Gynecomastia refers to enlarged breast tissue in men. It can be caused by hormones or fat deposits. Surgical treatments such as liposuction or excision can be used to treat gynecomastia.
But milder forms of gynecomastia caused by weight gain can be reversed without surgery. This involves making lifestyle changes to reduce fat content around the breast area.
Gynecomastia vs. Pseudogynecomastia: What’s The Difference?
There are two types of gynecomastia: true gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia.
Gynecomastia
True gynecomastia (or just gynecomastia) is caused by hormonal imbalance in boys and men. Normally, testosterone in men inhibits the development of breast tissue, also called glandular tissue.
But hormonal imbalance in puberty can cause breast tissue to develop. This usually resolves itself within 6 months to 3 years. Gynecomastia can also occur in older men as their testosterone levels drop.
Other causes of hormonal gynecomastia include medication, certain health conditions like liver failure and use of certain drugs such as steroids.
Pseudogynecomastia
What we often refer to as gynecomastia is usually pseudogynecomastia. ‘Pseudo’ means fake.
Pseudogynecomastia is so called because it is fat that causes breast enlargement, not glandular tissue.
Pseudogynecomastia is typically associated with weight gain. The same way that fat is stored under your belly, some of it also gets stored around the breasts, making them larger.
That said, obesity and weight gain can cause both pseudogynecomastia and true gynecomastia.
As we explained in this post on belly fat and testosterone, too much belly fat causes aromatization. This is where the enzyme aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen. This leads to the development of breast tissue.
How to Reduce Man Boobs Without Surgery
True gynecomastia, particularly in adult men, requires medication or surgery. This treats the underlying cause and removes the glandular tissue.
But if what you have is the more common pseudogynecomastia, it can sometimes be treated without surgery.
Tip: You can tell the difference between true and pseudo gynecomastia by feel. True gynecomastia causes a firm and rubbery feeling under the areola and nipple. Pseudogynecomastia is mostly fat, so it feels soft and tends to droop and sag more.
Since you are dealing with a fat issue, lifestyle changes can significantly reverse man boobs. The approach is largely the same as when you are dealing with belly fat.
The first thing to adjust is your diet. Cut back on calories, eat fewer processed and junk food and add more vegetables and healthy meats. Certain diets like intermittent fasting and Keto are moderately effective at reducing gynecomastia and other fat deposits around the body.
Get more active, ensuring you get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Also include some strength exercises. Working out regularly will help you shed fat. Strength exercises can also help define and contour your chest, which reduces the appearance of man boobs.
Reduce or cut out alcohol. It is a major contributor to both types of gynecomastia by causing weight gain and disrupting hormones.
Other positive lifestyle changes such as getting adequate sleep, stress relief and avoiding smoking can also help reduce and reverse gynecomastia.
When to Consider Surgery
Talk to your doctor or a cosmetic surgeon for advice on whether you should get surgery or not.
For hormonal gynecomastia, your doctor will recommend first treating the underlying condition. Depending on what it is, possible treatments include testosterone replacement therapy or medication.
Then you can consider getting surgery to have the glandular tissue excised.
For pseudogynecomastia, it depends on how much fat tissue there is. Most mild cases of man boobs can be reversed with a good diet and exercise. But for obese men, substantial fat can remain even after weight loss (weight loss can also accentuate the appearance of man boobs).
In such cases, liposuction can be used to get rid of the fat.
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