Help please... One last step.

[Pickapart]

I'm new to this site, but I've been reading around the boards for a couple months now about this condition.  Since 4th grade was when I first noticed that my chest was different.  Thats was more than 8 years ago.  Now I'm getting ready to go off to college and its time for change.  I'm getting tired of this whole thing.  I can't remember a time in my life were I felt confident about myself, and I cant even remember a day where I wasn't constantly worried about my chest.  I guess I go through most of the crap everyone else with this problem does.  I'm 17, 5' 7" and have just recently lost 25 pounds.  After all of my hard work to lose the weight (still in progress) I am still left with the dreaded moobs.  This last half year I have been busting my ass in the gym but no matter how hard I work there will always be my chest torturing me.  Sorry for venting. This is the first time I have even mentioned this to anyone.  I guess my question is...  How bad is it? (Hopefully I'm not imagining it).  Will more wight loss help?  Is surgery the only option?  If so what can I expect?

This is the last thing I plan to do before telling my parents.  I'm so nervous to do so.  But I know I can never be happy the way that I am.  So here are my pics.  The first time anyone has seen me with my shirt off sense... I can remember.  Please be gentle.  Thanks.












If those don't work try this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24324347@N07/

[9Wolf]

Hey man, no worries! This is the place to talk and learn about the condition, so don't be afraid.

First of all, I'm with you... mine started when I was about the same time as you (4th grade or so). I just had surgery about 2 months ago. And I'm almost 33 now.

You're not imagining it, but the good news is that you really aren't that bad of a case in terms of severity! You did a good job on your physique, and you should experience good results with minor surgery. It most likely won't go away without it and more weight loss won't help, but most surgeons might turn you away until you turn 18. You'll probably need excision for the glands, because it doesn't seem you have much fat there at all (that's why more weight loss won't help.) You're probably a 1 or a 2 on a scale from 1-10.

And just remember, if you don't want to tell your parents once you're 18, then most doctors will respect your privacy. Just save up the money or something. You'll be fine! If you want to tell your parents, then keep an open mind and remember to keep a tough skin. Don't let whatever they say bother you, and don't hate them for it if they react negatively. They just don't know how it feels, most people don't. If they react positively, then thank them and be happy that you have supportive parents. Mine were always nice to me, but they just always tried to pretend the problem didn't exist and not even talk about it with me. But it's all good, I took care of it on my own finally. Mine were severe too. I was probably an 8.

Good luck, and don't worry.

[The_G0rn]

There is some minor puffy nipple action there.  More noticeable in pics 1,3,7.

Because your case is so minor I think you might have a hard time convincing your parents (and others) that you have a problem. Be prepared for that.

I would recommend that you do NOT try to lose more weight.  You are already extremely lean and still have the gyne condition so losing more weight won't help.

[Pickapart]

Thanks for your comments.  Yes, I do know it is not very severe to many others posted on this site.  However,  it used to be much worse before I started working out and it is still enough now that it bothers me just as much as before.

I don't turn 18 until September.  I'm the youngest of my class.  So I could wait till then and try to save up some more money from my job over summer.  But, I already have saved a little over a thousand dollars for my surgery, and because of where I live.  Even if I wanted to wait to get my surgery done privately.  I would still have to tell my parents because there are no surgeons in my area.  I would have to travel probably over 300ish miles to Colorado or Illinois, and one of them would most likely have to come with.  I'm sure they will be understanding.  There have been numerous incidents in the past (pools, vacations, etc. my worst nightmares) that have led them to believe somethings been wrong with my confidence.  They just don't know what it is yet.  I'm just nervous because I've never talked to them about this before let alone anyone until now.  And my insecureness always makes serious things into jokes when I feel uncomfortable.  I think I might write them a letter explaining everything, to avoid that when telling them.

The last couple of years we have been saving up money so I can afford a car before college.  I am thinking of proposing to them to take money out of that savings for the surgery.  I would rather be happy and drive a beater, than miserable and drive a nice car.  Hopefully I'm not getting ahead of myself.  A lot of things have to go right for all this to happen.

Thanks again.

[grathen321]

Hey man, you did a great job with that body! If I saw you at the pool or at the gym I really would not notice your chest, I am not just being nice either. But you still have something that obviously bothers you about it. As far as parents go I found it easier to tell my mum first then she told my dad when I wasnt around, but my case is a bit more "oh my gosh" causing and I could really see it in her face when I showed her. Just be honest is all I can say, no parent wants to see their kid suffering over something so trivial in the scheme of things. 

[hatemynips]

Wow--- I feel ya. I am 26 years old now and thought that by getting lean it would all be better. So sick of this I have to do something about it.

Being at the pool with my shirt off constantly playing with my nipples so they would stay hard so they look normal, or preferring to be in a cold room so my chest looks better, wanting to wear tight shirts but when I do being so self conscious about if anyone thinks my nips look weird, or how I try to wear dark colors instead of white as I think it is less noticable.

The crazy thing is I just told my girlfriend for the first time last night and she hadn't even noticed until I had her start pinching the hard tissue and pointing out how the nips are puffy.

It isn't so much a physical thing but an extreme emotional one for me. I want to not have to even think about my chest when my shirt is off. In bodybuilding my chest was the most important thing to me but the one I could never be happy with.

I am most likely about the same severity as Pickapart but quite a bit more lean.

What doc were you considering going to in Colorado? I have reached out to Dr. Richard Albin but they are two weeks out right now on consults.

Anyone else good worth checking out? I would drive up to eight hours but not much further than that. Also any approximations on what it should cost for a mild case like this??

Sorry a lot of questions but I need answers

[Pickapart]

The only doctors I know withing driving range from where I live, in Omaha Nebraska, are Dr. Albin in Colorado and Dr. Pensler in Chicago.  I haven't talked to them yet but these are about as far away as I would like to drive.  Anywhere else would I would have to fly to and that is just another expense on top of the surgery and hotel.  Alot of money I don't have.  I would like to get good results but within a good price range.

I am right there with you on how I just want to be able to live without worrying about how my chest looks.  These last couple of days I have noticed that many people don't even pay attention to my chest.  But even though I know this, I still subconsciously always think about it.

Let me know what you end up doing "ihatemynips".  Good luck with everything.  I feel your pain.

[angel_allen]

one out of ten. most of these pix here arent titties! take a look at the last guy to post here (businesman I think), now HE has real titties!
 I know girls who would be proud of those. They are better than mine!

[hatemynips]

angel_allen I am about the same as pickapart and realize they aren't "titties" but I also think that they aren't not titties. Especially the nipples, when you look at the chest of most men (especially the ones that are in shape) this is not normal. Bottom line is I hate it, pickapart hates it, and it makes it mentally much more difficult for us.

I strive for perfection and demand constant improvement in my life. Maybe that's vain, narcisistic or whatever you would like to call it. But, I take extremely good care of myself and this is one issue that I feel has been holding me back. Perhaps when I put this behind me it will just be something else, who knows.

Another little note: I went to my GP about a year ago about this. He basically told me I'm fine and said "It could possibly totally go away with age". He told me I am in better shape than 90% of the people out there. I was so angry after I left I wanted to punch him Until now I didn't want to talk to anyone else about it again. My point is... I'm in better shape than 99% of the people out there but what does that have to do with anything?

[Pickapart]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks.

Again, I was overweight and unhappy.  Yet, after I motivated myself to get into the gym and change to a healthy lifestyle I saw major improvements and started to become more comfortable in my own skin.  A feeling I have never felt before.  And now that I have dropped most of the excess weight (I know I'm not perfectly lean and thats not what bothers me) These puffy nipples are always there to bring me back to the unhappiness I have been trying to get over.  I'm back to square one in my life.  A depressed, irritated, and hopeless person.  I know my condition is not as bad as many others I have seen on this site but it doesn't matter how bad it is, it still has the same devastating effects mentally and emotionally which is the only reason why many of us look for a solution when it comes to gyne.  Self confidence plays a key role in almost anything in my life.  School, work, friends, family, anything and everything.  Since I have absolutely no self confidence I find it unlikely for me to succeed as much as I could in these next crucial years in my life.

Do I have to explain myself further.  I am sorry for those who have this condition worse than I do.  But please don't try to convince me that I don't have a problem because you would feel adequate in my body compared to your own.  Like I said before, It doesn't matter how severe it is.  A 1 or 10 on the scale, we all go through the same crap.  Why can't we all just be supportive in our quest to be gyne free instead of degrading and jealous.  SPREAD THE LOVE!

[angel_allen]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks.

Again, I was overweight and unhappy.  Yet, after I motivated myself to get into the gym and change to a healthy lifestyle I saw major improvements and started to become more comfortable in my own skin.  A feeling I have never felt before.  And now that I have dropped most of the excess weight (I know I'm not perfectly lean and thats not what bothers me) These puffy nipples are always there to bring me back to the unhappiness I have been trying to get over.  I'm back to square one in my life.  A depressed, irritated, and hopeless person.  I know my condition is not as bad as many others I have seen on this site but it doesn't matter how bad it is, it still has the same devastating effects mentally and emotionally which is the only reason why many of us look for a solution when it comes to gyne.  Self confidence plays a key role in almost anything in my life.  School, work, friends, family, anything and everything.  Since I have absolutely no self confidence I find it unlikely for me to succeed as much as I could in these next crucial years in my life.

Do I have to explain myself further.  I am sorry for those who have this condition worse than I do.  But please don't try to convince me that I don't have a problem because you would feel adequate in my body compared to your own.  Like I said before, It doesn't matter how severe it is.  A 1 or 10 on the scale, we all go through the same crap.  Why can't we all just be supportive in our quest to be gyne free instead of degrading and jealous.  SPREAD THE LOVE!

WTF are you talkin about man?

[Twin Peaks]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks.

Again, I was overweight and unhappy.  Yet, after I motivated myself to get into the gym and change to a healthy lifestyle I saw major improvements and started to become more comfortable in my own skin.  A feeling I have never felt before.  And now that I have dropped most of the excess weight (I know I'm not perfectly lean and thats not what bothers me) These puffy nipples are always there to bring me back to the unhappiness I have been trying to get over.  I'm back to square one in my life.  A depressed, irritated, and hopeless person.  I know my condition is not as bad as many others I have seen on this site but it doesn't matter how bad it is, it still has the same devastating effects mentally and emotionally which is the only reason why many of us look for a solution when it comes to gyne.  Self confidence plays a key role in almost anything in my life.  School, work, friends, family, anything and everything.  Since I have absolutely no self confidence I find it unlikely for me to succeed as much as I could in these next crucial years in my life.

Many other members on this board as well as myself completely understand where you are coming from.  I too have worked my butt off to get a body that I am comfortable with(minus my chest).  I continue to spend 5 hours a week in the gym and all that keeps getting me is a pointy chest that sticks out even further.  I have expensive shirts sitting in the closet that I used to love but won't wear anymore becuase my chest has gotten so big and looks ridiculous.  We're all in the same boat as you man.  No matter what anybody else tells you, your condition is probably a 10 out of 10 to you, and I feel the same way.  Definitely talk to your rents and get the surgery, and start living your life.