Male Breast Reduction Can Occur?
By: Dr. John Alspaugh, Board-Certified Virginia Beach Plastic Surgeon
Breast reduction is not only for women. Men who find themselves with excess breast tissue may opt to have male breast reduction to provide a more aesthetically appealing chest and boost their confidence.
There are several reasons that this procedure may be desired. Some men, as a consequence of massive weight loss, end up with breast development.
Two procedures exist. One is removal of the breast gland itself. The other is the removal of excess skin and fat, along with the gland.
Gland removal is relatively simple and can be done through very limited incisions around the male areola. This procedure may or may not be associated with simultaneous liposuction.
For patients with excess skin, this is lot more challenging. While neither males nor females want to have surgical scars, the scars that the female population may end up with will be hidden from majority of their social contacts. In our society, men are sometimes called upon to remove their shirts at swimming pools, beaches, etc., and scars in that situation may be socially uncomfortable.
For some, the skin excess may be sufficiently bothersome that the possibility of noticeable scars is worth it to them. Procedures that are customized for men (that sometimes have similar principles as those applied to the female breasts) are utilized.
