fact or BS

[xxxxxxxxxx]

I have surfed the web and most sites say that about 40% of men have gynecomastia. I think this is obsurd. It is not a fact; insufficient data is available to make it one. I think it is a bald estimation. My guess is that less than 10% of all boys get it and I think that with at least 7% it goes away. But yet this is but a guess. I think the 40% ordeal is just something to make you feel better. I talked to a plastic surgeon in my country and he has never performed anything like that. The sites that say that 40% is about accurate are in most part sites of plastic surgeons; this is but a marketing sceme. In final I want to say that I did not just blurt this out, I did do some research. My conclusion is that this is not as a common condition as people like you to believe.

[Grandpa Bambu]

I have surfed the web and most sites say that about 40% of men have gynecomastia. I think this is obsurd. It is not a fact; insufficient data is available to make it one. I think it is a bald estimation. My guess is that less than 10% of all boys get it and I think that with at least 7% it goes away. But yet this is but a guess.

Dude, you said it yourself. You are only guessing at that 10% and therefore, that also, is insufficient data! Where did you come up with '10%' anyway?

I have read that it's as high as 60% of all males get Gynecomastia during puberty. This may be more than actual fact, and it may be less. Who knows for sure? Does it really matter?

So.... for those that do have Gynecomastia, be it 1%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 75%, whatever, of the worlds male population, they can come to this Site and find support and info to obtain medical treatment if so desired.

[Alex18]

It's not that high.  I've never seen another guy with it in my entire life, except on this site.

[headheldhigh01]

agree.  they're probably talking "some form" of it, which might be really small, and the majority of them remit on their own before long.  

[Paa_Paw]

xxxxxxxxxx,

If it were as uncommon as you seem to suspect, It would be noteworthy.  Instead, it is so common that a Doctor doing a Physical exam will rarely make note of it unless it is extraordinarily prominent or it is brought to the Doctor's attention by the patient.

As a result, it is vastly under-reported.  The people who make money off of it often do so by convincing people that they are somehow odd or abnormal and need correction. The real truth is that it so common that unless extreme, it should be deemed normal.

So long as it is thought of as being other than normal, the teasing and torment will continue and people who suffer poor self image as a result will continue to seek treatment.  I surely understand, if the surgery was available when I was much younger, I may well have taken that option myself.

While I am sure that there are many fine surgeons who are simply doing their utmost to help men with Gynecomastia;  I am equally sure that there are some who make a big deal over nothing simply because it provides a good income.

The rate of dissatisfaction with surgery is high and it is not unusual for regrowth to occur later in life.  Just read the postings here of people who are not happy with the result of their surgery.

I would like to see standards of care for gynecomastia that would include complete workups by an Endocrinologist to ensure as much as possible that the cause of breast growth is no longer present and by a Psychologist to ensure that the patient has realistic expectations regarding the surgical outcome. Though that would probably put some surgeons out of business.

Obviously no surgeon is going to post pictures of their failures, So even what they do post is essentially meaningless.

I know full well that this response will raise a certain amount of ire, but I just had to get it off my chest.

(Yes it is a terrible Pun, even worse, it is intentional.  Sorry)

[Gine2D]

In warm weather go to the mall & count the number of males you see walk past you.  
At the same time count the number of males that have obvious breasts.

That will give you a rough idea how common it is.

Many millions of gyne men are now just wearing T-Shirts, they are not hiding any longer under several layers of shirts.

My father has it, I have it, My sons have it.

Look around you.

[Paa_Paw]

Gine2D,

Bullseye!   and   Ditto!

[xxxxxxxxxx]

In warm weather go to the mall & count the number of males you see walk past you.  
At the same time count the number of males that have obvious breasts.

That will give you a rough idea how common it is.

Many millions of gyne men are now just wearing T-Shirts, they are not hiding any longer under several layers of shirts.

My father has it, I have it, My sons have it.

Look around you.

40%, wow, that is a big number; in fact that number is colossal. If 40% is accurate would it not be more socially acceptable, yes I would. This would not even be a problem. In my country the condition is as rare as people born with 6 eyes

[xxxxxxxxxx]

In warm weather go to the mall & count the number of males you see walk past you.  
At the same time count the number of males that have obvious breasts.

That will give you a rough idea how common it is.

Many millions of gyne men are now just wearing T-Shirts, they are not hiding any longer under several layers of shirts.

My father has it, I have it, My sons have it.

Look around you.

40%, wow, that is a big number; in fact that number is colossal. If 40% is accurate would it not be more socially acceptable, yes I would. This would not even be a problem. In my country the condition is as rare as people born with 6 eyes

[DrBermant]

I have surfed the web and most sites say that about 40% of men have gynecomastia. I think this is obsurd. It is not a fact; insufficient data is available to make it one. I think it is a bald estimation. My guess is that less than 10% of all boys get it and I think that with at least 7% it goes away. But yet this is but a guess. I think the 40% ordeal is just something to make you feel better. I talked to a plastic surgeon in my country and he has never performed anything like that. The sites that say that 40% is about accurate are in most part sites of plastic surgeons; this is but a marketing sceme. In final I want to say that I did not just blurt this out, I did do some research. My conclusion is that this is not as a common condition as people like you to believe.

Actually the 60% of all men have or will have gynecomastia during their lives is probably underreporting.  Audit male babies at birth.  All babies are exposed to their mother's hormones while in the womb.  Because of this exposure, there is always a female like breast bud on every male baby I have ever examined. (I have examined many, many babies over the decades of my practice.)  In most cases, this breast enlargement is temporary and resolves on its own.

My dynamic technique give me a chance to evalute the state of gland during my male chest sculpture.  For the many hundreds of gynecomastia patients I have operated on, very few have no gland.  Almost all have some gland under the nipple, areola.  

The 60% number also includes the gynecomastia of old age.  When male testosterone falls off with advanced age, male breast growth is very common and probably underreported.  Check out any locker room or beach and look at the chests of older men.  During my many years of practice I have dissected many cadavers during my continued education about plastic surgery.  Some male gland was present on everyone I have evaluated.  The gland mass may be small, but it was always there if you looked.  Gynecomastia (female like breasts on men) does not have to include gland alone.  Many men as they age, lose muscle mass.  This can result in drooping sagging skin and muscles also giving a female like contour.

The fact is that not all gynecomastia is a concern for everyone.  Surgery is not necessary when someone is not bothered by the female like breasts or if the condition resolves on its own.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture

[hypo]

Just to explain to any older men that are looking to have their testosterone levels checked.

Total testosterone otherwise known as serum testosterone levels fall very little with age.

Approximately 98% of total testosterone in the typical male is bound and unusable by the body.  Some testosterone is weakly bound by albumin, but the majority of it is strongly bound by the liver manufactured protein carrier (Sex Hormone Binding globulin) SHBG.

SHBG binds both testosterone and estrogen but it has a higher affinity and binds proportionally more testosterone than estrogen.  Because of this, fluctuations in SHBG levels greatly influence the critical free testosterone and free estrogen levels.

As a man ages SHBG often increases.  The result is that he has progressively less free testosterone and a proportionally ever worsening androgen to estrogen balance.  The hormone ratios/the balance of testosterone to estrogen becomes poorer and favors estrogens.

This is sometimes coupled with poorer liver function where estrogens are not metabolized quite as effectively.

The end result;

A typical 59 year old man has more estrogen in his body than women of the same age not on HRT.

The above is why Gynecomastia and partially why hypogonadism are far more prevalent in the aging male.

If your endocrinologist/doctor can test for free testosterone as well as estrogen status, get him to do this.  If they can only test for total testosterone make sure your SHBG is also checked.  Hormone profiles will differ depending upon what the endocrinologist/doctor is investigating, but be sure that if you are having a standard hormone profile that it includes at least the following LH, FSH, TSH, Prolactin and PSA as well as previously stated testosterone and estrogen tests (usually the later is just estradiol, but can include other additional tests).

[vaio]

It's a secretive condition. No one likes to talk about it amongst their peers. It's kept on the "down low"

If you go to southern US, you will see countless people that have it. Most try to conseal it, and the rest (the very few) flaunt it. They know it looks radiciolously bad but just walk around with it for the hell of it.

The acutal percentage is around 40%. Maybe slightly higher, or slightly lower. You can't get a specific number since most people hide it.

[headheldhigh01]

i still think alex's point is a good one though.  in a pe class of maybe 30+ i was the only one.  i think that 40% figure, as dr b's post implies, includes cases that are so miniscule as to be effectively unnoticeable.  the question then would be what percent are noticeable, which would probably take it down.  and i definitely suspect there might be something to xxxxxxxxxx's point about levels being higher in certain countries vs others (for diet or whatever reasons else).  

[vaio]

Statistics don't mean that if there are 30 people in you PE class and lets say 50% of people have gynecomastia, that 15 will have it. The % thing goes for everyone. Not, everyone in your PE class.

[jc71]

Who knows, who cares.  The percentage of men with gyne is about impossible to calculate.  If I were in a room with other guys you wouldn't think I have it, because I hide it so well.  Now if I took off my 2 shirts then you would know, but in day to day life, others can't tell. I have no idea what percentage of guys have it.