According to some lexicographers, body shaming reached new heights, or sagged to a new low, in 2004. That was the year the word “moobs” was born into the English language.
A portmanteau of the preexisting term “man boobs,” the word was from the start freighted with shame, chagrin and indignity. Spoken with a sly smile, it was a label that seemed to carry its own laugh track. But the joke was lost on the millions of men who had developed these so-called male breasts, a condition known as gynecomastia.
In their own way, names like “moobs” or “man boobs” raised awareness of gynecomastia, and sent male patients streaming into plastic surgery practices. Men soon discovered that top surgeons like the team at Foglietti Fostyk Plastic Surgery have refined confidence-boosting surgical treatments to reverse the condition, restoring sharper lines and angles to the male chest.
Causes of Gynecomastia
Enlargement of the male breast tissue happens in different ways for different types of people. For example, patients who were once obese and have lost substantial weight will often experience loose folds of skin on the chest. The amount of this excess skin depends on whether a patient’s skin is flexible enough to shrink as fat volume is reduced.
Patients with normal weight often see glandular enlargement, the type of gynecomastia that is triggered by changes in hormones. Patients who have a very low BMI, including bodybuilders who have used steroids, may develop an enlarged breast profile when excess tissue develops behind the areola. This tissue often feels like a solid lump.
Each type of patient will require a different surgical solution, ranging from removal of tissue through a small incision to removal supplemented by liposuction, to a procedure that involves surgically cutting away excess skin.
Targeting Fat and Tissue
In some cases, liposuction can completely resolve gynecomastia. It depends upon whether the excess volume in the breast area is caused by a growth of fat or glandular tissue. If you are overweight, there is a good chance that most of the breast volume is comprised of fat. Men who are thin or who have taken steroids usually need to undergo an excision procedure to restore a masculine profile. In some patients, using both liposuction and excision will be appropriate.
Gynecomastia surgery requires both skill and artistry. Shaping a natural profile involves removing strategic amounts of fat and glandular tissue, rather than performing an extensive reduction that will create surface depressions or, in overweight patients, may make the chest seem unnaturally out of proportion with the abdomen. This is especially true if the patient later loses a great deal of weight. An experienced surgeon knows that a satisfying result depends on the aesthetic appeal of the new profile, not the quantity of fat removed.
For more information on gynecomastia surgery, schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Foglietti or Dr. Fostyk by contacting Foglietti Fostyk Plastic Surgery today.
