How to Get Rid of Man Boobs

Would You like to learn how to get rid of man boobs?

It's every man's worst nightmare: man boobs. You saw it on the Seinfeld episode, "The Mansierre," in which Kramer developed a bra for guys who were suffering from a little too much breast development.

The condition may be most devastating to teens, but it can strike at any age. In fact, nearly 50 percent of all men will experience gynecomastia at some point in their lives, Many sufferers don't know that gynecomastia is a medical condition caused by hormone fluctuations and weight gain. Nor do they know that exercise or weight loss alone may not be effective in getting rid of male breasts once they develop.

One of the biggest culprits for adults—and one that's easily avoidable—is weight gain. When men gain weight, they're not just getting bigger; the extra weight is actually changing their hormone production—and not in a way that most men would like. By nature, fat tissue manufactures the female hormone estrogen, which in turn stimulates breast tissue—meaning that significant weight gain will always be associated with some sort of breast growth, even in men, according to experts. A person who's overweight will be fatter all around, and maybe even develop the excessive breast fat that doctors call pseudogynecomastia—the appearance of male breasts caused by fat alone. Most really overweight men are developing actual breast tissue, not just some extra padding. Doctors say that virtually all obese men (those who have a body mass index of 30 or greater, experience some degree of breast growth. And once that breast tissue is established, it doesn't go away on its own—no matter how much you exercise or diet. Considering that 75 percent of Americans are likely to be overweight by 2015, according to a recent John Hopkins study, men may want to think twice about supersizing that cheeseburger.

Even if some older men have made peace with their manboobs, gynecomastia is no joke for many young men—particularly in a culture in which pecs of steel are the norm in the mainstream media. The problem with adolescent onset gynecomastia is that it's happening at a time when kids are first becoming aware of their bodies. Kids at that point are really interested in fitting in, and this can make them targets for everything from emotional to sexual to physical abuse.

Impatient teens have few options. They can wait it out and hope the gynecomastia goes away as hormone levels fluctuate; most doctors say to give it two years or so. If it still persists, a doctor can prescribe an estrogen-blocker—a common one is the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen—to reverse the hormone levels. Or, as an increasingly common last resort, there's breast-reduction surgery, a procedure some 20,000 American men—including 14,000 teenagers—underwent last year, making it the fifth-most common male surgery in America, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Plastic surgeons say the procedure today is easier, safer and more effective than it's ever been. The surgery ranges in price from about $4,000 to $10,000 and can take as little as an hour, depending on the size and makeup of the breast, which can range from puffed up nipples to more fully formed breasts. In some cases surgeons use liposuction to remove fatty deposits and glandular tissue, all through a "tiny nick in the skin"—about an eighth of an inch. In more severe cases a surgeon may need to open up the breast to remove tissue and excess skin, and occasionally even reposition the nipple.

Even if the condition doesn't merit surgery, doctors are hoping that more men seek medical advice about treatment options instead of resigning themselves to a life lived with their shirts on. Talking about the problem, they say, is key. Raising awareness of the condition—its causes, symptoms, treatments—will help more boys and men with gynecomastia be correctly diagnosed, and reassure them they are not alone.