5 Measures to Prevent Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia, or man boobs, is a condition that is actually quite common, and something that is often suffered in silence. It is when a man develops female-like breasts, which is brought about by a variety of causes. This can be a highly distressing issue as it puts a dent on ones' masculinity. This is reflected on the increasing number of breast reduction or gynecomastia surgery requests. According to the 2013 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there was an 11% increase fom 2012 to 2013.  

If you are anxious about your man boobs, and may not have the means for radical treatment just yet, there are measures that can actually help you prevent it.

1. Check your medications and consult with your doctor.

As much as a drug contains beneficial action, they also pose a number of side effeects, and for some, it can result in gynecomastia. In fact, drug-induced gynecomastia accounts for 20% of all the cases in the UK.

If ever you notice your breast changing with continued use of a certain drug, inform your doctor immediately. Take note, however, that you should not stop your medication on your own, especially if it is prescribed. It doesn't mean that you should no longer be taking such medications, but when you discuss it with your doctor, he can advise you on a treatment plan that would not make you vulnerable to gynecomastia.

This type of medications creates estrogen-like effects, hence the enlargment of the breast tissue. Here are is a list of medications whose side effects include gynecomastia:

• Antipsychotics
• Tricyclic Antidepressants
• Gonadotrophins
• Cimetidine
• Amiodarone
• Digoxin
• Finasteride
• Flutamide
• Isoniazid
• Methyldopa
• Metronidazole
• Alkylating agents

2. Avoid recreational drugs

Recreational drugs, like marijuana, can also put you at risk for developing gynecomastia. It can alter your hormone levels and eventually tip the balance in favour of estrogen. Aside from all other serious consequences related to these drugs, you can start with gynecomastia as a way to convince yourself to stop using it. Gynecomastia will simply recede once you stop taking these drugs.

3. Regular testicular self exam

You might probably wondering why you ought to be checking what is down there, when the problem is on your chest. But, did you know that one of the reasons for gynecomastia is the presence of tumors?

So the best thing to do is to regularly perform a testicular self exam. Here is how you can do this:

• First of all, it is ideal to do this during or after a shower because this is when the scrotal skin is warm and relaxed. Also, make sure that you are standing when performing the exam.
• Second is to gently hold your scrotal sac to locate a testicle.
• Once you do, hold a testicle with one hand while you gently roll your fingers of your other hand over the surface of the testicle. Try to feel for any lumps or assess any changes to your testicle.
• Repeat this procedure with the other testicle.
  
  
  
  
  

Normally, your testicles should feel firm, but not hard. It is also common that one testicle is positioned lower than the other.

Medical experts, however, do not recommend doing regular testicular self-exams if you do not belong to the high-risk group. This means that you do not have any familial predisposition for testicular tumors, you do not have any past experience with it, or an undescended testicle.

4. Exercise

In some cases, the presence of fat in the chest area worsens gynecomastia, but the problem here is that even spot exercises may not do enough to help. According to an article at askmen.com, you cannot choose the areas where your body is going to lose fat, so you just have to lower it overall.

Cardio and strength training exercises are advised, along with a proper diet. Creating a caloric deficit is  also emphasized to further promote weight loss. This means that you either increase the number of calories you burn with exercise or reduce it by changing your diet. But, you can have better results when you do both.

5. Get pre-existing conditions checked

Gynecomastia is also associated with a number of conditions, such as hyperthyroidism or chronic liver disease. Medical assessment may also be done to rule out other conditions which may be mistaken for gynecomastia, such as, dermoid cyst, sebaceous cyst, mastitis, breast cancer, pseudogynecomastia, lipoma, hematoma, fat necrosis or ductal ectasia.

If you are suffering from a condition that could also lead to gynecomastia, discuss these concerns with your doctor so that he can create a treatment plan that will spare you from it. The goal here would be to treat the pre-existing condition first so that it does not result in gynecomastia.

If your gynecomastia is not relenting to all other treatments, get a consult with Esteem Cosmetic Studio today for surgical intervention. We assure a safe and reliable treatment with our highly experienced board certified surgeons.

Top 5 Cosmetic Surgeries for Men

In a press release by Dr. Steinbrech of Men's Plastic Surgery Manhattan, he revealed that the numbers on male cosmetic surgery has increased exponentially over the years. More than a million males had some cosmetic enhancement done, which results to an increase of up to 106% in the last two decades.

Based on the data gathered, one of the common reasons that men undergo cosmetic surgery is for work purposes. For instance, male models or CEOs who still want to look young and able with the highly competitive nature of their job.

Surgeons would attest that the numbers have dramatically increased. According to a statement by a certain Dr. Johnny Franco in the Miami Herald, more men are coming in for a variety of cosmetic procedures; from the less invasive Botox treatments to liposuction and tummy tucks.

Here are the top cosmetic procedures requested by men:

Chin implants

Improving the appearance of the chin is important in creating a refined male feature, which is why it is widely requested. In 2013, the number of chin implant surgeries in the UK increased by 50% since 2010, and it was even dubbed as the “new boob job” in the US according to the Dailymail. 

The American Society of Plastic Surgery even touted chin implants as the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery in recent years. Today, there are new alternatives to implants like synthetic fillers and fat transfer. Incidentally, the requests for fat injections procedure soared because it provides a safe and natural-looking alternative.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, or a nose job, is among the most popular cosmetic procedures for females. But, the male patients are also catching up. From flat out dissatisfaction with the appearance of the nose to nasal repair due to injuries, this can help restore or improve the nasal structures, both internally and externally.

The procedure takes about two hours and the entire healing process takes about a year to see the final result. The operation often takes place inside of the nose to prevent any scars being visible on the outside. This involves rearranging the skin, shaving or restructing the bones, or adding in grafts to create better form and length. The signs of surgery will be gone in three weeks. But, males should still take extra care to avoid injuring the structure.

Liposuction

Men ask for this procedure because they want to tone their bodies, especially in areas that are not budging despite regular exercise and strict dieting. According to the Dailymail, this is also a good measure to emphasize the washboard abs that men want. 

The procedure involves the use of a cannula that is connected to a suction machine, while the other end is inserted into the area being treated. This suctions out the excess fats from large areas like the abdomen, thighs or buttocks, to smaller ones like the chin, jawline, or the knees. An elastic bandage or compression vest would have to be worn on the treated area to ensure that your skin follows your new contour and also to avoid post-surgical swelling.

Eyelid surgery

A lot of men are also getting eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty to enhance the appearance of both their upper and lower eyelids. This improves the appearance of tired or aged eyes. More often, this is done on Asian eyelids, which is why it is more popularly known as Asian eyelid surgery.

For most Asians, being born with monolids or puffy eyelids made them appear bored, uninterested or tired. That is why they want to open up their eyes more by having a crease created on their eyelids. This defines the eye better, resulting in a more attractive appearance.

This can also treat droopy eyelids which can make a person look old and tired. Men who want to look young and vibrant for a job also benefit from this procedure.

Gynecomastia surgery

Gynecomastia, or man boobs, is a condition where a male develops female breasts due to hormonal imbalance, recreational drugs, medications, or an underlying condition. This causes the male breast glands to proliferate, resulting to enalrged breasts. A lot of men suffer from this condition in silence because they are afraid of being ridiculed.

One of the major reasons that drives men affected by the condition is the negative effect that gynecomastia have on their body image and self esteem. Dr. Brian I. Labow, who is the team leader on a gynecomastia study, even wrote:

“Merely having gyencomastia was sufficient to cause deficits in general health, social functioning, mental health, self-esteem, and eating behaviours and attitudes  compared with controls.” 

There are a number of ways to treat the problem, but some men opt for a more aggressive approach through gynecomastia surgery. This involves an incision made along the edge of the areola so the surgeon can visualize and properly remove breast and fat tissues. The results can be astounding, with men becoming more confident going shirtless in public.

If you are interested on these procedures, get a consultation with Esteem Cosmetic Studio today. We will give you all the details, a comprehensive evaluation, and an honest consultation process. Highly skilled, experienced and board-certified surgeons provide quality cosmetic procedures that can further enhance your male form.

Prophylactic Breast Radiotherapy for Cancer Patients with Gynecomastia

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For males suffering from prostate cancer, they are at risk for developing gynecomastia as a result of needed hormone replacement therapies. That is why prophylactic breast radiotherapy is performed after every session.

Gynecomastia is a term for the development of female breasts in a man’s chest due to the proliferation of breast tissue. It is also known in street slang as “man boobs” or “bitch tits”, and it is caused by an imbalance in hormones with the scale tipping towards the female hormones.

Yes, men do have some estrogen, and when the amount of androgens are overridden by the female hormones is when secondary sex characteristics appear; increased breast size being one of them.

However there are also other causes that trigger gynecomastia in males. It could be due to diet, anabolic steroids, chronic liver disease, marijuana use, and hormone treatment for men with prostate cancer.

The usual treatment given to those with advanced prostate cancer are antiandrogen drugs. This is in response to the increased levels of androgen as a result of this type of cancer. That is why anti-androgen drugs are necessary. And this hormone treatment is known as androgen deprivation therapy or androgen ablation.

Studies found that hormone therapy done as adjunct treatment to radiation therapy as treatment for the kind of prostate cancer that is more likely to come back is effective in prolonging a patient’s chance to live. But these patients should be prepared for the side effects that the treatment can produce, with gynecomastia being one of the prominent outcomes.

That is why low-dose radioatherapy is done as prophylactic or preventive treatment for cancer patients receiving hormone therapies. Studies provide support to its success, one being the Scandinavian study which aimed to prove the significance of breast prophylactic radiotherapy in reducing the incidence of gynecomastia in men who received anti-androgen treatment.

In the mentioned study, it was discovered that 71% of patients who did not receive any prophylactic treatment developed gynecomastia. Meanwhile only 21% among those who had low dose radiotherapy grew man boobs.

In a study that was conducted by Ozen et.al., which sought to find the necessity of prophylactic breast radiotherapy for all patients with prostate cancer and gynecomastia, they found that there is some amount of improvement for those who received therapy.

In a span of 12 months, there research found out that there was an much lesser occurrence of gynecomastia for those who had radiotherapy, with 15.8% compared to 50.8% from the non-prophylactic group. The study also showed that there was lesser reports of pain and discomfort among from the prophylactic group.

However, according to this study the numbers were not significant enough to warrant a necessity of prophylactic breast radiotherapy for prostate cancer patients under hormone treatment. The researchers concluded that not all patients need prophylactic treatment because according to their results, only 54% were significantly bothered by the formation of man boobs.

The researchers suggested that individual evaluation should be done to assess which patients really need prophylactic breast radiotherapy for gynecomastia.  A similar study conducted by Lewis, Cassoni and Payne also had the same conclusion. This treatment is done for younger patients who have a longer lifespan wherein a recurrence of the cancer is highly likely.

Gynecomastia Surgery FAQ's in Brisbane Sydney-Canberra (SlideShare)

Gynecomastia Surgery FAQ's in Brisbane Sydney-Canberra from Anna Campos

Protein Drinks and Man Boobs

Aside from getting leaner muscles most guys who are using protein drinks are also worried whether it can also cause them to have man boobs. Some are realizing that as they continue to down glasses of these supposedly body building drinks to create a more masculine physique; it is also slowly betraying them with gradual breast enlargement.

So to answer the question on whether protein drinks causes man boobs, yes it does. But this is also dependent on the type of protein that you are taking.

One of the popular protein drinks that is sold in the market are whey protein, and it is usually prepared as shakes. It serves as a useful snack for bodybuilders since they need to nourish their muscles to help these grow and buff up. Being a quick fix for protein it encourages protein synthesis, and it also hinders the action of the stress hormone cortisol which is produced after workouts. Increased cortisol levels can shut down muscle growth.

A simple shake whipped out of whey protein powder even makes a fast and easy breakfast that will easily satisfy the muscles need for protein in order for them to rebuild.

Whey protein is actually a high quality protein that is made out of cow’s milk. And what most guys are unaware of is that milk can negatively affect man boobs.

Related Post: From Smoking Pot to Man Boobs

Milk is sold in two ways in the market; it can either be organic or non-organic. For those who are health conscious and are looking for safer means to obtain nutrients, they would opt for the organic. But the problem here is that when it comes to gynecomastia organic milk is just as compromising as its non-organic counterpart.

Organic milk comes from cows, but the caveat here is that for cows only produce milk when they are pregnant. And naturally when an animal is pregnant their estrogen levels are also increased. Since estrogen is the hormone that is responsible for man boobs, exposing your body to it by taking organic milk increases your chances of forming female breasts.

That is why when it comes to choosing those body building supplements you have to be very careful about exactly what is in the ingredients. Fortunately whey protein is not as bad as soy when it comes to causing gynecomastia.

Weight builders should be very careful because most drinks not only contain whey proteins but also soy proteins that are listed under other names in the ingredients list. Other names in which soy is also marketed include TSF (Textured Soy Flour), Lecithin, MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), mono-diglyceride, Textured Soy Protein (TSP) and Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP).

But what makes the situation worse, with most of us being unaware of it is that a lot of soy products are genetically engineered. This result in the formation of soy isolate and this can be found in energy bars, weight gain or protein powders, and shakes.

Soy also contains genistein and daidzen which are chemicals that mimic the action of estrogen. And for those who are fond of eating protein bars or protein shakes, the exposure that they have can lead to side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, lowered sperm count, mood swings and man boobs.

So before you purchase bottles of those protein shakes, try to check their list of ingredients first. Make sure that you are not subjecting your body to estrogenic compounds that can gradually increases your breast size behind the scenes.

Gynecomastia Lowers Teenagers Psychosocial Well-Being

According to study that was published in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), male adolescents who are suffering from gynecomastia have lower psychosocial wellbeing.

Laura C. Nuzzi and her colleagues from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School conducted the study to determine the physical and psychosocial impact of gynecomastia on adolescent males seeking treatment. They then compared the results to those taken from healthy males.

It is true that aside from the physical issue that those affected by gynecomastia face, they also have to deal with how it affects them psychosocially. Having man boobs can easily crush one’s self confidence, especially at a time where body image is very delicate.

The team prepared a survey that was administered to 47 adolescents with gynecomastia against 92 controls. All of the participants were between the ages 12-21.

The researchers used the Short Form-36 Version 2 which is used to evaluate the individual patient’s health status, to research on the cost effectiveness of a treatment and to monitor and compare the disease burden. In addition to that they also used the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Eating Attitudes Test-26.

The results showed that those suffering with gynecomastia had a higher body mass index than the control group. There was also no difference observed between the Eating Attitude Test-26 scores of patients and controls.

They also established that the severity of gynecomastia had no effect on survey scores, and it was independent of body mass index category.

The results showed that gynecomastia causes a significant negative impact on psychosocial well-being for those male adolescents affected by it. It particularly targets social functioning, mental heal and self-esteem. And the severity of the disease doesn’t affect the psychosocial impact done to the patient.

These results are important not only to health care providers but also to anyone who know someone who might be suffering from this condition.

This is not something to be laughed about or something to be taken lightly. The psychosocial impairments created by gynecomastia should be taken into consideration when helping someone deal with the problem. Not only will the physical aspect be addressed but the psychosocial as well.

Those affected by it reported of embarrassment, rejection, humiliation, and teasing. And this was further supported by case reports with these affected adolescents sharing that they feel increasingly lonely, restless and tense. There are also related reports which revealed a higher associated on depression, adjustment disorders, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

The researchers found that in their sample, self-reported social and mental health was more highly impacted compared to physical health. This shows that those subjects with gynecomastia had a decreased health-related quality of life compared to healthy individuals. They are also observed to exhibit a low social function level accompanied by more disordered eating thoughts as well as behaviours.

The authors of the study wrote, “Our results indicate that careful and regular evaluation for gynecomastia may benefit adolescents regardless of body mass index status or severity of gynecomastia. Additional prospective studies examining treatment outcomes in this population are needed.”

From Smoking Pot to Man Boobs

Photograph by: Ted S. Warren, The Associated Press , The Canadian Press

Marijuana still remains to be among the most popular recreational drugs out there. From its golden age back in the sixties until today, marijuana still proved itself to give that certain relief and high. But as much as it might be very enjoyable to some, marijuana is a controlled substance for good reason.

By now, we are all aware of its list of detrimental effects to the human body. And if you are a man who is fond of having a joint or two, studies show that this can cause man boobs to develop. And if you are keen on keeping your masculine features, you might want to rethink before puffing on another roll.

Gynecomastia, or more commonly known as man boobs, is a condition where males develop female breasts. This can either present as a puffy nipple or a full blown breast.

There are various causes for gynecomastia, from medications, hormonal imbalance, certain conditions, and yes marijuana. Back in the day studies are already shedding light on how marijuana affects the normal function of the endocrine system (the part responsible for hormone production), which eventually results to marijuana-induced gynecomastia.

Tests were done on male rodents, and the results showed a decrease in testosterone levels. The same results were also found when the same tests were done on primates. Human studies also concluded that chronic use of marijuana gradually decreases their major male hormone. As an effect, the normal circulating estrogen in the male system will be more which eventually triggers gynecomastia to occur.

However a cohort study to prove this claim concluded otherwise. They are saying that this certain consequence to chronic marijuana use has not been established firmly.

But studies also showed that the relationship between marijuana and gynecomastia is plausible, due to the strong affinity of its smoke to estrogen. The Mayo Clinic also claimed that marijuana, along with alcohol, heroine, amphetamines, and methadone are street drugs or substances that can trigger gynecomastia.

But this should not simply be the reason why you should stop or avoid smoking pot, since there is a wide range of health risks and complications that is capable to produce.

Gynecomastia, although not malignant, can certainly affect a person’s body image. And if you are unaware of other factors that are already making you vulnerable to it, and you aggravate the situation by smoking pot, you only increase the gravity of the condition.

Aside from affecting your masculinity, marijuana use can also affect your fertility. It can shrink the testes; create abnormal sperm and affects normal sperm count. Dose-related oligospermia (low sperm count) was observed in patients who are chronic marijuana smokers.

If you have a history with marijuana and man boobs are taking the front stage on your chest, aside from stopping the habit, you should have yourself checked by a doctor. This is to clear you off from other problems that may have contributed to your condition. Blood tests and a thorough evaluation may have to be done, in that way appropriate treatment can be given for a much successful result.

Sources and Citations

www.realself.com/blog/usage-lead-man-boobs
www.asylum.com/2008/04/08/marijuana-can-cause-man-boobs-and-other-things/