Man boobs, or gynecomastia as it is called in the field of medicine, is the excessive development of breast tissue credited to dominant levels of estrogen in a male body. When estrogen overpowers the fat-burning characteristics of androgen, the resulting tendency is the conversion of more body fat into tissue. In most men, the tissue is specifically incresased in the chest area.
How man boobs look and feel depend on the grade or severity of the condition. Grade I cases are characterized by minor enlargement. This is usually not very visible, because only the areola or the area around the nipple becomes puffy. In grade II, cases are characterized by elevated skin around the areola, but the skin is not yet considered excessive. It is in grade III cases where skin excess becomes positive, with more pronounce elevation of the breasts from the chest. The highest grade, grade IV, is when the breasts are considered massive and the skin is increasingly stretched.
Typically, men with enlarged breasts have bigger nipple size and areola circumference. Also, the placement of the nipple is changed, depending on the size of the breasts. The softness of the breasts resembles that of a female’s, but firmer mass may be felt depending on the type of gynecomastia present. It may also depend on the the exercise and diet regiment of men. Naturally, the breasts of bodybuilders are much firmer due to the increased formation of lean muscles mass around the chest area.
In terms of sexual arousal, the decrease or loss of sexual appetite is possible due to low testosterone levels, which is responsible for libido-related processes in the male body.
Pain and swelling is commonly felt during and after certain medications and surgical operations. For men who take in hormones or hormone enhancers, discomfort may be felt in the chest area. For men who have undergone liposuction or mastectomy, breast pain, bruising, swelling, and even fluid buildup maybe experienced. Men who have incurred seroma or water buildup may feel mild pain from the lump formation, but for those who have incurred hematoma or blood buildup, extreme hyperpigmentation of the affected area and intense pain may be felt. The nipple sensation is commonly decreased or numbed during recovery, because most incisions are made in the areola, which in turn affects the nerves. It takes at most a year or two for the nipples to regain its normal sensitivity.
Physical sensations aside, it is inevitable for men to experience low self-esteem because of having gynecomastia. The fact that society, in general, has a traditional male/female gender binary from which everyone’s behavior, attitude, lifestyle, preferences, and even appearance will often be inevitably based on, is enough of a damage to the masculine identity of men who do not want to be viewed as feminine. Big and soft male breasts are taunted because society thinks it belongs to women alone. Medications and surgeries then, which men seek to bring back their male chests, not only offer aesthetic improvements, but equally, the much sought after psychological boost.
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