Is Surgery My Only Option?

[Chilll]

Well let's go back to 7 months ago i weighed in at 280 pounds. Through diet alone i managed to get to 200. Now I have been exercising(p90x) and have lost 10 pounds which puts me at 190 now, my height is 5'11. I really want to join the military but am very embarrassed of this. Also I have been looking online and people say it could be a minimum of 6 months after (if i have the surgery) that I would even be able to submit a waiver to be able to get into the military. I really do not want to wait another year to join, but I don't want to join the breasts this big. I am scheduled to have a consultation this month, but after reading about how long the wait would be after i am really thinking about not getting it done. I have had it since i was 12-13. When I go see the doctor for the consultation will he/she talk about other scenarios with me as in like some kind of medication to help it or other things or am I just stuck with surgery and have to wait another long depressing year to live my dream...Any help/information would be greatly appreciated. Here's a Pic..also i turned 20 last month....I know its ugly 
 (btw I am still losing weight)

[herro]

The only solution is surgery my friend. Compression garments may help the outward look but if you want a more 'normal' looking chest, surgery is the ONLY option. Despite what you see online there are no 'gynaecomastia pills' or any quick fix. However, it is also important to understand that while gynaecomastia is not particularly caused by any specific issue, there are some issues that have been linked to it (such as hormonal imbalances/tyroid problems). However, since you said you had it since puberty that may not an issue at the present.

Because you have clear ptosis (sagging in the chest), bulking up more or losing more fat will still not make it look any better. I know it's a disappointing thing to hear but the doctors will tell you the same thing, and it's better to read it here and now than before you go for a consultation. However, you have definitely lost an admirable amount of weight and you can see you actually have pecs under there. Keep working out.

In all honesty, get surgery man. Regardless of the cost, if it's something you can get done asap you will never regret it.

[Chilll]

thanks man i will keep working out...also how bad you think it will look after i get the surgery because i seen some pics and some of them look pretty bad you think it will normal?

[hammer]

I did post on your other post, however I did want to say that my breast were big as well while I was in the service. Navy active then Army reserves, and I heard comments and remarks but I could put a stop to them anytime, as I was not a good victim. If need be I wiped one persons ass, maybe two usually the biggest or toughest person or persons that said anything and nothing else would ever be said again!

It was the best two to three minutes of my time!

[Chilll]

yeah...that's what i had to do in high school it just sucks that we have to live that way..hopefully i can get it sorted through surgery although i really wish i didn't have to but i really wanna go into the military and i see no other way i don't think i could deal with people making comments and even if they didn't make the comments to your face because they think you would beat the hell out of them you know they are making comments in their head or behind your back to other people...it just sucks

[Paa_Paw]

I went into the USAF in 1955. Surgery was rare in those days and the results were no where near as good as today. What Hammer said about being a good victim is absolutely true. In Basic Training there was a guy who make a great victim so there was no pressure on me.

Then off to a Medical Technical School. Not only was I then surrounded by professionals, the enlisted men with whom I worked were a pretty classy bunch as well. There was still teasing and jokes but of a different type altogether. The most classic was fixing me up for a blind date with the most flat chested Nurse on the planet. That joke fell apart though when the Nurse and I became the very best of friends.

[Chilll]

I'm really considering going to a recruiter then going to meps and seeing what the doctors there say about it then have the surgery to insure there is no mishaps that would disqualify me and to speed the process of joining the military....I'm just really embarrassed by it..how bad does it look because i know most people who have it think it looks worse than it does...could you tell me from your view point how bad it looks?

[herro]

Chilll, I know this still sound kind of cliché, but you need to stop thinking less about what other people 'may' think and about how you actually perceive it. It's obvious you have gyne and compared to a 'typical' male chest and you do not feel that you look good in that regard, that is why 100% of the people on this forum make posts. Objectively, I would say that you are more on the severe side of things, but 99.9% of the time surgery will make you look better.

Would you rather keep the chest you have now, or have a better looking chest with some possible light scarring? Again, I'm sure 99.9% of people would choose the latter, and surgery will accomplish that for you if you choose that option.

As far as surgery goes, how it will look after the procedure is up to the surgeon, his technique, and how your body responds and heals. Not everyone will get 100% what they are looking for, but if you look at some before and after photos on this site and doctor portfolios, you would see that improvement is immeasurable. The fact that you're also becoming fairly fit now usually makes the doctor's job even easier and you're likely to have a decent result.

[George Pope, M.D.]

Chilll,

Congratulations on the weight loss.  You've done a great job, and you'll always be healthier for it.  The excess weight that you carried has left you with a pretty significant problem on your chest, though.  It looks like you'll need a skin removal procedure in correcting your gynecomastia.  In cases like yours, I basically remove all of the breast tissue and excess skin, then graft the nipple/areola complex back on.  It leaves you with a horizontal scar below the chest, at what is  called the inframammary crease.  I think that would give you the best result.  You just have too much skin.
My son also found out that if he had surgery before joining the navy (he's 6'3" and has dropped from 305 to 235) he would have to wait 6 months to join.  You need to ask yourself how you will feel being teased, because I'm sure it's going to happen.  That's been addressed in earlier posts.
I hope this helps.

Dr. Pope, MD

[Chilll]

I have decided I will just go see about getting it done. I want to get it over with and move on with my life. Wish me luck. I just hope it doesn't look horrid after having it done. Maybe it will heal well  .

Also Dr. Pope tell your son I said good job and keep it up, I know how hard it is when your that big to keep with it and thanks for his service/future service.

[herro]

Chilll, I believe there is not too much to worry about, just look for a trusted and experienced doc. There is very little to no chance it will look worse, let alone horrid. Because you may have to have grafting or lifting of the nipple-areola complex it would possibly have more scarring than just a simple liposuction/excision, but if you look at images of this procedure you can achieve very good results.

[akjose]

Just thought I would chime in since you are considering joining the military.  I am in the service and am looking into surgery.  Tricare (the military's health care) covers gyno surgery but the one caveat is, it can not be solely for psychological reasons.  Must be for other reasons like, body armor doesn't fit properly, or whatever your reason may be.
Tricare also accepts all pre-existing conditions.