MEN'S HEALTH

Off Their Chests

The fear of developing 'manboobs' surely strikes at the heart of men. What causes some men to develop breasts, and how it can be treated.

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  • Posted By: chryslerlives @ 05/08/2009 10:41:08 PM

    Bodybuilding can sometimes help a male grow breasts. It did for me. While I was lifting,my pectoral muscles did not want to grow. I had tried different ways of tyraining them. About two years after I stopped lifting,my breasts and nipples started to grow. As they grew,I wanted them larger. One thing led to another ,I am happy where I am now--41-29-40 and very happy!

  • Posted By: TRiiNii ObAmA GyAL @ 12/10/2008 2:14:49 PM

    well i think that it is possible for men to develop breast from drinkin soy milk because of the estrogen level in the drink but at the same time... i dont think that there "boobs" will be as the same as a womans own...

    OBAMA 08!!!!!!!!!!! wHO HO0o0!!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: goldeniangel @ 06/20/2008 4:22:06 PM

    I mock my overly muscled friends about their boobs.
    i think a little fattines there is soooo much more attractive then the hard muscle "boobs" that some men get from working otu too much. whwat's wrong with a little cushion?!

  • Posted By: jordanadah @ 06/20/2008 6:20:32 AM

    any man who works out too much and has huge big pecs has boobs as far as I'm concerned.

  • Posted By: dr_nurse @ 11/09/2007 10:35:00 AM

    "He's one of thousands of men who suffer from this common disorder???many unknowingly."
    Red flag, folks! They're trying to sell you something when they say you are suffering, but you don't know it.

    • Posted By: Erica4U @ 05/05/2008 10:34:27 AM

      Sir, Do you think for one minute that the only men suffering from this is overweight? You are no different than any of the emotionless and degrading people that for some reason have fun ridiculing those of us! Of course I have tried exercise and weight control however, I did not have issues with either one! At 6ft 1inches and 230LBS, played football and wrestled along with a host of other activities! I still grew breasts! Please TRY and be informative about the condition before coming up with the cure!

  • Posted By: alexthegreat @ 01/11/2008 1:52:54 AM

    I HAVE BEEN PRETTY VEGETARIAN; DRING AND EAT SOY MILK, TOFU. DOES ANY ONE KNOW IF IS GOOD OR BAD FOR A 42 MALE[ 6 FEET 190 POUNDS>>>>

    • Posted By: Marknewlife @ 03/30/2008 5:23:50 PM

      its good for you but don't over do it. For me it felt so good drinking it whe I relize what had happen i went in to shock for a moment. Its feminized my whole body and changed my thinking some.

  • Posted By: Greenscooter1513 @ 11/08/2007 6:46:58 PM

    My son had lyposuction done to correct the problem. Before the operation my 21 year old son was buff, lifting weights daily but could not lose the breasts. He paid the money to correct the problem.

    • Posted By: erickp987 @ 11/09/2007 1:58:05 AM

      It's sad that everything in the US either relies on pills or cosmetic surgery. How about enouraging your boy or your husband to try some push ups? Try a sport? Try some walking/running/swimming regime?

      • Posted By: Erica4U @ 01/02/2008 2:19:09 PM

        Uh, In case no one is actually reading any of these stories and comments. many of these guys are NOT overweight or obese and many of them are athletic! What gives with the ridiculous snide comments! Were you people dropped on your hears when you were born? Did your families ever show love and compassion and pass that on to you? I think not! I personally would rather deal with the jaunts and snide comments and have Breasts then to be like any of you poor examples of human beings! You are what makes America stink in the eyes of the world! If you have ever traveled and talked with people sincerely, they would tell you how America has gone down the tubes over the last 30 years! I feel for the future children of this country because they are being raised by scum like like yourselves! Like elkacko or ericp987! You are the stench of evil!

    • Posted By: midwest @ 11/08/2007 11:10:31 PM

      How much was the surgery? Any complications? How long was the recovery time? Is he glad he did it? Was it worth it?

  • Posted By: ManInCa @ 11/12/2007 8:53:08 AM

    I haven't been to a beach since I was 17 and I'm now 63. I never take my shirt off in public and in high school I was so embarrassed, I not only cut gym classes but ruined my entire high scool time as I cut all classes once for over two months. My mother had to go to the counselor and beg her to let me stay. I graduated eventually, but only because at that time anyone could get a general diploma. My self-esteem has never been good. My family doctor started me on amphetamines when I was 16 and I was off and on bi-phetamins for up to 10 years. I lost a lot of weight but no matter hiow much I lost those things were always there, even when I was really anorexic. It got so bad I eventually suffered from nervous exhaustion and had to be hospitalized. I hate these things and I too thought once of taking a knife and cutting them off. I never did. I've lived my life in fear. I never had friends and still find it hard to make friends. What a miserable life.

    • Posted By: Erica4U @ 01/02/2008 1:57:47 PM

      You have a friend now! I am having a difficult time at 56 now! my post 4 above yours as Erica4U. I use that name because I want to be a woman! Not just cause I have breasts but I feel that is right for me! I am also not gay! It's so mixed up! Society is cruel because it is designed by our perceptions of what is normal in the mind. Men don't have breasts, only women do! Ridiculous! Please feel free to write me as a friend anytime! rikosound3@yahoo.com! I understand! I am and have been a nervous wreck for years! It cost me a 23 year marriage and now I am unhappy because I cannot be whom I want without ridicule! It's sad that other humans can be so cruel toward one another!

  • Posted By: mahaskey @ 12/01/2007 11:25:25 AM

    Well you guys may think it a problem with man-boobs, but here's the rub. Shortly after mine starting growing large enough to fill my wife's bra, she got so excited and decided they weren't nearly big enough. She persuaded me to take a herbal breast enlargement product. In a matter of 9 months my breast cup size went up to DD, and now I go shopping with her for new lingerie. This is not the end of the story, after the breasts grew, my butt started getting bigger to. So not only does my wife buy me brass, but larger pantied too!enlargement

  • Posted By: Erica4U @ 11/23/2007 12:52:34 PM

    I have gynecomastia. I have it for several years and have had jeers and comments made to me about my breasts! I however, enjoy having breasts and now wear a bra. I get mixed reaction about wearing one but I usually get a positive feedback from women. I have had women go shopping with me to pick out bras etc. I initially did nothing and now I actually would love having full, real feminine breasts! My wife is supportive and I feel, society will see more and more males with breasts in the future. I know I will be made fun of by others here and in the world. I am 55, I have had this for 25 years! I withstood a million comments and jeers! i have a very masculine looka nd build . I am fortunate to be married to a woman that is supportive and understands my feelings! I predict that there will be many more men who grow real breasts that are not gay and may be married! Again, for those insecure men and there snide comments, it is a real fact of life and does not in any way make me a woman, or Gay or Bi! We are all beings inahbibiting a large planet and just because I may not look like whatever you would consider normal. Your views do not set the standards for everyone! That is why uneducated and misinformed people react with either Gay, a Fruitcake, Bi, Sick in the head, Pervert, Weird, Dangerous etc. Grow up! Anyone with the right of freedom or not, can change their body if they feel like doing so! It's real and I am serious!

  • Posted By: Erica4U @ 11/23/2007 12:38:45 PM

    I have gynecomastia. I have it for several years and have had jeers and comments made to me about my breasts! I however, enjoy having breasts and now wear a bra. I get mixed reaction about wearing one but I usually get a positive feedback from women. I have had women go shopping with me to pick out bras etc. I initially did nothing and now I actually would love having full, real feminine breasts! My wife is supportive and I feel, society will see more and more males with breasts in the future.

  • Posted By: elsab12 @ 11/15/2007 10:20:57 AM

    Gc2 compression has developed a compression shirt that is specifically for men living with Gynecomastia. They do not claim to treat or eliminate gynecomastia , just simply to conceal. The shirts are recommended by Endocrinologist at Children???s Hospital in Washington D.C. The psychological effects of getting teased for male breast are obvious. Please visit this website I did and it helped www.gc2compression.com



    Why is this product necessary? The psychological effects of getting teased for male breast are obvious. Posture is also greatly affected by Gynecomastia. Concealing gyne will allow young men the confidence to exercise and participate in sports they otherwise would not.

    We are currently selling this item online. The response we are getting from our clients is very positive. Many men write that this is a life changing product for them. I would like to offer them directly to patients in your office. They are priced very affordably. Please visit our website and please read our feedback. I look forward to your reply.

  • Posted By: superdad#1 @ 11/15/2007 6:55:07 AM

    My son developed this condition when he started puberty. I could almost feel the pain he went through as his chest grew. Other kids can be so cruel. Getting a little heavy all over at the same time probably didn???t help either. He tried exercising and lifting weight, which toned his body greatly, but the chest only reduced to a smaller size???the condition did not go away. By 17 we were looking for plastic surgeons to correct the problem. We met with several, but in the end my son decided not to get surgery. The main reason was that after talking to all these doctors, we realized that he???d probably have to keep getting these surgeries whenever his body weight shifted. Then there was the issue with both sides of his chest not quite lined up the same and special procedures to get things in sync. All in all, surgery just wasn???t the perfect solution he we imagined. Today, my son is happy, healthy and a little overweight with a bigger chest. He still buys big shirts, but realizes there are more important issues in the world than just having ???those??? on his chest. I agree. And if he???s fine with, so am I.

  • Posted By: superdad#1 @ 11/15/2007 6:54:43 AM

    My son developed this condition when he started puberty. I could almost feel the pain he went through as his chest grew. Other kids can be so cruel. Getting a little heavy all over at the same time probably didn???t help either. He tried exercising and lifting weight, which toned his body greatly, but the chest only reduced to a smaller size???the condition did not go away. By 17 we were looking for plastic surgeons to correct the problem. We met with several, but in the end my son decided not to get surgery. The main reason was that after talking to all these doctors, we realized that he???d probably have to keep getting these surgeries whenever his body weight shifted. Then there was the issue with both sides of his chest not quite lined up the same and special procedures to get things in sync. All in all, surgery just wasn???t the perfect solution he we imagined. Today, my son is happy, healthy and a little overweight with a bigger chest. He still buys big shirts, but realizes there are more important issues in the world than just having ???those??? on his chest. I agree. And if he???s fine with, so am I.

  • Posted By: khainguyen-evc @ 11/14/2007 11:28:45 PM

    This is the first time I read and understand that men can also develop breasts. I do not know how it would be like to experience such a "condition." From the article, I understand that physical appearences are really important to men, and I should not abuse any who unfortunately suffer from this gynecomista. To me, the physical appearances are not that important if we do not have conscience and a positive mind. teasing other people are not a very good action, especially teenagers. They might turn out to be bad people later or get hatred from others. Moreover, teenagers who have to hide their body under shirts likely have misarable childhood. They hide what their fear so that they could get along with others. I personally do not encourage this way of reaction. they should know that there have many people around them who love them with all their hearts regardless of how they look. So, these teenagers should not hide this fact. they should talk to their parents or try to seek counsel. they are there for them. I hope these teenagers who suffer from this condition understand that they are who they are. It is not the look that make a man to be a man. Rather, it is how a man deals with his obstacles and overcomes his own fear make him be a real man for everyone who loves and supports him.

  • Posted By: shills1 @ 11/14/2007 2:53:31 AM

    I have had "breasts" all my life. I was never proud of that fact. All my broters and sisters for the most part are skinny. They do not have this condition. I've had to deal with it. I've had to accept it. Despite my situation I've grown to be a happy adult regardless of my physical appearance. My sons are showing signs of it as well. They deal with it, go swimming freely, and for the most part accept who and what they are. They aren't wholly proud of it, but they have or are overcoming their physical appearance. Their personalities like me make up for what they may lack in physical appearance. They will survice without any surgury. They will figure it out in time.

  • Posted By: MRC1960 @ 11/13/2007 8:50:36 PM

    Amazing information. Thank you for the article. I never knew there was a name for this "condition", which I have suffered almost as far back as I can remember - to 7 or 8 years of age. I was not "heavy", but I have always had more volume to my breasts than I would like, and I certainly took a bunch of teasing from childhood through my teenage years. It did inhibit me from going without a shirt, and it did keep me from swimming as much as I probably would have otherwise. It hurt to be teased so. I feel very much for the other guys who have commented about their experiences. Perhaps I have been blessed with enough support and self-esteem that it didn't deeply damage me. Today, at 47, I am happily married, and have always considered myself "successful". Through my 20s and 30s, I never had any trouble with attracting women. Perhaps I over-compensated by dating too many women in a effort to reinforce my masculinity. It took me until about my mid-30s to be able to go without a shirt at the beach, and I still feel self-conscious sometimes. But I have never known there was any alternative to just being who I am physically and learning to accept myself. At this point, I will not take any action to "correct" this condition. I am who and what I am, and I see no point in having surgery or altering my chemistry. But it is good to know that others don't have to suffer the pain that I did growing up.

  • Posted By: lenewyorkais @ 11/10/2007 8:36:20 PM

    hey, palegar, I was there. The ridicule makes u feel that man (the jerks) is the lowest animal on the earth. I have had both acquaintances and strangers come out of nowhere and squeeze my moobs (unlike with old-man moobs, young moobs are firmer and the contour is visible thru clothing). My guess is that moobs bring out the psycho-sexual fears that many people have. Believe it or not, I am a doctor myself, but it took me till the age of 45 to get surgery, and it is one of the best decisions of my life. I did not get perfection, few people can, but I feel like at least I have returned to the land of the living. I want to encourage anyone who needs surgery to get it. Unlike the media stereotype, most plastic surgeons are sympathetic, and enjoy helping someone with a real problem, rather than treating head cases with face lifts. Make sure u go to a PLASTIC surgeon, not a general surgeon, cause those do-everything guys do 1 male breast reduction every 5-10 years. Forget the beach or locker-room, the high point of my day now is when I look in a mirror, and the lapels of my suit r not popping open. And my experience has taught me 2 things---never ever say an unkind word to any person for any reason, and speak out to your teachers and principals and school boards and get any school-yard bully out of the class and into therapy immediately---those bullies r ruining lives. If u r the parent of a bully, be glad he will now get treatment for a dangerous mental condition.

  • Posted By: midwest @ 11/10/2007 12:46:42 AM

    Where did the comments go?

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