While a woman’s breasts serve both to enhance her appearance and sensuality, and provide vital infant nutrition, breasts on a man only function to make him an object of ridicule and embarrassment. It is not known exactly what causes enlarged male breast development, though hormonal imbalance has been suggested as a key factor. Regardless of the cause, the effect of having chest features that should only be found on a female is severe damage to a man’s self-esteem, and may lead him to develop withdrawn or reclusive behavior, and avoid any physical activity that may expose his chest due to fear of being the target of mockery or insult. Contrary to popular belief, male breast syndrome, known in medical parlance as gynecomastia, is not a condition caused by obesity, although it may be aggravated by excess weight. Men who suffer from this condition may not achieve results simply by hitting the gym and reducing their food intake. A trip to the doctor for male breast reduction surgery may be necessary.

Gynecomastia manifests in many forms, characterized by differences in the presence or absence of skin tissue that forms a breast mound, the amount of fat tissue collected in the breast, and the age at which the condition developed in the patient. It may affect one or both breasts of the man, or manifest itself primarily in the nipple area. Preliminary treatment for male breasts will involve endocrine therapy and medication, but if the breast tissue remains unresponsive, surgery is the only viable option.

In instances where the male breast formation is only attributable to excess fat, it is only due to excess fat, liposuction techniques will be used. Standard liposuction involves the insertion of a hollow, thin tube called a cannula through several incisions in the breast area, which is then moved back and forth to demolish and liquefy the accumulated fat. The fat is then siphoned out of the body through a vacuum. If, on the other hand, glandular tissue or excess skin must be removed, then a series of incisions will be made on the breast to excise the redundant tissue. The incisions are normally made under the arms and in several areas under the breast region. If the gynecomastia manifests as enlarged areola which also require reduction, a large ring-shaped portion of skin tissue around the nipple area, including portions of the areola, will be excised. The remaining tissue will be drawn together and closed, and the nipple repositioned accordingly. Sutures will be used to seal the incisions.

Once the procedure is completed, bandages or dressings will be applied to the treated area, and the patient may be asked to wear an elastic or compression garment to reduce swelling and provide support to the new chest shape. Fluid may collect underneath the skin as part of the healing process, so a surgical tube may be temporarily inserted to help collect and drain away this fluid. The estimated recovery period for male breast reduction surgery is a few weeks, during which the patient is advised not to engage in any strenuous activity. They may, however, resume normal work within a week from the operation. The scars from the operation are permanent, but they may fade in appearance over time and can be treated using conventional scar reduction techniques.

It must be emphasized that male reduction surgery is primarily a cosmetic procedure, as the condition of having enlarged male breasts is not damaging to one’s health. For a man who wants to bare his chest at the beach or in the bedroom with greater confidence, however, this procedure may be socially and psychologically therapeutic.