How do YOU attempt to cover up your condition?

[mmaman]

I actually didn't play basketball after ninth grade because of gyne. My brother was five years older and he got a basketball scholarship to a Div I school, so I got a lot of questions. It is one of my biggest regrets. I think that it even bothers me subconsciously more because about once every couple of weeks, I have a dream that I am in high school playing ball. What's weird is that as much as this condition affected my every day life, I never bothered to research it.  I didn't know it was a medical condition and I thought it would go away when I grew up. Luckily, I came across an article a couple of years ago that mentioned this web site.

I've done every one of those moves to cover up.

[mattmando]

dude when i first realized it i was in jr. high and was like ok its just puffy nipples no big but once in high school there was this glandular mass there and man i freaked i thought iwas like cancer or something and the dr. told me it was nothing and i went to the endo and they said itwas nothing to worry about they never said gynecomastia i actually stumbled upon it on my own via internet. 

[gabbyhey]

Yeah Denverguy, I hear you.  I never played basketball on a court again after the whole skins/shirts game.  Depressing stuff.  I used every single one of those excuses before I got the surgery.  The most ridiculous one was that I always said I was cold.  I'd be sweating my ass off and wearing a hoody.  Oh yeah, and the worst was windy days.  After surgery, I still catch myself turning away from the wind.  It's a tough habit to break.  I think I'll start a topic about that.

[boobs-no-more]

After surgery, I still catch myself turning away from the wind.  It's a tough habit to break.  I think I'll start a topic about that.

I thought that was just me! Im post-op and dont need to hide anymore, but i find myself automatically getting out of bed and putting on the nearest jumper I can, and when I walk my shoulders are put forward and my head looking downwards...

[normexcept]

my common methods of cover up are:

-crossing my arms and holding my hands under my arm pits
-layering - wearing a tighter undershirt and pulling it down as far as I can so that it compresses the moobs
-I've found that bandaids don't work for me but the very wide masking tape taped below and then pulled   up and set into place works.
-not sitting down if I have my shirt off because I slouch and the moobs hang out more.
-shopping (meaning trying on shirts and looking at myself in the mirror) till I find a material or cut that does not enhance the moobs.

[Jugs]

I tried putting giant band-aids on my jugs lastnight just to see if it would work. It looked great. I did not have puffy nipples. I put a T-shirt on and just starred at myself in the mirror. I couldn't believe how great I looked with no pointed moobs sticking out. 

[kev]

I once sewed together a contraption using buckles and PVC covered cotton and elastic straps.  Man the the buckles under the armpits hurt.  And man did it stink!  And I had to wear a heavy jumper over that. Got to the point where I could not go down to the shop with suiting up.  And then somebody spotted I had to have something on and I had to come up with a story about car accident and chest healing and God knows what.  I threw it away after my first gyne surgery - the second day I was born on this earth - and boy did I enjoy that.

I had to smile at some of the ideas in the thread - I've tried most of them!!!

[matthew1]

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.

All through HS football,  I  would  not change in front of the other guys, sure i could turn  my  back to  the  guys  so they would not see  my  gyne,  but I was  so damn pale from  keeping my shirt on, I actually avoided   changing  for  four  years in front of team mates, I would wet my  hair in the sink and pretend to  shower

      fast  forward,   I was  a witness to accident,  guy  on road bleeding bleeding,    they  needed shirts to help  stop the bleeding, I  refused to take off shirt, instead I said I  had towel in my truck,   I just left  the scene in embarrasment

[mattmando]

wow thats crazy!

 i actually have played that senario out in my head when i had gyne. how about if i had to take off my shirt in an emergency what would i do

[unknownman]

I have used all of those cover up methods except for number 6  the tickling yourself one I never knew about that one