Kind of an unusual story.

[Titillated]

Hey y'all.

I'm a newbie.

Gee, where to begin?  

Well, for starters, I'm a gay male and I really didn't notice anything unusal about my breasts until I was about 19 years old. Before that time, I was a little chubby and really didn't think anything about it. As I grew taller and lost weight, I noticed that I had what looked like blossoming breasts.

I guess the first time I really became aware that my breasts were more obvious than what I thought was when I was overseas and a man walked up to me and grabbed my breasts and said, "What are these?" I was kind of shocked, but he was really cute and I just kind of denied that my breasts were that visible.

Now I am in my mid 30's and I am painfully aware of my breasts. I am skinny and they are quite noticeable. Thank Buddha they are not as large as I have seen with others. However, it seems to me as if they are getting bigger and softer! (wish there was smily to represent my concern).

I am also a vegetarian and used to eat lots of tofu until I realized that the phyto-estrogens might be actually making the condition worse.  :-/

I guess the big questions I have are:

1) Does gynecomastia develop after teen years?

2) Do men who have gynecomastia experience a continual growth of their breasts as they age?

3) Do the breasts stop growing?

4) Have there been any studies that link gynecomastia with homosexuality or bisexuality?

Thanks

[Paa_Paw]

Gynecomastia in early puberty is common.  But as an adult, the condition warrants an evaluation by an Endocrinologist who specializes in reproductive problems. Gynecomastia is so common that many medical professionals consider it to be statistically normal, but it can sometimes be a symptom of other serious problems.

The issue of PhytoEstrogens in Soy products comes up from time to time but I question this in a person who has an otherwise varied and balanced diet.

I do not think that there is any direct connection between being gay and having gynecomastia.

Generally speaking, the development of gynecomastia requires Estrogen as your dominant hormone for a period of time.  This often happens in early puberty, but rarely happens in adulthood unless caused by a drug side effect or as a symptom of disease.  I repeat:  See and Endocrinologist and get it checked out.

The condition also sometimes has a familial history.  It runs in my family, as do very large breasts in the women of the family.

Of greatest importance is the way it effects your sense of self worth.  The condition only rarely has any physical detriment, but the emotional impact can be great.  Don't allow the gynecomastia define who or what you are.

What is going on between your ears is of much more importance than a bit of surplus tissue on your chest.

[headheldhigh01]

don't know if you've checked in since your post, but in case.  

1.  it's mostly a teen-year thing, but any hormone turbulence for other reasons can be responsible.  sometimes it even sets on in senior years for that reason.  

2/3.  not normally, but the senior-onset cases could be different.  

4.  no.  most gay guys, with a few exceptions, actually find it a turnoff, but there is no correlation to the condition either way.  

forget the phytoestrogen thing entirely, they have about 1/500th the impact of regular estro.  you can chow down on the tofu or soy without fear.  i've been veg/vegan for decades with no difference or effect.  

[IlluminaZero]

On the soy thing... There is evidence that moderate amounts of soy may actually help block estrogen in that soy's phytoestrogens are so similar to estrogen that they actually compete for receptors.

The thing is that it does so pretty insignificantly, apparently.  

If you are concerned about your gyne worsening and the worse (damn, what's the word..?) ugh.. condition worsener you can think of is Soy (which is pretty benign) then you might want to get your hormones checked.

Welcome to the forums dude.   I wish the way I was made aware of my breasts were as memorable as yours. Mine was more on the... Mildly traumatic side.  

[phantom]

Hello titillated

I think most of your questions have already been answered, but just to throw something else into the stewing pot, I will tell you about my gynaecomastia which seems to be a bit different from most guys'.

I am 32, 6ft tall and 220lbs.  I am quite muscular.  I am also gay and have identified myself as being gay from a very early age (pre-puberty).

My chest area first became a concern to me from about the age of 8 when other children at school teased me about my 'boobs'.  I was not overweight at the time.  Like just about every other guy on here, it became a nightmare to deal with.

So I have had excess tissue in this area before the hormones kicked in at about 12 years old.  My chest seems to be more fatty than glandular, so this suggests that what I have is pseudo-gynaecomastia rather than 'true' gynaecomastia.  I will get an expert opinion on it next week when I go to see a PS in Birmingham.

Although I have not had any hormonal tests, I am otherwise very masculine.  I have large amount of muscle tissue, a high sex drive and male pattern baldness, so this suggests that I have a good supply of testosterone.

My chest didn't suddenly get bigger in proportion to the rest of my body at any time, so I am not convinced that oestrogen played a role in it at all.

In the last three years I have lost significant weight to try and shift that fat in that area before considering surgery.  I now have a set of before and after pics of my body.  Despite a lot of fat loss and significant muscle gain, the best area remains the identical in size and shape.  Most guys with gynaecomastia seem to have puffy nipples and the 'breast' sticking out somewhat.  Whereas my 'breasts' are not puffy or pointed, the look 'normal' for a male.  However, they do hang slightly with a pendular appearance.

Gynaecomastia can happen at different stages in life for a number of reasons.  Most commonly it seems to be caused during puberty and is said to be oestrogen related.  Adult onset gynaecomastia is often caused by use of anabolic steroids where the testosterone that is artificially put into the body aromatises or breaks down into smaller metabolites - one of which is oestrogen which then causes the gynaecomastia.

Like when the menopause was identified and began to be talked about more and more in the 70s and 80s, many health-care professionals disputed its existence.  A similar debate is now going on regarding the Andropause (the male version).  Gynaecomastia is increasingly being recognised as a medical condition, but in the UK (where I am from) many health authorities consider surgical intervention as cosmetic rather than corrective.  However, because gynaecomastia often presents or causes severe psychological problems, it's pathology cannot be ignored and medicine has an ethical obligation to treat it which is why a sympathetic GP will refer a patient for further investigation and possibly surgical intervention at the expense of the state.

Hope my version of events helps your understanding.