Gynecomastia is a condition that causes male breast enlargement. Excess breast tissue forms on a man’s chest and can result in the development of firm rounded breasts much like that of a woman. True gynecomastia usually requires surgical intervention to eliminate but if the condition is caused by obesity or is minimal, there are some non-surgical alternatives that may help. Read on to know about how to reduce breast size for men without surgery.
What Is Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is a condition that affects about 20% of the adult male population and is not directly related to obesity. Being overweight can compound the problem and make the breasts appear even larger. Gynecomastia does not respond to diet and exercise and unfortunately, there is no viable option for male breast reduction without surgery.
If a man is overweight, he may have enlarged breasts that resemble gynecomastia but his condition is referred to as “fatty gynecomastia” and is not the same. The tissue that has formed on the chest is composed of fat and not glandular breast tissue.
Causes of Gynecomastia
The root cause of gynecomastia stems from an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone in a male’s body. This imbalance causes glandular breast tissue to grow in the chest area and can grow large enough to resemble a female’s breasts.
This condition often causes a myriad of psychological issues as it is embarrassing and often causes the individual to remain isolated and avoid many social situations.
Males and females alike, have a natural supply of both testosterone and estrogen to help their bodies function properly. If a male’s hormone levels get out of balance, and estrogen becomes dominant, glandular male breast tissue can be produced.
Conditions that Can Create Estrogen Dominance in Males Resulting in Gynecomastia
- Puberty – males august 10 to 14 experience significant hormone swings as they transition through adolescence. Many young men experience temporary gynecomastia during this time but by the time they reach about age 17, the situation has resolved itself. Unfortunately, for 25% of these young men, gynecomastia is carried into adulthood and will most likely require surgical intervention to resolve. Currently, there is no effective men breast reduction without surgery for actual gynecomastia glandular breast tissue.
- Prescription medication and recreational drugs – certain prescription medications can increase estrogen dominance and cause gynecomastia as a side effect. The use of steroids or certain recreational drugs such as marijuana can also lead to the growth of excess glandular breast tissue in men.
- Obesity and gynecomastia – being overweight can create the appearance of gynecomastia but this is not a result of excess glandular breast tissue and is an overaccumulation of fat. This is known as “fatty gynecomastia” or “pseudo gynecomastia” and can be eliminated through diet, exercise, and other cosmetic procedures such as liposuction.
How To Know If a Male Breast Reduction Without Surgery Is Possible?
The most accurate way of determining if male breasts can be eliminated without surgery is to consult with a doctor. If the excess breast tissue is composed mainly of fat, it may be possible to reduce the appearance of gynecomastia without surgery.
True gynecomastia does not respond to diet and exercise because it is not caused by enlarged fat cells, it is made from breast tissue that is firm and fibrous.
In some cases, a man may be experiencing gynecomastia and fatty gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia Weight Loss
A side effect of obesity is excess estrogen production so in some cases an obese man may lose a significant amount of weight and then discover the presence of gynecomastia. This condition may require both surgical and non-surgical male breast reduction procedures.
Men Breast Reduction without Surgery Options
Treating fatty gynecomastia may be as simple as implementing lifestyle changes such as:
- Healthy diet – eating a healthy diet and avoiding artificial sources of estrogen-altering chemical additives can help keep hormones properly balanced.
- Physical exercise and lifting weights – Maintaining a healthy balance of physical exercise and working out can define the pectoral muscles and help sculpt the chest to look more masculine.
- Discontinuing the use of medication, recreational drugs, or steroids – certain prescription medications, steroids, and some recreational drugs are known to increase estrogen levels and often cause the growth of male breast tissue. Sometimes this will self-correct when these are discontinued.
- Avoid the use of excess alcohol – The consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol is a known cause of excess male breast tissue.
- Hormone therapy – treatments designed to balance hormones provided by a medical professional may help reduce and stop future growth of glandular male breast tissue.
- Gynecomastia weight loss – sometimes a reduction of weight through diet and exercise can decrease the size of fatty breast tissue.
Cosmetic Minimally-Invasive and Non-Surgical Procedures for Man Boobs
Advancing technology in cosmetic treatments offers some options for male breast reduction without surgery. Some of the available options include:
- Liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure offering different techniques to remove excess fat in the breast area. This is often done along with other treatments such as Bodytite to obtain optimal results.
- BodyTite – this minimally invasive procedure helps contour and shape areas of the body while also tightening, lifting, and reducing fat without a scalpel.
- PHYSIQ is a non-invasive treatment that uses state-of-the-art technology including electrical muscle stimulation to tone, refine and enhance areas that have not responded to diet and exercise and can be used to enhance pectoral muscles and create a more manly-looking chest.
Minimally-invasive and non-invasive treatment options may help reduce the appearance of male breasts that are caused by excess fat. If excess breast tissue is severe and results from the medical condition gynecomastia there is no good option for a men breast reduction without surgery.
Overweight males that suffer from gynecomastia can benefit from weight loss and possibly weight loss surgery as this will add to the aesthetic result when combined with gynecomastia correction surgery. A highly-skilled cosmetic surgeon can combine both surgical and non-surgical techniques to achieve a more masculine natural-looking contoured chest.
Coolsculpting For Gynecomastia
We often get questions about why we do not offer Coolsculpting gynecomastia. Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is a rare but serious side effect associated with CoolSculpting. It occurs more often in men than women but clear identifying risk factors have not been identified, so it is impossible to determine who it may affect. When it occurs, the fat cells get bigger instead of smaller which would not serve to alleviate gynecomastia
At SurgiCare Arts & Aesthetics we prefer to use PHYSIQ and BodyTite for their predictable and excellent results. They are considered risk-free and are approved by the FDA for use on many parts of the body including the chest.
Where to Treat Gynecomastia Non-Surgically
If you are suffering from male breasts and are interested in gynecomastia weight loss, gynecomastia liposuction, or require surgery to eliminate male breasts, also known as “man boobs” contact SurgiCare Arts, a division of IBI Healthcare today to set up a consultation.
SurgiCare Arts, together with IBI Healthcare Institute can help men lose weight and cosmetically correct the effects of gynecomastia.
Dr. Angelina Postoev, MD, FACS, a triple-board certified plastic surgeon, and Christopher Ibikunle, MD, FACS, offer gynecomastia surgery for men in Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Buckhead, Duluth, and the surrounding areas of Georgia. To learn more about male breast reduction, contact us to schedule a consultation.
Although there are some non-surgical options for gynecomastia treatment, they do not always correct the problem. On the other hand, surgery for Gynecomastia offers an immediate solution and can eliminate the breast tissue, improving the chest’s masculine look. Call us to request a consultation for male breast reduction near me.
