Naturally, men can experience breast enlargement three times during their average lifetime whenever major hormonal imbalances take place.
It first happens during infancy. During pregnancy, high levels of estrogen is transferred from the mother to her newborn, causing the production of more breast tissue in the chest area. Some studies also claim that this may also be partly due to the infants’ intake of prolactin, a hormonal substance found in breast milk, during breast-feeding. The minimal swelling of male babies’ breast tissue, also known as “breast buds”, lasts from the first few weeks up to the second quadrant of the first year. At least 60 percent of male infants are reported to have breast buds.
The second stage occurs during adolescence, also known as pubertal gynecomastia, and is common among 30 to 60 percent of the 10 to 19 male age bracket. During 2 to 3 years of puberty, an increase in the production of estrogen due to adolescent hormonal imbalance is often correlated with the enlargement of the male breast tissue. It usually starts from ages 10 to 12, and reaches up to 4 centimeters from ages 13 to 14. Levels of androgen eventually regains its dominance over estrogen levels by the peak of male puberty, thus the decrease of breast tissue by the age of 17 for 80 percent of cases.
The final stage is takes place due to male senility, and it is called senile gynecomastia, which occurs in 24 to 65 percent of men from the 50 to 80 age bracket. During the old age, the overproduction of endrogenic hormones is caused by more adipose tissues being naturally deposited. In addition to an increase in food intake, males inevitably acquires more adipose tissues when they grow older. Breast enlargement becomes even more pronounced in this stage as the skin begins to significantly lose its natural elasticity.
It is important to note that during the breast enlargement phenomenon, either or both the two types of breast tissues are produced excessively. The first type is called the glandular tissue, and it is comprised of ducts and connective cells. The second type, which is composed of adipocytes or fat cells, is called the fatty tissue.
Men with gynecomastia maybe treated through intake of medications or through surgery. Some may simply need to take in more testosterone to bring back their chests to normal, but for some whose breast enlargement does not seem to regress through hormonal intake, surgery may be the last option.
The main purpose of surgery is to regain the male-like characteristics of the chest area. Specifically, these include the male breast contour and the average size and location of mens’ nipples and areola.
The two types of surgical treatments available today include liposuction and mastectomy. Often, these two are combined, depending on the need of the patient. Liposuction is undergone to to remove excess fat and tissue. Typically, a small incision is made to insert a tube which will suck the fatty tissue out of the breasts. On the other hand, mastectomy or excision is targeted to remove excess glandular tissue. The size of the incision on the areola for excision depends on the grade of breast enlargement experienced by the patient.
Afterward, patients are required to have bedrest for a couple of days and are told to wear compression garments for a few weeks to ensure successful recovery. In many cases, patients experience intense chest pain, breast swelling, uneven breast contour, loss of nipple sensation, and even fluid buildup in the form of hematoma or seroma. Patients are advised to seek regular consultation from their surgeon for these post-operation complications.
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