Living with Gynecomastia

Early Living with Gynecomastia

Living with gynecomastia is a daily struggle. There is a time in every male’s life, usually before puberty, when you feel comfortable about your body without any worries. Then things change. Comments are made and you note them. You suddenly realize your chest is different than other adolescent boys and you are embarrassed by it. You begin to hide your chest from family and friends. You avoid the shirts vs. skins game and swimming is avoided altogether. Certain social situations are ignored, and you might experience social isolation. Clothes become heavier, very loose, and are usually worn with a t-shirt. Even in the heat of the summer, your clothes remain largely the same as colder months.

As time passes, living with excess breast tissue can causes changes to your posture. In an attempt to de-emphasize the enlarged chest, the shoulders slouch forward, causing a rounding of the back and shoulders. The male breast may become tender and painful which can be limiting in other ways. This tenderness can persist for years.

Adults Living with Gynecomastia

Living with gynecomastia becomes a way of life: adaptation, compromise, and protection of one’s self-esteem. This might work for some men, but many have a very difficult time feeling self conscious about their gynecomastia, or man boobs. Many adolescent males seek gynecomastia surgery, while others live with it in the hope that working out and building up the chest muscles will cure the problem. Unfortunately, even the best workout routine will not reduce the breast gland tissue. The males with financial means and the desire to have surgery change this, but the others live with hiding their chests.

Fatherhood

This can become a problem for dads with gynecomastia; they might decline to participate in their children’s outdoor activities, like swimming or going to the beach, due to the embarrassment of their own enlarged breast tissue. This can become an issue for the family, and is a common reason for men to seek gynecomastia surgery in older ages.

Drug-Induced Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia caused by anabolic steroids is one of the most common causes of drug-induced gynecomastia. These men are in pursuit of the perfect male physique. Little do they know that this type of drug can sabotage their goals. Once the gynecomastia breast gland develops, it does not go away without surgery. Living with this condition might prevent one from exposing the body they worked so hard to develop.

Living with gynecomastia is difficult and affects more men than you might realize. The Gynecomastia.org community is here for support and solutions. We welcome your stories, we welcome you to our forums to discuss any issues, and we welcome you to consult with us for more advice.

Welcome to Gynecomastia.org.

Miguel A. Delgado, MD
Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon
Gynecomastia Specialist
San Francisco, CA
www.dr-delgado.com

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