Body image is no longer a women-only problem. Clinical studies show that men are equally dissatisfied and concerned about their appearance. Gynecomastia, the overdevelopment of breast tissues in men or boys, often occurs due to hormonal imbalances of the estrogen (female hormone) and testosterone (male hormone) levels. The growth of the breast tissues can occur in symmetry or concentric circles around the nipple. Gynecomastia can be stressful and embarrassing, especially if the condition has advanced to a point where you cannot hide.
If you are at a point where you are experiencing psychological discomfort and anxiety due to the condition, Gynecomastia West Palm Beach specialists will remedy the situation by giving your body a lasting transformation. Even though gynecomastia may go away with time, its persistence may warrant management with medication or surgery. Below are some of the stages of gynecomastia to help you know when to seek treatment.
1. Grade I
It is the initial stage of gynecomastia. It is characterized by a puffy nipple that results due to slight tissue enlargement behind the areola. The enlargement is very mild, and in most cases, it is not evident when you have your clothes on. You may notice a slight color difference between the natural breast and the tissue growth. If you seek treatment at this stage, you are most likely to get permanent results.
2. Grade II
It is characterized by mild to moderate breast enlargement that grows past the areola. It presents unnoticeable borders from the chest, and it is still not visible when wearing loose clothing. You may feel some chest tightness, and the nipple area feels firmer on touch, while the outer area is fatty and soft. You can get effective results if you do a gland excision along with liposuction.
3. Grade III
This is a moderate to severe stage where there is excess skin around the areola, causing the breast to droop. You will notice extreme breast enlargement that causes your chest to increase as well. The changes are noticeable even when wearing loose-fitting clothes.
4. Grade IV
Grade IV gynecomastia presents severe feminized breasts. There is substantial growth of the glandular breast tissue that causes some skin laxity, and the breast will appear feminine. At this stage, the breasts are large enough, and they are highly visible with no effort. Gland excision and liposuction is the only cure for this severe level.
Gynecomastia can be glandular or fatty. Glandular gynecomastia occurs due to excess production of the female hormone (estrogen) in males. Fatty gynecomastia is the excessive accumulation of fatty cells around the breast, which may result due to a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, and junk eating. Men with gynecomastia are likely to experience recurrent feelings of incompleteness since they are dissatisfied with their bodies.
If anxiety is starting to cripple your day-to-day operations due to gynecomastia, there are treatments to restore your normal male contour. Surgery, liposuction, and gland excisions are sure-proof procedures that will correct any malformations on your breast, chest, and nipple area. Even though all surgeries leave some scarring, you can talk with your cosmetic surgeon to minimize the scar tissue to be less noticeable.
