Gynecomastia in adolescents

Congenital or Hereditary Gynecomastia is usually evident by the ages of 10 to 12 in boys. Thirty percent to sixty percent of young boys suffer from large male breasts and as many as thirty percent may live with enlarged male breasts for the rest of their lives. Gynecomastia in teenagers may also occur as a result of obesity, and less often for hormonal reasons, such as Klinefelter Syndrome and testicular tumors.

Having large male breasts may be a significant psychological and social problem for adolescents and, in fact, may leave a negative impact that carries on into adulthood.

By the age of 16 to 17, this condition will be decreased in about 2/3 of young adult males. Dr. Blau’s observation is that in severe cases there may be residual glandular tissue, and in many other cases involving tubular or saggy breasts, gynecomastia may still remain behind the nipple-areola complex into adulthood.

Gynecomastia treatment mainly consists of male breast reduction surgery. In Dr. Blau’s opinion, there is an obvious indication to perform the male breast surgery in selective cases.

If this condition is causing severe psychological and social problems for a young man to a degree where his parents, psychologist, teachers, and pediatrician recognize it as an acute problem that may continue to affect the patient in the future, surgery may be possible at a younger age than normal. As with all cosmetic surgery, results will be rewarding if expectations are realistic. As with any surgery, there are some risks which your doctor will discuss with you.

The following adolescent male breast reduction before-and-after photos will give you a sense of the results Dr. Blau has achieved in teenager gynecomastia surgery. However, each patient is unique and previous results are not a guarantee for individual outcomes.