Some men affected by gynecomastia, which is characterized by visible male breasts, spend countless hours at the gym trying to flatten their chest and make their condition less noticeable. The hope that exercise may be able to reduce chest fullness and even eliminate the appearance of male breasts is understandable—after all, both men and women often find success in working out to reshape different regions of the body. Unfortunately, exercise does little in the way of transforming enlarged male breasts into flat, defined chest muscles.
Most cases of gynecomastia are the result of a hormone imbalance between estrogen and testosterone, which means that “man boobs” often consist of glandular tissue in addition to fatty tissue. Since exercise does not affect tissue from the breast glands, the effectiveness of chest-targeted workouts is limited. Exercise may be able to strengthen the pectoral muscles and tone the contours of the chest, but restoring a flat, masculine aesthetic typically requires a simple male breast reduction procedure from a plastic surgeon. This may involve liposuction to extract excess fat and decrease fullness or require the removal of glandular tissue. In most cases, some combination of both techniques is necessary to produce a natural-looking appearance.
We understand that living with gynecomastia can cause self-consciousness and a negative body image for many patients—but there is hope. Dr. David Bottger has helped many men in the Philadelphia community reclaim their self-confidence and achieve a more masculine look with male breast reduction. Please contact our practice today for more information about how Dr. Bottger can create a personalized gynecomastia treatment plan for your goals.