Too young?

[AnonymousPete]

Hallo everybody!

I'm 17 years old, and I have Gynecomastia.  Not a very severe case, but unfortunately it's still enough to cause all kinds of embarrassment and psychological damage.  I'm tired of feeling self-conscious all the time.  It's rarely been even mentioned, but every time somebody does bring it up (even as a little harmless joke), it just feels like daggers digging in.  Anyways, that's my story.  This is my first post here, I just had a question for now.  Is 17 too young to get the surgery?  I want to get it done as soon as possible so I can spend my remaining years in highschool with more self-confidence.  Thanks.

[Mr_Nip]

Welcome to the site.     We can all understand the daggers you feel from those "harmless" jokes.  17 is an age that many PS's will consider doing gyne surgery.  Do a little research and find a gyne-qualified surgeon in your area.  Set up a consultation appointment and find out your options.  You have a real advantage finding out your options at your age.  I went until I was 42 before finding out my severe condition even had a name. 

If you are having strange sensations or pain in the breast area , or if you feel like there's still growth going on, then you may want to hold off and have an endocrynologist have a look at your hormones first.  If you still have hormones out of balance from puberty then it can undo all the good gained from surgery.

Keep us posted on how things are going. 

[VT]

Wow, I'm 16 and in the EXACT same position...

[DrBermant]

Hallo everybody!

I'm 17 years old, and I have Gynecomastia.  Not a very severe case, but unfortunately it's still enough to cause all kinds of embarrassment and psychological damage.  I'm tired of feeling self-conscious all the time.  It's rarely been even mentioned, but every time somebody does bring it up (even as a little harmless joke), it just feels like daggers digging in.  Anyways, that's my story.  This is my first post here, I just had a question for now.  Is 17 too young to get the surgery?  I want to get it done as soon as possible so I can spend my remaining years in highschool with more self-confidence.  Thanks.

Gynecomastia frequently goes away on its own. Most male babies have some small breast buds at birth from their mother's hormones in the womb.  This typically resolves.  Many teenagers have gynecomastia from the imbalance of hormones during puberity.  Gynecomastia that persits for more than 2 years often typically does not resolve on its own. When should surgery be done on a young man is a very common question addressed here.

I have operated on many teenagers for this problem. Some have posted here in this forum. Here are links to parents comments about their sons'  surgery.

You can find a Photograph Gallery of Before and After Surgery in Teenage Patients here.

It depends on the degree of the problem, emotional concerns, current breast growth, and other factors best explored with an experienced surgeon during a consultation after an examination.

Many teenage patients have told me that using the internet helped them talk with their parents about their gynecomastia.  Here is a movie I posted about the emotion of living with gynecomastia many have told me helped.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture