How do YOU attempt to cover up your condition?

[newmanby30]

Hello all,

I used this site years and years ago and have recently returned for support due to my increasing anxiety over my gynecomastia.

The reason for this particular post is to acknowledge people's honesty on this site. I'm absolutely bowled over by some people's stories and feel that it is testament to Merle and his fellow creators that sufferers are finally able to tell their story.

One thing that staggers me is how unified we all are in our "cover up methods" of our condition. As a sufferer myself I feel as though I am in my own "man boob bubble", thinking daily for how I will overcome situations that every other person deals with daily, and without a second thought.

I want to list these to see if people can relate to them - and also, to encourage newcomers to the site to feel part of a group of people who feel the same way, rather than feeling isolated.

So here goes;

1) Inappropriate clothing
You will wear thick jumpers / hoodies, even in hot weather - often provoking confused comments from friends or encouragement to take them off.

2) Pretending you are cold
You'll also keep your coat on in bars/restaurants, claiming you are cold or there's a draught, when really you're desperate to take it off! (This also means you do more washing than the normal person as your clothes become sweatier more quickly)

3) Holding the base of your shirt out with your fingers as you walk
You find that if you hold the base of your top half attire as you walk, it creates a gap between your clothing and your chest and lowers the chances of people seeing the contours of your body.

4) Wearing a bag over your shoulder
This enables you to hold the straps of your bag by crossing your arms over your chest, therefore covering your embarrassing area

5) Holidaying alone
Too embarrassed for friends to see you on the beach, you make excuses for why you can't attend group holidays. You go elsewhere alone and may even lie to them about being in family holidays even though this isn't true.

6) Tickling yourself to make your nipples erect
In the more intimate moments with partners (if you have ever managed to get to that stage), you try and keep your nipples hard as this gives the illusion they are less "flabby"

7) Hugging cushions
When visiting other peoples homes, you pray to God they have a cushion on their sofa so that you can "cuddle" it to cover your affected area

8 ) White lies
At Christmas/Birthdays when you are bought a new shirt/T shirt and asked to try it on, you make some contrived excuse as to why you can't try it infront of people - you say you want to see it first and lock yourself in the bathroom

I'm sure there are lots more that we all know and feel every single day of our lives.

I'm thinking of each and every one of you, & hoping these "cover ups" become a thing of the past for us all very soon.

Best,
Newmanby30

[newmanby30]

By the way, I'm not sure where the sunglasses face came from on "White Lies"...that should have been a number 8!! I'm not advocating being a liar!!

Newmanby30

[Grandpa Bambu]

By the way, I'm not sure where the sunglasses face came from on "White Lies"...that should have been a number 8!! I'm not advocating being a liar!!

Newmanby30

The number '8' with a 'close bracket' directly following will give you the 'Cool' emoticon. The board defaults to it. I have modified your post so that the emoticon does not appear.

GB

[Grandpa Bambu]

I can relate to many of those 'cover-ups' that you have listed. Especially #7. So many times that I have used a sofa cushion to hide my chest...  And  #8, many-a Christmas I would get golf shirts as a gift and would never wear them as they revealed my hideousness.

GB

[jofus22]

t-shirts hafto have writing or artwork around the chest area.

[outertrial]

Yep, used to do most of those, not 6, 5 and 3 though. It takes over your life to an extent, walking around the office slouched over with eyes down trying not to see anyone. Having to agonise about having gyne friendly clothing clean each day, wondering what people think and if anyones going to say anything.

Funnily enough now I had the op I went from feeling like I was the only person on the planet who had it to seeing gyne guys every day. In fact theres a guy in my office who has a worse case than mine even and I can see him doing all the same things I did. Cant believe I didnt notice before. 

[ts]

yep i use most of them ideas ,i have to wear a polo shirt for work which really clings so i always wear my hi vis vest in this weather its hot and then get question to why im wearing it this weather all the time 

[Jackd]

yep i use most of them ideas ,i have to wear a polo shirt for work which really clings so i always wear my hi vis vest in this weather its hot and then get question to why im wearing it this weather all the time 

I get the same mate, jumper + hivis, shirt and hivis if i can get away with it... feel stupid when I'm the only one wearing a hivis though.. i just say its so my shirt stays clean? haha sucks really having to worry so much about who might say what about what you're wearing and you know if you take jumper/hi vis off then what else they might say... having to take piss-taking every day for being over-dressed 

[Almost Gone]

you could always just do the classic, band-aids over the nipples trick. works everytime.

[Grandpa Bambu]

feel stupid when I'm the only one wearing a hivis though..

What is a 'hivis'?

GB

[Jackd]

feel stupid when I'm the only one wearing a hivis though..

What is a 'hivis'?

GB

Hi visibility vest.. basically just a day glow yellow vest you usually have to wear on building sites...

[newmanby30]

I hope it's reassuring for people to realise that we are ALL having these daily tussles with our chest - and daily struggles for how to best "cover up" without being spotted.

I'm a very tall (6 ft 4) slim guy and can usually cover up quite easily with clothing. But I get incredibly stressed when the weather turns nice and I have to wear thinner tops. People also expect me to be able to just take my shirt off on request because there is no immediate sign of a problem to outsiders.

This is where I start to panic!

Thanks for sharing your cover up methods....hopefully they will be a thing of the past soon

Newmanby30

[tsjas]

I hope it's reassuring for people to realise that we are ALL having these daily tussles with our chest - and daily struggles for how to best "cover up" without being spotted.

I'm a very tall (6 ft 4) slim guy and can usually cover up quite easily with clothing. But I get incredibly stressed when the weather turns nice and I have to wear thinner tops. People also expect me to be able to just take my shirt off on request because there is no immediate sign of a problem to outsiders.

This is where I start to panic!

Thanks for sharing your cover up methods....hopefully they will be a thing of the past soon

Newmanby30

I actually had something like this happened. When I was in high school, I wanted to play soccer. Unfortunately the coach decided to play shirts vs. skins. And I came on th skins side. I went to coach and said that I have an important appointment that I have to attend and left. I never went to play soccer again after that day. Gyno takes so much away from our lives.

[mattmando]

my dad is pretty cheap...he once bought me this hidously cheap shirt from australia.  It had this thick layered illustration.  But guess what it covered up gyne awesomely because my right side was much bigger than my left and it pressed it down .  So i honestly would wear this undershirt every day (kinda gross huh?) also i would (STILL DO) wear double breasted pockets ( you know those millitary type shirts) every day.

i once got a job where i had to wear a thin green polo shirt and HAD to have a white undershirt and unfortunatley the austrailia shirt was black.  SO MAN I FREAKED.  i almost was going to quit.  But instead i got a white undershirt and actually put layers of duct tape across there my chest would be (so i could press it down) on the inside of the shirt.

It worked man but i have never been so uncomfortable in MY LIFE!

now thank god i got a lab coat to hide it where i work.

i got surgery which got about 68% of it my second year in college. and now second year in prof school i'll be getting my second surgery in a week or so. So i am still at it hiding it..perhaps not so bad but still doing it

I WANT TO GO TO THE BEACH!!!!!! honestly this a big dream of mine man. one year when any of my friends ask me to go i'll actually be like yeah lets do that man.  its sad but this is a huge dream of mine.  some men dream about winning lotteries and cars and shit...alls i want is a kick ass woman ( which i some how got for over a year now) and a beach trip.

but yeah this was a really good thread.  it hits home to prob. 95% of us here. and its a breather from all the post op pre op stuff. 

good call sir

[wildman]

I wear a button down shirt with medium starch in it.  The starch stiffens the shirt so it doesn't hug the contours of your body.   I've tried tape and even seran wrap but not much success there.