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Am I a Good Candidate for Male Breast Reduction?

Having enlarged male breasts, known in the medical community as gynecomastia, is a surprisingly common condition. As the name suggests, it is characteristic of excessively large, feminine male chests. This can cause self-esteem issues and difficulty fitting into clothes. We’d like you to know that there’s hope. Today, we’re talking about candidacy for male breast reduction.

Are You in Good General Health?

As with any procedure, the best candidate for male breast reduction is in good general health. Let your general care physician know that you’re considering male breast reduction and ask him or her if you have any health conditions you should tell our plastic surgeon about during your initial consultation.

Depending on your health status, you may need to hold off on this procedure for a while until you’re in better health. But we can’t help you make an informed decision if we don’t have all the information.

What Medications Are You Taking?

In some cases, gynecomastia is a side effect of medication. If you take anti-anxiety, heart or prostate medications, talk to your general health practitioner about the dosage and potential side effects. If you can lower your dosage, you may notice a reduction in breast swelling.

When you come in for your initial consultation, bring a list of all medications and supplements you take. This should include both prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Certain medications, such as NSAIDs and MAOIs, thin your blood and will interfere with your procedure. You’ll need to stop taking these temporarily.

Do You Smoke?

If you smoke, you aren’t automatically ruled out as a candidate for male breast reduction. However, you will need to quit leading up to and following your procedure. Cigarettes contain nicotine, a harmful chemical that elevates blood pressure. For a safe procedure and quick recovery, you must abstain from all sources of nicotine, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco and nicotine patches.

Are You at a Stable, Healthy Weight?

If you are overweight or obese, it’s advisable to wait until you’re at a healthy weight to undergo this procedure. Weight loss in overweight men often results in reduced breast volume. If you’re at a healthy weight and you still suffer from gynecomastia, male breast reduction is probably the best option for you.

What Are Your Expectations?

The best candidate for male breast reduction has realistic expectations about the results. Breast reduction won’t give you contoured pecs that you see in elite athletes. Rather, it will give your chest a flatter, more appropriate look.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation

To find out if you’re an ideal candidate for male breast reduction, talk to the team at Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery, located in Battle Creek and Portage. Contact us today for a consultation!

Who is a Candidate for Male Breast Reduction?

Gynecomastia surgery, also known as male breast reduction, is administered to reduce enlarged breasts in men. It can also remove excess skin and improve the appearance of the nipple. Men can develop enlarged breasts at any age. Common causes for the condition include obesity, certain medications, hormonal fluctuations, and heredity.

During the procedure, a small cannula will be inserted into the opening sites to remove excess tissue and fat. This procedure removes more glandular tissue and skin than liposuction. The openings are typically made along the natural crease of the chest or the areola. It is usually administered as an outpatient procedure, and individuals will be given local anesthesia or general anesthesia.

After the procedure, you will probably be asked to wear a compression garment to help minimize swelling. Many men are ready to return to work a few days after the procedure.

Who is a Candidate?

The recovery process is usually minimal, which makes it an ideal procedure for many men. There are certain factors that can determine if an individual is a good candidate for a male breast reduction.

Are you in good overall health? It is important to discuss all health conditions with your doctor before the procedure. If an individual has certain medical conditions, the surgery may not be the best option.

Are you at an ideal, healthy weight? The best candidates for the procedure will be at a stable and healthy weight. This is because weight fluctuations can cause a recurrence of the condition.

What are your goals and expectations? Ideal candidates for a male breast reduction will have realistic expectations and a positive outlook about the procedure. It is important to discuss all of your goals and concerns with your doctor before the surgery is performed.

Are you taking any medications? There are certain medications that can cause gynecomastia to develop. Be sure to tell your doctor about any heart, anti-anxiety, or prostate medications you are taking. It is also important not to take anti-inflammatory medication a few weeks before the procedure.

Get In Touch with Us for Further Information

If you want to learn more about a male breast reduction, feel free to reach out and make an appointment with Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery! At our convenient locations in Portage and Battle Creek, MI, our caring and dedicated team of professionals will be pleased to explain this procedure in greater detail and answer any questions you may have. Contact us today to set up your consultation – we look forward to speaking with you!

Not Just For Women

Plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures are no longer considered just for women anymore. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ annual statistics, male cosmetic surgery has shot up by 28% since 2000.

Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery has also seen an increase in male patients, and we are proud to have office environments where men can feel relaxed and welcomed.

Although men are more apt now than ever before to seek out a plastic surgeon, their reasons for doing so differ from women’s. Most commonly, men are looking for techniques to address their physique. Liposuction is one of the most popular procedures to address ‘love handles’ or ‘beer bellies’. Also popular is male breast reduction which eliminates gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts, ‘man boobs’), especially after a significant weight loss. Other common cosmetic procedures for men include rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and facelift.

Noninvasive procedures are also growing in popularity for men. This includes injectables like wrinkle smoother Botox, volume fillers like Volbella & Juvederm, and the double chin reducer, Kybella. Our aesthetician has also seen an increase in male patients. Men are asking for laser hair removal, chemical peels, and skin healing laser sessions.

If you, or a guy you know, is considering plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedures and would like to know more, there is a lot of information readily available. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is a great place to start to gain facts about all of the surgical and noninvasive procedures available. Real Self is another information-packed site where you can ask questions to plastic surgeons, view before/after photos, and learn about other people’s experiences. And, of course, we are always available to answer questions and set you up with a consultation with Dr. Elluru to learn more about what a specific cosmetic procedure can do for you.

BREAKING NEWS: Does Santa Have Gynecomastia?

Sensitive medical documentation has been leaked, perhaps by Santa’s own personal physician, Dr. Nick Kringle, that the jolly old elf—Santa himself—suffers from gynecomastia—AKA moobs, manboobs, and other less-than-complimentary terms.

Perhaps it’s time to have a frank discussion about gynecomastia, as we suspect the leak is true! Santa is known to be fond of cookies and milk, leading to obesity (sorry, but it’s true), so we’re pretty certain he has gynecomastia, as most obese men have it. Although we aren’t sure Santa would be interested in eliminating his man-boobs or—the more proper description—enlarged breast tissue, we do know that lots of men in Michigan suffer the embarrassment of gynecomastia. Since there’s only one Santa, we can safely assume that the other men with enlarged breasts (A) aren’t Santa and (B) might like to know what can be done to safely and effectively treat this concern.

Gynecomastia is surprisingly common—estimates are that at any given time, more than half of all men have enlarged breasts! There are two times in a male’s life when enlarged breasts tend to occur: during puberty and during a man’s later years. Why is this the case? Because hormonal swings—common during puberty and as a man ages—can cause the breasts to enlarge. Doubtless, many of you have noted the slightly puffy breast tissue in male newborns. It’s caused by reserves of estrogen from the mother. When that estrogen reserve begins to dissipate between 4-6 weeks of age, the male baby’s breasts become more normal in size. It’s the magic of hormones!

There are other reasons for enlarged breasts in men. Certain chemicals and medications can cause gynecomastia, particularly steroids and marijuana. There are also medical problems that can cause gynecomastia. Therefore, enlarged male breasts, although usually of no particular medical concern, should be checked out by a family physician or an endocrinologist before plans are made for any intervention by a cosmetic surgeon.

Although enlarged breast tissue in men is usually not a medical concern, it can cause significant emotional distress. It’s a rare teenaged boy or adult male with gynecomastia that isn’t terribly embarrassed by it. Boys who previously enjoyed swimming and wore t-shirts and tank tops suddenly hate the beach, refuse to enjoy the pool with the family and may even become withdrawn, shying away from boy-girl interactions at exactly the age when they’re learning how to relate to the opposite sex. Worse, they can bear the brunt of teasing from other boys when changing clothes after gym or sporting events. Obviously, this embarrassment isn’t limited to teenaged boys. Grown men with gynecomastia also avoid situations in which exposure of their enlarged breasts might happen—the aforementioned beach as well as the gym.

Happily, there are several options to help men with gynecomastia. One is liposuction. Unless the skin is stretched to the point where sagging is likely to occur after removal of the excess fatty tissue, liposuction is usually the procedure of choice. However, for men with excessively large breasts and/or skin sagging, excising some of the skin surrounding the breasts may be necessary along with removal of the fatty tissue.

In general, male breast reduction is a simple outpatient procedure that takes only a couple of hours. Recovery is rapid; most patients need only a couple days from work or school following a breast reduction procedure. It’s quite the rewarding treatment once recovery is complete and the embarrassing problem has been resolved.

We don’t expect Santa to call our SW Michigan plastic surgery office for gynecomastia treatment anytime soon, but if you or someone you love is concerned about enlarged male breasts, we’re the folks to see. Schedule a consultation at our Portage or Battle Creek plastic surgery office, and we’ll show you what we can do to help you regain a masculine chest!

Am I a Good Candidate for Male Breast Reduction?

Who is a Candidate for Male Breast Reduction?

Not Just For Women

BREAKING NEWS: Does Santa Have Gynecomastia?

Portage Office

Battle Creek Office

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