Gynaecomastia is the excessive enlargement of the male breast. This often embarrassing condition is actually quite common and can affect one or both breasts. The development of this breast tissue is often influenced by hormones called oestrogens that are usually low in men. During puberty, due to an imbalance in the hormones a tender Gynaecomastia may develop and boys who develop Gynaecomastia at this stage of their life may out grow it within a few years or by the time they are 20 years old. In otherwise healthy men Gynaecomastia may develop due to metabolic changes whilst other types of Gynaecomastia can be due to other health problems as well as by the taking of some medications for example steroids. In the vast majority of cases there is no known cause.
However, for the majority gynaecomastia may be improved by non-surgical treatments for example by treating an abnormal hormone level if this is the cause of the Gynaecomastia whilst for some men surgery to remove the excess tissue may be the best option. Excess breast tissue in men with Gynaecomastia is made up of fatty tissue or glandular tissue or in some cases a combination of both. Extra skin may also make the breast area look bigger. The type of surgery required will depend largely on the type of tissue you have. Fatty tissue can be removed by liposuction whilst glandular tissue requires surgical removal. A combination of fatty and glandular tissue requires a combined approach.