Ask the Doctor – Gynecomastia

You may be wondering how plastic surgery can possibly improve your golf swing and game. In this edition, we will explain how gynecomastia can affect your chest rotation, thus affecting the backswing and downswing.

What Is Gynecomastia?

Best described as enlarged breasts or “man boobs” in men, Gynecomastia is a condition that causes a man’s breast tissue to swell, often causing discomfort and social embarrassment. This can affect one or both breasts and may be accompanied by sensitivity or pain. This enlargement is typically made up of two kinds of tissue, true fatty tissue that adds bulk to the chest and firm glandular tissue in the central chest that is often painful and is responsible for the look of a protruding or pointy nipple/areola.

How Gynecomastia Can Affect Your Game

Expert golfers agree that controlling your golf swing requires efficiency of the larger chest muscles and precise control of chest rotation. Unfortunately, the bulk of excess fatty tissue and tenderness from excess glandular tissue can severely limit your range of motion and the transfer of power from your chest muscles. Without both of these key elements to your swing, your game will quickly suffer. 

Gynecomastia Symptoms

Typically, the first sign of gynecomastia a man notices is tight fitting shirts or the embarrassing look of a lumpy chest. This may be accompanied by attempts to conceal the excess breast tissue in loose clothing or refusing to go without a shirt. As time goes on, tender breast tissue, enlarging areolas, and a firm lump of tissue under the nipple are all common. If you experience any of the above symptoms, it is best to consult with your doctor to confirm the presence of Gynecomastia.

Gynecomastia Causes

Male breast tissue can enlarge in response to increased hormone levels or sensitivity to certain hormones in the body. Several medications, anabolic steroids, marijuana use, and alcohol are the most common causes of Gynecomastia. However, in the majority of cases the specific cause is unknown. In these instances, it is likely that hormonal changes that occur during puberty and with aging lend to the imbalance that triggers the tissue growth. 

Gynecomastia Treatment

Tissue removal techniques vary in detail, but a tailored gynecomastia procedure is extremely effective at permanently eliminating excess tissue and contouring the chest. Minor cases can be treated by a simple office-based procedure while more advanced cases may require additional minimally invasive techniques for treating both the firm glandular and fatty tissue. In all cases, access sites are well hidden and heal quickly. Recovery from a gynecomastia procedure is quick with most men returning to normal basic daily activities in three to five days. 

Sculpt Men’s Center specializes in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures for men. During the consultation, the areas of concern and your goals are discussed so an individualized plan can be developed. Call us at 972.2SCULPT to schedule a consultation today.