When a person is assigned male at birth, no one expects them to develop breasts. However, excess weight can increase the volume of the male breast. This condition is often referred to as pseudo-gynecomastia. True gynecomastia is a medical condition that’s different from obesity. It involves the enlargement of male breast tissue.
Gynecomastia isn’t a threat to physical health, but it can affect an individual’s mental health and self-esteem. If you are a biological male who has experienced an increase in breast size, speak with your healthcare provider about treatment options.
What Causes Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia can affect people assigned male at birth (AMAB) at almost any age. It most frequently happens to newborns, those going through puberty, and older adults. The condition is more common than many people realize, affecting around 50% of those AMAB.
What causes gynecomastia is an imbalance of hormones — specifically estrogen and testosterone. Too much estrogen can cause the growth of breast tissue. Excess estrogen can also suppress the production of luteinizing hormone, which is responsible for releasing testosterone into the testicles.
The combination of too much estrogen and too little testosterone can lead to gynecomastia. Hormone changes are most likely to occur during periods of high hormone activity, such as birth, puberty, and late adulthood.
Around half of male newborns have enlarged breast buds. Typically, this is caused by exposure to the mother’s high estrogen. Gynecomastia in infants usually resolves on its own within a few weeks after birth.
During male puberty, estrogen levels sometimes rise faster than testosterone levels. This imbalance is far from unusual and occurs in more than 50% of adolescents AMAB. Gynecomastia during puberty typically does not require treatment. The body will balance and regulate hormone production on its own, but the process could take anywhere from six months to two years.
As those AMAB grow older, their bodies produce less testosterone, which could increase breast volume. Some medications commonly used by older adults can also cause gynecomastia. When older men experience gynecomastia, it could be a symptom of a medical condition that requires care.
Other possible causes of gynecomastia include:
Low testosterone (male hypogonadism)
Hyperthyroidism
Liver disease, including cirrhosis
Tumors of the pituitary gland
Testicular tumors
Klinefelter syndrome
Adrenal tumors
Kidney failure and kidney disease
These conditions present with other symptoms in addition to gynecomastia. However, if you’re experiencing gynecomastia, your healthcare provider may recommend diagnostic studies, including blood tests, to rule out more serious health conditions.
The Health Risks of Gynecomastia
On its own, gynecomastia does not present a risk to physical health. However, because it may be related to other health issues, you should seek medical care if you notice an increase in your breast volume.
Though it may not jeopardize physical health, developing excess breast tissue can have a profound effect on a male’s confidence and self-esteem. The condition may lead to anxiety, depression, social isolation, or disordered eating.
Anxiety
It is natural to feel uncomfortable and worried about changes to your body that you don’t understand or can’t control. A male might feel anxious about taking off his shirt at the pool or about showing his body to a sexual partner.
Depression
Some males may feel their quality of life is low because of their condition. They may feel too embarrassed to speak with friends and try to conceal both the gynecomastia and the feelings associated with the condition.
Social Isolation
Gynecomastia among teens is most likely to lead to isolation. Teen males may withdraw from friends or any activity that makes it difficult to conceal their chests. They might refuse to attend family or school functions. Self-isolation as a teen can lead to isolation as an adult.
Disordered Eating
Even if it is not caused by obesity, some males adopt unhealthy weight loss habits to reduce their breast volume. True gynecomastia cannot be treated with weight loss. Obsessive worry over eating habits could lead to anorexia and other unhealthy eating issues.
Cannabis Use
According to Johns Hopkins, marijuana use is thought to be a possible risk factor for gynecomastia. One explanation for this is that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis, can both increase estrogen and decrease testosterone, potentially leading to an increase in body fat and increasing the risk of gynecomastia.
How to Fix Gynecomastia: Treatment Options
The first step in gynecomastia treatment is a complete medical checkup. If the condition is the result of another medical issue, such as breast cancer, treating that concern may reduce breast tissue volume. It’s also important to review medications and any illicit drug use because gynecomastia could be a medication side effect.
It might be impossible for some to treat an underlying condition or switch medications. In such cases, gynecomastia surgery is the most common treatment option.
Gynecomastia Surgery
While gynecomastia surgery is considered a safe and routine procedure, every surgery comes with risk and discomfort. There are two main types of gynecomastia surgery to consider. Surgical removal of excess breast tissue, or mastectomy, is a permanent solution.
Liposuction removes fatty tissue from the breast but not the breast gland. It is a less invasive method for breast reduction. If the cause of gynecomastia is not treated, though, the excess breast volume could return.
Is It Time to Seek Gynecomastia Treatment?
Only you can decide when the time is right to treat gynecomastia. Learning what causes gynecomastia is the first step. Conditions like thyroid problems or a hormonal imbalance may be the root of the problem, so you must have a physical examination to rule out other health conditions. Diagnostic tests could include a mammogram or a prostate cancer screening.
Once you have corrected the condition through surgery, medication, or a combination of treatments, you may still need mental health support. Gynecomastia can have a profound effect on a man’s self-esteem and could lead to depression. Treating any residual mental health effects is as important to your overall health as plastic surgery to remove the excess breast tissue.
To learn more about gynecomastia treatments, contact New Look New Life and schedule a free consultation.