pubertal gyncomastia causing real stress

[Dbaker888]

I'm still 14 years old, don't turn 15 until August 19th.anyways, my gyno still has shown no sign of improvement and it's really getting to me, being honest with you, sometimes I break down and cry just looking at myself. i worry about summer coming up, because of the opportunities showing up for me to take my shirt off and I won't even do that around my family. it's killing me emotionally and draining me. so much stress in my life because of it, I don't get bullied or anything, nobody notices it when I have a shirt on, but it just kills my conscious. I have a girlfriend, had her for about a year now and she don't know about it, and that stresses me out that she'll think I'm weird because I have the same thing she does, breasts. tried every exercise in the book. The doctor says I'm maybe 5 pounds overweight, I'm 6'0" and 188 pounds right now but I've had this problem for maybe two years now to maybe three, but my family says that back in my younger days that it coulda just been baby fat and now it's puberty-induced. i honestly don't know what to do. and I'd say they just tell me that to make me feel better but it's honestly not helping. Nothing is.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I feel your pain.

I have written extensively about surgery on adolescents with stable (for 2 or more years) gynecomastia.  Very few people understand the emotional anguish that this condition engenders.  And most young men suffer in silence, embarrassed and unaware that this is a named condition for which there is treatment available.

I would first recommend that you have a serious conversation with your parents.  If they are understanding, they will appreciate your distress.  Convince them to visit a plastic surgeon with extensive gynecomastia surgery experience -- at least for an opinion.  They should understand that if your condition has persisted for two or more years, it will not magically disappear at age 18, 21 or beyond.  And you will have spent all those years, waiting in vain for it to disappear.  And by the way, going to your pediatrician will probably not be helpful.  They tend to be misinformed about gynecomastia and unaware of recent developments in gynecomastia surgery.  They tend to be very conservative and will urge "observation."

Good luck!

Dr Jacobs

[Paa_Paw]

Dr. Jacobs is totally right as usual. 

years ago there was a Doctor in Family practice who was quoted as saying that the best treatment for Gynecomastia is Counselling.  That may have been correct in 1949, but times change and he was clearly out of touch. 

[ajc]

Dbaker888,
I can understand where you are coming from. I developed a case of gynecomastia on my left side when i was 13. This is a very tough age as it is, then to deal with this on top of it just seems cruel right? The reality is is that it happened and that sucks. Gynecomastia is a personal struggle and we all deal with it differently but ide like to offer what has helped me through my journey with it.
I figured that i could accept it and learn to live with it or start a plan to get rid of it. I decided on a plan to get rid of it. My plan was to minimize the appearance of it by working out until i could afford to have the surgery. I starting lifting heavily around your age and continued to put on muscle throughout middle and highschool. Adding muscle (not tring to get skinny) will definitely help to reduce the appearance of the gynecomastia and you will start to build self confidence. Unfortunately, no amount of working out will eliminate gynecomastia but you will have a great foundation built by the time surgery is an option (if you go that route).
I cant even begin to count the hours ive spent in the mirror wishing and praying it would go away. Ultimately, those hours worrying were wasted. The hours that made the difference were in the gym, researching doctors, and saving up for surgery. Im 29 right now and have my surgery set for March 31st to remove it completely. When its finally removed my results will be way better than if i did nothing during the time i had it.

Ive always hated my gynecomastia because i never thought it was a natural part of me but i would suggest you never let it get in the way of living your life. Good Luck