Man boobs….”moobs”
“I am embarrassed to take my shirt off, even in front of my wife”
Just like woman, men are plagued with insecurities regarding certain parts of their bodies that just don’t seem to cut it. Skinny arms, hairy backs, chicken legs, beer guts the list goes on. One of the greatest problems that many men face which greatly affects their self confidence and sense of worth is that of the dreaded man boobs. Man boobs, also known as “moobs” have become quite a common problem, maybe between 30-50 % of the male population, almost similar to and suspected to be as a result of, the obesity epidemic.
Sadly, this chest fat that resembles female breast can be developed at an early age, often in the teens, crippling a young mans social and self esteem development. Man boobs, man breasts, man tits whatever humiliating name is attached to them, will typically have a man hiding underneath layers of clothing despite the temperature or situation. For example, it would be common for a man with this type of chest to refuse to take off a shirt on a hot day at the beach. Embarrassed by his appearance, it is also not uncommon for a man with this type of chest to have recluse tendencies.
What causes man boobs?
Probably the biggest misconception about man boobs is that they are purely a result of too much fat. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and hormones too can come into play. This means that weight loss is often not enough to lose man boobs. It’s also a common belief that if a teenager has man boobs he will grow out of them in his twenties. This is by no means true and they often carry mean breasts well into adult hood.
So what do we mean by hormones coming into play? Some men can have an increased level of estrogen, the female hormone and a decreased testosterone levels, this is called Gynecomastia. If this is the case, other methods are required perhaps in addition to fat loss in order to lose the man boobs.
(before and after, quite asymmetrical) )
Gynaecomastia may be related to steroid use in bodybuilders, hence their puffy nipples.
Getting Rid of Man Boobs
For a large percentage of males the man boob problem will have stemmed from Gynecomastia. There is no Gynecomastia cure as such, more so treatments which range from drugs and gels to surgery.
Man boobs can not be rid of by spot reduction, this is a myth. If anything, strength training on the chest may make the problem worse if you build muscle under the already existing fat and breast tissue, worsening the appearance of the problem.
If you want to reduce fat in the chest area then fat must be removed from all areas of the body via intense exercise and strict diet. Different people carry fat differently, so a man may have to do quite a lot of exercise and dieting to get his fat percentage quite low before he loses fat from his chest area. Therefore, adopting methods that result in healthy and efficient fat loss through exercise and diet is crucial.
Corrective plastic surgery may be required, to either liposculpt the area, or excise the excess breast tissue present or a combination of both. There may even be the requirement of a breast reduction, if there is too much of both skin and tissue.
Making a booking with Dr Young, will define what really will be required, and if medical testing is required.
