the age distribution curve: the neonatal period, pubertal period and adulthood. Affecting nearly 70 percent of adolescent boys and 65 percent of middle-aged and older men, man-boobs gynecomastia is a common medical condition referring to the occurrence of enlarged glandular tissues. Adult men who are typically diagnosed with gynecomastia may experience swollen enlarged male breasts, chest tenderness, fibrous tissue beneath the nipples (in one or both breasts).
What are the causes?
Man-boobs gynecomastia often happens due to hormonal imbalance. Triggered by different factors, breast tissue can develop when a man’s testosterone level decrease and estrogen level increase. Age and massive weight loss are also commonly linked to gynecomastia.
Another cause is the use of medication, which results in 10 to 25 percent of such cases. This is commonly seen in bodybuilders, where anabolic steroids are commonly used to improve athletic performance and build muscles. This results in a chemical reaction where the anabolic steroids convert to estrogen-like (female-like) compounds. Using anabolic steroids may also reduce the average testosterone production, leading to hormonal imbalances that can stimulate the development of female-like breast tissue.
Continuous use will cause glandular tissue to develop, and unfortunately, once this tissue is formed, it is irreversible even if the steroids are stopped completely.
WILL EXERCISE CUT IT?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to get rid of gynecomastia just from working out. Most of the time, no amount of exercise or healthy eating can eradicate excess glandular tissue. In fact, many men have reported that as they lose the weight, the condition actually looks worse because the fatty tissue around the gland shrinks and the gland subsequently stands out more, making the flab more prominent than before.
IS THERE A SOLUTION?
The predominant way to treat man-boobs gynecomastia is through gynecomastia surgery. Depending on the clinical condition of the patient, the doctor will perform glandular tissue excision and liposuction to completely remove the enlarged glandular tissue and excess fat. The aim is to permanently remove the tissue and sculpt the chest area for a more defined physique.
Performed under local anesthesia in under two hours, patients can return home and resume normal activities within two to three days. Post-treatment, the area may feel sore but most patients are able to manage the discomfort level. A compression garment is advised to be used for the next four to six weeks, and patients are to avoid all forms of heavy lifting, gym works such as bench presses, push-ups and water activities that may hinder the recovery process.
If you have gynecomastia — the medical term for “man boobs” — you’re far from alone. In fact, an estimated 30% of men experience gynecomastia in their lifetime, according to a 2014 study.
Man-boobs gynecomastia is frequent during three phases in the age distribution curve: the neonatal period, pubertal period, and adulthood”, he shares, adding. The prevalence of asymptomatic gynecomastia in neonates is estimated to be between 60 and 90%. The second physiological peak of occurrence is at puberty between the ages of 10 and 16 years.
In fact, approximately 50–60% of adolescents have been estimated to have gynecomastia. Fortunately, most cases in the above 2 groups regress spontaneously, but then it seems to return, with the last peak in incidence of gynecomastia seen in men 50–85 years of age, with a reported prevalence of up to 70%.
But even though gynecomastia is common, many men still find it embarrassing — particularly during the summer months, when you’re more likely to hit the beach or poolside BBQ.
That may be why, per a new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast reduction surgeries are on the rise among men. According to the report, male breast reduction surgeries have increased by 30% over the past five years, more than any other plastic surgery procedure for men.
Why are men having more plastic surgery?
In general, cosmetic surgery among men is on the rise. According to the ASPS report, more than 1.3 million men went under the knife in 2017 — an overall 30% increase from the number of men who got work done in 2000.
Guys seem to be most interested in body contouring procedures: liposuction procedures have increased by 23%, and tummy tucks increased by 12%. And surprisingly, men between the ages of 20 and 29 account for 35% of male cosmetic surgeries, says Jeffrey Janis, MD, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “More men in their younger years are taking up a larger share of the total number of procedures,” Janis told MensHealth.com.
As MensHealth.com previously reported in an investigation on the rise of Brotox (a.k.a. botulinum toxin injection for men), the rising rates of plastic surgery among men could have something to do with our social media-obsessed culture, which puts equal pressure on men and women to look young and fit. It could also stem from the increasing lack of stigma surrounding plastic surgery in general, says Janis.
“As more men talk about it amongst themselves and with their significant others, it becomes less stigmatized,” says Janis. “When you see your colleagues, friends and family looking better, feeling better, and talking about their results, it can open the door to you envisioning how you can benefit from the procedure.”
What is gynecomastia?
While plastic surgery rates are increasing across the board among men, male breast reduction surgeries have had the biggest spike, increasing by 30% over the past five years. Janis says this could be due to an increase in diagnoses in recent years of gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia, or man breast reduction surgery is defined as benign proliferation of glandular tissue of the breast in males, resulting in a concentric enlargement of one or both breasts. The most common cause of gynecomastia is physiological with no specific identifiable factor. However, it can also be caused by hormone imbalance, drugs, and medical illness such as tumours, liver disorders and others.
In many cases, losing weight or taking prescription medication can help reduce the appearance of breasts. But surgery is one of the more permanent ways to treat the condition.
That’s why many guys are opting for the procedure, says Marwan Khalifeh, a D.C.-area cosmetic surgeon.
“They want to migrate toward what’s considered the ideal male figure, which does not include overdeveloped breasts,” Khalifeh told the Chicago Tribune earlier this year.
What is breast reduction surgery?
Also known as reduction mammoplasty, breast reduction surgery is an outpatient procedure that’s typically performed with local anesthesia. It involves a surgeon making an excision around the nipple and removing excess tissue and fat from the breasts.
Like any surgical procedure, breast reduction surgery doesn’t come without risks, such as bleeding, infection, or an adverse reaction to anesthesia; patients may also have reduced nipple sensitivity and scarring after the surgery.
But Janis says breast reduction surgery is among the more permanent ways to treat gynecomastia, as well as the most successful: according to a 2017 study in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, which followed a group of more than 300 men who had been surgically operated on for gynecomastia, 100% of patients in the study reported no recurrence of gynecomastia and had high levels of satisfaction post-surgery.
What to do if you’re considering plastic surgery
If you have man-boobs gynecomastia and you’re thinking about going under the knife for breast reduction surgery or any other type of procedure, make sure to do your research.
“The most important factor in plastic surgery – the one that determines your safety and outcome – is your choice of plastic surgeon,” says Janis. “Get a second and third opinion. Review before and after pictures. And find a plastic surgeon that listens well and communicates clearly.”
That’s why you can never be too careful in choosing your surgeon or procedure.
“Plastic surgery is real surgery. It’s important to do your homework,” says Janis.
You should also find out about the doctor’s experience in treating your condition, as well as treatment options offered that best suit your needs. And don’t forget about the after-care treatment available to ensure a good recovery.
