Gynecomastia in Bodybuilders

The first male breast surgery performed by Dr. Blau was over 20 years ago on a well-known bodybuilder who was advancing his career and felt that this condition interfered with his professional life. Anabolic steroids are often the cause of enlarged male breast condition in athletes and bodybuilders. The large male breasts consist of mammary gland tissue. Most of the breast tissue is behind the areola nipple complex which causes protruding nipples or "bitch tits", as body builders refer to the condition. The condition may appear worse prior to important competitions because when a bodybuilder is palpated and at his leanest, this condition becomes more obvious.

The type of gynecomastia commonly seen in these athletes is attributable to synthetic anabolic steroid use. The hormone testosterone rises rapidly in these men when large quantities of exogenous steroids are ingested, and their bodies respond by converting this excess testosterone into the hormone estrogen by means of aromatase enzymes.  The higher levels of testosterone will produce the muscle mass gains desired, but the increased estrogen often causes permanent changes in the glandular tissue of the breast.  This type of gynecomastia can happen at any time, even after the first injection.

Men that develop gynecomastia after their teenage years may have little to no psychological distress. However, for many, it can leave them feeling embarrassed or emasculated and can lead to poor body image.

For bodybuilders, this surgery can be done only by excision of the breast tissue, which in the case of bodybuilders is by itself sufficient to achieve a flat nipple-areola complex. Liposuction is only rarely necessary. To minimize scarring, the breast incision is done in the lower part of the areola and is typically one inch long.

The rate of gynecomastia recurrence is extremely low when the surgery is done correctly with excision of most of the mammary gland tissue. Dr. Blau’s experience is that body builders tend to be grateful for their results, which usually has a positive effect on their professional lives.  Before surgery is considered, Dr. Blau recommends to body builders that they stop steroid use due to the risk of increased bleeding.

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