Gynecomastia in Teenagers

Posted January 08, 2016 in Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia), Male Surgery

Your physical appearance affects your quality of life whether you’re seven or seventy, but if there is one period of life where it seems to matter most, it is during adolescence. This sensitive time in which the body changes drastically sometimes brings unwanted changes such as acne and gynecomastia, making teenagers feel incredibly self-conscious and embarrassed about their appearance. Here is some information about gynecomastia in teenagers, what to expect into adulthood, and how surgery can correct it if necessary.

Gynecomastia: Enlargement of Male Breasts

Gynecomastia is a condition in which one or both male breasts become enlarged due to excess glandular breast tissue, fat, or both. Possible contributing factors include hormonal changes, drug or steroid abuse, genetic defects, and obesity. While it poses no medical threat, gynecomastia may cause males to feel self-conscious about their appearance.

Teenagers and Gynecomastia

During puberty, many young men experience unwanted breast growth associated with changes in hormone levels, particularly the female hormone estrogen. In teens, this condition is usually temporary and is referred to as pubertal gynecomastia. It may begin to appear by age ten, peak in the early teen years, and go away as they enter adulthood. Gynecomastia affects at least half of all teen males, and young men who experience gynecomastia are anything but alone. In most cases, pubertal gynecomastia will go away on its own. Teens that use drugs or steroids in an attempt to minimize gynecomastia or change their bodies in other ways without consulting their doctor may cause the problem to worsen or may cause worse physical or medical conditions.

What to Expect Into Adulthood

As mentioned above, teens affected by gynecomastia can expect it to go away by the time they reach their twenties. However, in cases of true gynecomastia, male breast development will continue into adulthood. In these cases, gynecomastia could be related to obesity, the manifestation of a genetic defect, the result of drug abuse, or a side effect of medicine used to treat another unrelated medical issue. If obesity is the cause of male breasts, accumulated fat (pseudogynecomastia) should diminish with weight loss. In other cases, males can undergo surgery to correct gynecomastia.

How Surgery Can Correct Gynecomastia

Adults with gynecomastia can undergo surgery to correct it and improve the appearance of the chest. While most adolescents will not need surgery, those with more extreme cases or whose gynecomastia is caused by other factors can undergo gynecomastia surgery. Males as young as age eleven or twelve may be good candidates for gynecomastia surgery. Dr. Taleisnik performs liposuction to remove excess fat, and he uses surgical excision to remove excess glandular breast tissue. Dr. Taleisnik has performed numerous gynecomastia surgeries to provide his patients with more attractive chest contours.

For more information on gynecomastia and how to correct it, schedule your consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Andrés Taleisnik. Please call our office at (714) 538-8549 or fill out our online contact form to book your appointment today.