A Fresh Perspective - Please Read

[dallasguy12]

Changing your outlook.

So you’ve got gynecomastia. There’s more than one thing you can do about it. It’s just common knowledge that having gynecomastia is embarrassing. It isn’t exactly a symbol of masculine vigor nor is it very attractive. Is it possible to live with it? Sure. Of course surgery is one option and on this website you’ll see that many people encourage it. Partly because this website garners business for the plastic surgeons and partly because it’s what people have had the most success with.

How about looking at yourself from a different perspective? I have a mild case of gynecomastia which includes puffy nipples and an excess of fatty tissue in my chest region. Right now I’m being forced to live with it because I don’t have the money to go out and have the condition surgically corrected. I know there are vastly different cases of gynecomastia but it’s important to keep in mind that learning to live with the cards you’ve been dealt is important. Embracing who you are and learning to battle the demons you have is an important part of life. No one is born perfect but who am I to presume you’re asking for perfection? Well I’m not. If the condition is so severe and so disturbing that it consumes your being and prevents you from living a healthy and productive life, than perhaps surgery is the remedy you should seek.

Being at the beach without a shirt for those of us who have gynecomastia can be embarrassing, yes. Isn’t embarrassment a normal and healthy emotion? Shouldn’t we be learning how to deal with it instead of buying it off? Surgery is probably the most common and most effective alternative to treating gynecomastia and I think this statement will be undisputed, but does that mean your condition warrants it? Surgery is much more invasive than learning how to battle and cope with the issue on your own. Think of it this way. If the procedure will cost you $4,500.00 and you had that money at your disposal this very moment, is that what you would spend it on? This is a question I asked myself and I was surprised at how honestly I answered no. I can’t honestly tell you that right now I’d take that money and spend it on the surgery. If you answered “yes”, make sure you’ve thoroughly thought about the other things you can spend that kind of money on. I’m not writing this to dissuade you from pursuing surgery as your form of treatment but rather to help you find a new way of viewing your situation.

I’ve had a mild case of gynecomastia for the past 6 years and when I started researching the topic extensively and stumbled across this website, I was almost convinced surgery was my only option and was right for me. After further consideration I think it’s a safer and much smarter idea to wait and see how I feel in a year or so. The way we feel and perceive ourselves is greatly dictated by society. I know I for one am in control of the way I respond to society. I want to make absolutely sure that if I commit to a solution as serious as this that I’m doing it for me and not for anyone else.

As a temporary fix I’ve decided to make a run out to my local convenient store and purchase a box of circular Band-Aids. They just so happen to fit perfectly over my puffy nipples and they help conceal them while wearing clothes. This obviously isn’t going to work while I’m at the beach without a shirt on but it is something that makes me feel better about the way I look in my clothes. It seems to be a silly idea but who am I to reject it? It’s seems to me it’s a safe and cost-effective method to making me feel better about myself without making any drastic changes to my body. I of course haven’t ruled out the possibility of surgery entirely but I thought that perhaps those of you contemplating it would benefit from seeing things from a new angle. As I said, this isn’t going to work for everyone as the severity of gynecomastia can vary significantly but for those of us dealing primarily with the annoyances caused by puffy nipples, these ideas and the above solution using band-aids could be the greatest thing since sliced bread! Well, not really but it’s definitely something to think about. I just hope those of you considering surgery don’t jump on that bandwagon without giving it serious thought.

Please understand I’m not touting my ideas and viewpoints as the only way to go about handling this. I just want to share my thoughts and ideas with the hopes that others might benefit from them. Wrapping things up here, I also want to address one of the benefits to dealing with gynecomastia as a opposed to having it surgically corrected. Being rid of the issue is a great thing as I’m sure many of you have experienced but in a situation such as mine, I feel I can benefit from having something about myself that isn’t perfect. Guys, if there’s a special woman in your life who can’t bring herself to look past a minor imperfection (assuming you have a mild case of gynecomastia), is she really someone you care to become involved with? If she’s that shallow and superficial that she can’t love you for who you are because of this, she probably isn’t a woman who is worth being involved with anyway.

I hope my thoughts and ideas have given some of you a new way to view this problem. I’ve seen a lot of people on here struggling with the depression that accompanies gynecomastia and perhaps trying to view it from a new angle can help in that struggle. Again, I realize these aforementioned thoughts and ideas won’t apply to every situation because there is no cure-all. I’m just sharing this so that those who might benefit from reading it have the chance to.

I wish everyone good luck in finding something that works well for them!

Regards,
Mason

[Achilles]

1000-2000 for a lot of us, so there would be a bit of change remaining . I'm just kidding...I understand what you're saying but you have to understand (as I'm sure you do) a lot or most of us have been living with this condition ever since puberty and have tried just about anything to get rid of it.  Is/should surgery be the first and only option?  Not at all.  Every case is different and for a lot of us, no matter how much weight we lose, working out we do, etc, etc, the condition will not go away.  

I've known that I've had gyne for a few years now and I have lost weight and worked out and have seen absolutely NO improvement (even though I was physically healthier in general, I believe it made my gyne worse) and it wasn't until just a month ago that I asked my doctor about it, while I was seeing him for something else, and told my parents that  was serious about getting the procedure to rid myself of this condition that dictates a lot of things I do/wear, unfortunately.  Personally, I'm at the point where surgery is the only option I am willing to consider.  I don't want to live with it anymore and the procedure is fairly accessible.  Just the thought of getting rid of the gyne makes excited and anxious to have the procedure.

This is in NO WAY an attack on your argument, it is my personal opinion/feelings.  If you're happy with the gyne, then all the best to you!  If you're not happy, at least you know that there are options out there and that you don't have to live with the condition for much longer.

[dallasguy12]

I definitely understand where you're coming from and no, I'm not at all happy with my gyne. With the above writing I'm making an attempt to instill some hope in those that can't afford to undergo the surgical procedure. I definitely sympathize with those who have it as I know what it's like. I've also had mine since the onset of puberty and have had it for about 6 years now.

I got serious about eating foods that conformed to a very moderated diet, running twice a day (about 20 miles a week) and biking. I lost about 18 lbs and was at it for slightly longer than 2.5 months. I wasn't obese but I was carrying around a little extra weight. Needless to say my chest wasn't effected much by the weightloss so I can relate to what you're saying.

-Mason

[Ax87]

thats good that u feel that way... but some people just cant stand it, and dont want to live with it and ya its expensive but its not like your dropping 100 grand on it or something... if you can deal with it then u should live with it, but if some1 wants it to get fixed and there is a way to have it fixed(surgery) then they should get it done.

[dallasguy12]

Ax87, did you read the entire first post? As I said, I'm not dissuading anyone from pursuing a surgical rememdy at all! To each his own of course.  

[sillyguy]

Good outlook stoavio.  If you can learn to live with it, then that's truly an awesome thing.  I would never suggest surgery to anyone unless their life was being ruined by the problem.

But for me, surgery was the way to go.  You said, "Shouldn’t we be learning how to deal with it [embarrasment] instead of buying it off?"  My response to that is, I'll go ahead and get the surgery, and learn to deal with the embarassment of my big ass head

Cause believe me it's pretty big.  I can't even bend down to tie my shoes with out flipping over onto my back.

[Paa_Paw]

The surgery was not available when I was a young man so I learned to cope because there was no choice at that time.

When the surgery did become available, Like stoavio I decided that there were better ways to spend the money.

It is true that some men like and even celebrate their breasts; I do not.  but I have learned to tolerate them and live with them.

What goes on between a man's ears is much more important than a bit of surplus tissue on his chest.

[Ax87]

i guess its good but at my age...18... its deffinitely a good time to get it done kuz of the other kids... but my case is really mild... im just getting it done for myself because i feel like it wi ll make me feel better about my self and make my self confidence shoot up, so its more about me, i dont really get teased that much or troubles with girls, its more about me and making myself feel better.

[dallasguy12]

Thank you sillyguy and Paa_Paw!

"What goes on between a man's ears is much more important than a bit of surplus tissue on his chest."
I couldn't have put it better myself.

Ax87, I know what you're going through because I too am in that age group however the point of this thread was to perhaps shed a positive light on something not so positive.

Also, I tried the band-aid solution out today and I was impressed with how much of a difference they made. They really help to keep my puffy nipples compressed and with a shirt (or two) on they're not even noticable.

For anyone else that's read the first post and has something to contribute, please do!

[Spleen]

Paw is right as usual.  There are lots of guys with gynecomastia.  Some don't know they have anything "wrong" with them, others do and don't care, and still others are consumed by it.  Diff'rent strokes, right?  But IMO it's *healthier* to be a bit pragmatic: yes it's embarassing, no it's not the end of the world.  The list of things people are embarassed by is as long as any of us can imagine and man-boobs are just another entry on that list.  

I've been teased and faced embarrassment about my chest, but in the long run I decided not avoid things I enjoyed (women, the beach, etc.) just to avoid the occasional embarassing situation.  After a short time I learned that the occassional comment just wasn't that bad (and easy enough to ignore) and that I didn't have to bother avoiding exposing my chest because the consequences just weren't sufficient to make me alter my behavior.

In the end I still had surgery because a) after getting in shape I wanted to look as good as I felt, and b) the cost wasn't that significant at age 36 when my finances were stronger.  I don't regret waiting, but knowing what I know now if I had the $$ laying around 15 years ago I would have the surgery.  It is kind of amazing how a couple hours in a surgeons office can not just change your appearance but how you feel about your appearance, and this from a guy that wasn't all that bothered in the first place.  

[Time_to_fix_it]

Stoavio.  I would say that reading your first post makes a lot of sense.  A natural and understandable reaction that most of us had when we discovered we had gyne was to panic (I did).  To be able to sit down and look at it objectively, as you have in your first post is a good way to go.  Which ever way an individual decides to go after that, ie surgery or not, is always better arrived at by careful thought rather than panic.

[Ax87]

i've heard about this band aid thing but wut is it, u just put bandaids on ur nipples?  and the puffiness goes down? i mean mine arent really noticable if i wear a certain shirts, or if i wear the compression vest... i've never tried the band aid method lol does it actually work? i guess the main reason it bothers me iz kuz everyone always wants to go to the beach and to the pool and thats when they really show and thats why i want to have it surgically removed :-/ but ya sorry, i wasnt trying to shut your outlook down, your right... and its good that thats the way you see it.

[dallasguy12]

Spleen: Your methods of dealing with the issue are very admirable and I'm glad you were able to afford the surgery to have it corrected. It's quite possible that one day I too will have the money and see it fit to have the issue surgically corrected but until then I have to continue dealing with it as I have for the past 6 years.

Time_to_fix_it: Thank you. It's not always easy to think logically because as you said panic sets in and you begin to be consumed by your emotions. I identified this as it was happening and decided to talk to my parents, who are both very smart and logical people. They reminded me that everyone has issues they struggle with but not everyone has the means to go about having them taken care of right away and that learning to deal with them is both healthy and natural.

I think there's a positive light to be shed on many things that aren't so positive, it's just not always easy to see.

Don't think I don't understand that there are people that are just tired of seeing the positive in this and are ready to see it gone. I can totally understand that and that's why I think surgery is perfectly acceptable in cases where the decision is arrived at thoughtfully and responsibly. I read a story on here about a college student forgoing his tuition to cover the cost of having the gyne removed surgically. I wouldn't necessarily call this a good idea but his circumstances may have been so extreme and his case so dire that surgery was absolutely necessary.


There are lots of guys with gynecomastia.  Some don't know they have anything "wrong" with them, others do and don't care, and still others are consumed by it.  Different strokes, right?

^ Well said Spleen.

[dallasguy12]

Hey Ax87: The band-aid solution varies in effectiveness from guy to guy. It worked well for me today but I'll tell you what, taking the band-aids off was definitely not the funnest thing in the world. I'm inclined to warn you now that it's quite possible for your nipples to become chafed and sore after wearing the band-aids because ripping them off the already sensitive skin is quite painful. I suppose it's also wise to consider any undesirable effects that may result from using the "band-aid" method, as I've now coined it. If pulling the band-aids off somehow makes the nipples even puffier, than obviously this method does more harm that it does good. Right now my nipples have a sun burn sensation going on and look inflamed.

On a similar note, I understand there are nipple concealers made specifically for women but as I think of them I see them being a better alternative to the band-aids. If I end up buying and trying some, I'll be sure to post my results back here.

[Ax87]

lol thanks ya im sure it would hurt to peel those things off, the compression shirt works just fine, i'll stick with that for now, thanks for the help tho...