Gynecomastia surgery is the best option to address the issue and when it comes to yourself – there are things that you can do to prevent it, to an extent:
LIMIT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Anything in excess is bad for you especially alcohol. Gynecomastia is brought on by hormone imbalance, and excess alcohol intake stresses the liver, which in turn causes it to become inefficient disrupting the body’s hormone balance.
STOP STEROIDS ABUSE
Although it seems logical that increasing your testosterone levels could possibly stave off gynecomastia – the answer is NO. Every time you go off a testosterone supplement cycle, the fluctuation caused actually increases your estrogen levels, which is the hormone that causes gynecomastia.
The above together with proper exercise and a generally healthy lifestyle routine can help in the prevention of gynecomastia. But what about food that comes in the form of meat from animals that have been supplemented with growth hormones and do they cause gynecomastia?
GROWTH ANIMAL HORMONES
Hyper-productive animals seem to be the norm these days. Dairy cows that produce more milk, beef cows and super salmons that grow faster, these are some examples of the reality in today’s bred-to-eat meat industry.
When it comes causing gynecomastia, there is no clear answer. However, if you do consume meat that has been treated with growth animal hormones, and genetically you respond to the hormones; chances are you will develop excess tissue in places where they shouldn’t be. This could cause the animal hormones imbalance leading to gynecomastia.
It can be confusing and at times even disheartening to realise the many potential causes of gynecomastia. It is important not to lose hope because, at the end of the day, there is an effective treatment – gynecomastia surgery.
Gynecomastia (male breasts) is on the rise. The term gynecomastia (male breasts) is becoming more widely known, but the derogatory terms, i.e., man boobs, bitch tits, and moobs to name a few, are more descriptive and hit home with a lot of men.
Excess breast tissue is a result for men who have a hormonal imbalance. The National Institute of Health states that 65% of men will be affected at some stage in their life with some form of gynecomastia. It used to be that most men seeking male breast reduction surgery were bodybuilders who used steroids, male models, and the aging male.
Since the ‘70s and ‘80s, there has been a gradual decline of testosterone in men. And since 1980 testosterone levels in men has dropped 25%. Chances of developing diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gynecomastia double when testosterone levels decline.
Why are Testosterone Levels in Men Dropping?
Researchers are trying to determine why estrogen levels in men are increasing, and testosterone is decreasing by looking at current lifestyles.
You may have heard the warnings about Bisphenol A (BPA) and that it is something you want to avoid. BPA is a chemical that hardens plastic. The chemical is everywhere; in fact, 90% of us have some in our bodies now. BPA can be in plastic containers and bottles that hold food and beverages. The FDA believed that BPA was safe until 2010 when studies showed the chemical might be risky. BPA can alter your natural hormone balance; it is linked to many health issues, including gynecomastia.
How to Avoid BPA
Many products now claim to be BPA free as consumer awareness increases. It is advisable to store food in glass, stainless steel, or porcelain. When heating food in the microwave, do not use plastic as BPA can seep into food.
There may be BPA in the epoxy coatings in the lining of some canned foods; however, many manufacturers are removing BPA. It isn’t always noted if your canned goods are BPA free, you can check the color of the inside lining, if it is white it contains BPA, you want off white, copper color, reddish or yellow. Unfortunately, there have been instances of BPA found in some products that claim to be BPA free. For men who want to avoid BPA, it is better to eat fresh or frozen foods.
Is Soy Healthy?
Soy products have been considered a healthy food, but studies have shown significant amounts of soy may lead to gynecomastia. There was a story about a 60 year-old man with gynecomastia who was consuming 3 quarts of soy milk a day when he stopped on the advice of his endocrinologist, his man boobs disappeared. Different people have different reactions to soy; it is best to avoid any genetically modified organism (GMO) when purchasing soy; unfortunately, it is in the majority of soy products today.
Watch Your Hops!
Two alcoholic beverages a day can lower testosterone, and the hops in beer are known to contain estrogen. Not all hops are bad; it contains xanthohumol, which is known to have anti-clotting, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. Note that your body metabolizes alcohol first and then may store food as fat.
For more information on this subject, you may read the entire article here.
See Your Gynecomastia Specialist for Evaluation
While all the causes for gynecomastia are not known, your gynecomastia specialist will want to review with you your lifestyle, diet, medications, and even hygiene products to rule out some of the suspected triggers of man boobs.
Everybody likes a bargain. Whether its BOGO at the shoe store or the hot dog and a coke combination for a buck and a half at Costco, we all want to feel like we got a good deal. This is great when it comes to clothes or shoes or lunch, but there is another saying that is equally true, “you get what you pay for”.
A number of stories have hit the national news recently about people who decided to have their plastic surgery procedures performed at a bargain basement rate outside of the US. None of the stories ended well for the bargain hunters in these cases. And these are just the stories of people who have died as a result of surgery outside the country. A large number of other patients, mostly women, have been left scarred and disappointed after their surgeries outside the country went wrong. Many of these patients have suffered at the hands of untrained or poorly trained “surgeons” who take advantage of unsuspecting people who want their cosmetic surgery at a discount.
So, what’s the difference between a plastic surgeon in the US and one in Mexico or the Dominican Republic? In the US, in order to earn the moniker of Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, you must:
Excel in Medical school (top of your class) to earn a highly competitive position in a Plastic surgery residency training program that lasts 5-7 years (after medical school)
Pass a rigorous comprehensive written examination and impress upon a panel of experienced, grey haired surgeons who are leaders in the field of plastic surgery in an oral examination that you are a safe, ethical plastic surgeon in order to obtain Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Obtain hospital privileges to practice your specialty and submit to peer review and continuing medical education in order to maintain your credentials.
Outside the US… who knows? All you may need is a white coat, a slick website and a sign out front of your building. The point is, you don’t know. And that is what can be dangerous. In the US, you can check with your local or state medical Board to check the qualifications of your surgeon. Not so elsewhere. The practitioners are banking on your desire for low ball price shopping, and you ASSUME, that they are a safe, experienced, surgeon. It is this assumption that can prove disfiguring at best, deadly at worst.
So, what could possibly go wrong? Everything. In a recently publicized case, a healthy woman suffered an anesthetic complication before the surgery even started. The details are sketchy as the details were not readily provided by the clinic in Mexico. And then, oops, the records are accidentally destroyed. The patient gets transferred to a local hospital and then is basically held hostage until the bill is paid in full before releasing them to be transported back to the US where she later died. The clinic in Mexico, the doctor… ghosts. Good luck trying to track them down and leveling charges or filing suit.
That is the worst-case scenario. Say you make it back home in one piece. Can you be sure of what was injected or implanted in you? Tales of finding recycled implants or temporary sizers used as implants are what we plastic surgeons chat about when we get together at meetings. And what exactly was in that “filler” that was used?
What if you have issues after you get home? The incisions don’t look right. They are draining something awful and you can never seem to reach your surgeon in Mexico no matter when you call. You call your local plastic surgeon to get checked out, but they are not very enthusiastic about taking care of another surgeon’s complications and subjecting themselves to that liability and they politely decline. So, you go to the ER, where you find that your insurance if you have insurance, does not cover complications of cosmetic procedures. Get ready for a medical bill that will haunt you for the rest of your life.
The moral of the story is, you get what you pay for. The BOGO shoes at DSW and the day-old bread at the bakery may be a good short-term decision with little downside. It is definitely worthwhile to save up to hire a surgeon who has the training, experience, judgement and the skills to perform the procedure that you are considering. And yes, that does come at a price. But it is well worth it.
You wouldn’t recommend a discount, cut rate plastic surgeon to operate on your best friend or family member, would you?
