What is Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia, or an excess of male breast tissue, is often the result of a hormone imbalance in men. It can occur in male babies or at puberty when the hormones are changing. In most cases, it resolves on its own. However, a minority of these men will continue to be indefinitely bothered by their breast enlargement, always trying to hide it.
When the onset of gynecomastia occurs later, from ages 20 to 80 years of age, it is less likely to resolve on its own often leading to embarrassment. A frequent comment we hear from men after gynecomastia surgery is, “I wish I had done this years ago.” Another comment we hear is, “I am finally comfortable taking off my shirt at the beach!”
What causes gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia can be caused by several factors besides hormone change or imbalance. These include weight gain, aging, various diseases, and the use of various medical or recreational drugs. While gynecomastia could disappear over time, in most cases, the condition will not improve without the surgical removal of the glandular tissue or combination of fat and glandular tissue.
The benefit of surgery is that it resolves the issue immediately, is an outpatient procedure, and will leave you with a more sculpted, masculine chest appearance.
Will I have scars?
Breasts are composed of firm, dense, glandular tissue, and soft fatty tissue. If your case of gynecomastia was not present during puberty and only came with weight gain, it may only be fat which can be removed with our liposuction in Virginia Beach. In cases of excess loose skin and glandular tissue, a simple surgery can treat the problem. Most gynecomastia surgeries have minimal scars as they are done with very small incisions. If excess skin must be removed, the incisions are longer but there are a variety of patterns to choose from to remove skin.
Gynecomastia surgery
Two of the most common gynecomastia surgical procedures Dr. Hubbard performs are:
- Gynecomastia surgery removes the glandular tissue and fat (if needed) to reduce the volume and create a more masculine chest appearance
- Liposuction can be used for those occasional cases where there is only a small amount of glandular tissue and the problem is just excess fat.
Recovery from surgery: What to expect.
After surgery, your chest may be bruised and swollen. You will need to wear a compression garment for 2 weeks to help reduce swelling. The upper chest area typically heals quickly, although you will have to avoid exercise for 3 weeks.
A life-changing surgery
Gynecomastia can be treated with liposuction or surgery. Virginia Beach plastic surgeon, Dr. Hubbard, has successfully treated many men who were embarrassed by an excess of breast tissue. After your treatment is complete, your upper chest will appear flatter and you will no longer need to wear loose shirts to try to hide the condition. Our patients tell us this treatment is life-changing!