17 yr old - pretty sure I have it, talking to doctor soon (See Pics)

[booty_frijoles]

Alright so I just started doing some research about all this and found this discussion board and thought I'd join and be apart of the group. I'm guessing everybody here has it or is related in some way so hopefully there will be no judging. I was pretty self conscious about it and I used to tape over them as you can see from the marks but it left some scarring so I quit that and just wear tight muscle shirts under my clothes.

About myself: I'm 17 years old, 6' exactly and about 185 lbs. I used to be pretty overweight and have had puffy nipples/boobs for a few years now; I recently began working out and running. I dropped down from 210-220 lbs and its been a few months. I was hoping that exercise would get rid of it and I've basically accepted the fact I need surgery.

I've never talked to anyone about this and I'm going to talk to my doctor about it in about a week. I told my mom I need to talk to him about my "wrist" but I'm gonna mention my gynecomastia and hopefully he can check everything out. I'll probably tell her after I talk to the doctor. I'm still under my parents medical insurance and was wondering how the whole insurance deal works because we probably wont be able to afford it without some insurance help but I hope my parents are willing to finance once we talk.

PLEASE CAN I GET SOME ANSWERS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL PART OF THIS - HAS ANYONE HAD THEIR INSURANCE COVER IT COMPLETELY???

It has definitely been a big embarrassment and I've never wanted to get too close to girls, sexually I mean. Still a virgin, would love to change that. I'm talking to an amazingly gorgeous girl now and I'd love to be able to actually take my shirt off in front of her. (she's a swimmer so things kinda suck right now) I just want the surgery now and have everything over and done with. Its pretty frustrating I'm sure you all know.

I was just wondering if I could get some comments about them. Do you think if I keep working out and doing a lot of cardio they may go away? I'm pretty sure surgery is my only option but there might be some hope...Also if someone could answer my question about the financial part of this it would be great! I REALLY REALLY wanna get rid of this!!!

Here's some pics (scars are from taping; hoping some tanning will get rid of this but then we're back to the whole no shirt deal)

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/booty_frijoles/Gynecomastia/Photo-0269.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/booty_frijoles/Gynecomastia/Photo-0258.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/booty_frijoles/Gynecomastia/Photo-0259.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/booty_frijoles/Gynecomastia/Photo-0260.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/booty_frijoles/Gynecomastia/Photo-0265.jpg

btw, this is the first time I've ever took pictures of this and actually posted them online. It feels so damn weird!
Some questions or comments would be great everyone. I'll take anyone's opinion. I've never talked to anyone about this.

[George Pope, M.D.]

Congratulations on the weight loss.  It looks like you have glandular or breast tissue present, and because of the weight loss, you have some excess skin.  That's often tough to correct.  The gland tissue is usually removed through an incision on the underside of your areola, and any fat that is present can be suctioned out via liposuction.  At your young age, your skin will hopefully contract well over time, but the more stretched out the skin is when you're heavy, the harder it is for it to shrink down.  How long ago were you 220 to 225 pounds?  Hopefully your skin will contract more on its own.

I hope this helps.  This is a great forum; I'm sure you're going to hear from a lot of guys who have suffered from this.  And congratulations for taking the first positive step toward handling this.  Shooting and posting your photos was a good start!

Dr. Pope, M.D.

[booty_frijoles]

Thank you so much for the quick and positive response Dr. Pope, its comments like yours I was hoping for.

I should mention I'm almost 18, Aug 28th to be exact. The "boobs" have reduced a lot but its still the puffy nipples that are the worst. When the nipple gets hard its not too bad, but still noticeable. When they are not hard they stick out a lot and thats when the self-consciousness begins. To answer your question I lost all the weight in about a period of 2 months but I also put on more muscle mass too. If I didn't do weight training along with cardio I would weigh much less right now because I'd be a twig. lol

You seem to know a lot about the subject and I was wondering what you would suggest in the end, should I consider the surgery soon or should I wait to get a little older. This had been a pretty big problem and has hurt emotionally and would love to get rid of it as soon as possible but if the insurance doesn't cover it I have a feeling there may not be any surgery period. I still need to tell my parents whats going on and still need to talk to my doctor

I see your in Orlando. Do you know of any good PS's in the Atlanta area? If not have you heard good things? Any info would be great.

[George Pope, M.D.]

I would suggest you wait until your weight has been stable for a few months, to allow your skin ample time to contract.  You may already be there - I would say stable weight for about 6 months.  There's not really a good reason to wait any longer than that, in my opinion, since you've mentioned that your gynecomastia is already affecting your lifestyle.  (No swimming, etc).  Once again, the more time you spend on this site, the more stories you will read about other guys going through the same thing.

As far as cost of surgery goes, it's been my experience that most insurance companies in the U.S. don't cover the expense.  CareCredit is a finance company that many plastic surgeons refer their patients to.  If you qualify, and you would most likely need your parents to apply, the cost of surgery could be financed.  Don't be afraid to talk to your parents about your gynecomastia.  A lot of guys on this site have had problems with that, and I'm sure those in support of "full disclosure" to your parents will weigh in.

I don't know any Atlanta plastic surgeons, but I suggest you search the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' website to find a board-certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta.  Our website URL is www.plasticsurgery.org

Good luck!

Dr. Pope, M.D.

[booty_frijoles]

Thanks again for such a quick reply Dr. Pope.

Still haven't had a chance to bring it up with my parents but I'm hoping to within the next week. You seem to be the only person who actually replies to my post and everything is very helpful. Once again I'd like to thank you for guiding me through this.

I was searching for some centers that do Plastic surgery in my area and came across this website. I've emailed them with lots of questions and concerns and hopefully will hear back from them soon. Here's their website: http://www.swancenteratlanta.com/plastic_surgery_center.html

One more question about the insurance deal, so it still isn't covered even after all the emotional distress its caused? I mean I'm trying to live the most normal life I can with this condition but it nowhere near the way I want it. I will talk to my doctor and the Plastic Surgeons they point me to as well, but I figured I'd ask you again since your replies are always fast and VERY helpful.

Once again, I wanna thank you Dr. Pope! First time talking to someone about this and its a great experience so far just after talking with you. Hopefully the whole journey of getting rid of this goes as smooth.

[George Pope, M.D.]

Every insurance plan is different; you need to check with your plan.  Issues that cause emotional distress are usually not covered.  I suppose "emotional distress" is vague and is not an objective symptom or sign.  Once again, check with your insurance plan and talk with your doctor.  But I wouldn't be too hopeful.

Good luck-

Dr. Pope, M.D.