Question: When are round, perky breasts least desirable?
Answer: When they appear on a man’s chest.
This is not a brain teaser game, but today’s topic: gynecomastia. Gynecomastia, accurately referred to as gynecomastia, is, as the name implies, the abnormal growth and development of breast tissue that occurs in men.
First, let’s start with gynecomastia
From the time they are born and learn to speak, to the time they are ignorant and in love, girls gradually grow up to become young girls. Around the age of thirteen, they will usher in the most rapid changes in physical development and psychological development in their lives, adolescence. Breast development is the prelude and prelude to mark the beginning of these golden years.
The bulging of the breasts, the enlargement of the ducts, the enlargement of the areolas, the deepening of the nipples, the development of the lobules and alveoli of the breast – these magical changes occur under the influence of several hormones. In addition to the well-known and most important estrogen, progesterone, lactogen, androgen, growth hormone, corticosteroids and so on are also involved.
In fact, men also have mammary glands
Mammary glands are not exclusive to women, they also exist on the chest of men. It’s just that due to the lack of estrogen stimulation, male mammary glands do not get the instruction to develop and grow, so they have to lurk and wait for the day of emergence. Just because a flower is not open, does not mean that it is not possible for it to open. In some special factors or disease, the male mammary gland will also be in the “wrong time” and “wrong place” to bloom.
The gynecomastia is not always a disease
There are three stages in a man’s life when he may experience “physiological breast development”.
1. Neonatal transient mastopexy
As early as the embryonic period, estrogen produced by the mother and placenta enters the fetal bloodstream and acts on the breast tissue. As a result, approximately more than half of all male infants are born with enlarged mammary glands. This is a normal physiological phenomenon and the untimely enlargement will completely subside within a few weeks as the estrogen supply is cut off after birth.
2. Male adolescent breast enlargement
Androgens are produced in the female body, and estrogen is also produced in the male body. Before the androgen army of puberty arrives in force, a few boys are first ushered in with small outposts of estrogen, and the long-submerged peri-mammary tissues take the opportunity to carry out underground activities, resulting in a significant increase in local estrogen in the breast, thus causing male adolescent breast enlargement.
However, the victory of small-scale battles cannot sway the overall trend of the big picture of the war. By the time the androgen hordes descend into the sky, the breast tissue can still be restored to its original state. Clinically, these boys have asymmetrical enlargement on both sides of the breast, and the time of appearance may not be consistent, lasting from a few months to 1 to 2 years, and may also be accompanied by mild pain. The majority of them will subside naturally with age, but there are very few who not only develop more significantly, but also continue to do so into adulthood.
3. mastopexy in older men
Even the bravest warriors have to grow old one day. Almost every older male is accompanied by varying degrees of declining testicular function. The once majestic muscles are no longer full and are replaced by soft, flabby fat. This is reflected in hormone levels, which are reduced in androgen concentration and an imbalance in the ratio of male to female hormones. In cases where the degree of disruption is significant, breast enlargement occurs. Of course, before diagnosing physiological hyperplasia, it is necessary to rule out various other possibilities.
Fourth, the drugs that induce gynecomastia
In addition to the three cases mentioned above, once men have palpable breast tissue, they are considered pathological. It is necessary to find the cause and deal with the cause and symptoms in a timely manner. Unless the man with beautiful breasts is from some special region, such as Thailand. This is the result of the boy taking estrogen for a long time since childhood and artificially caused.
In addition, there are many drugs that may induce gynecomastia, you can pay attention to this list of drugs: clomiphene, spironolactone, cimetidine, bactrim, ethionamide, calcium blockers, tricyclics, methyldopa, penicillamine, isoniazid, heroin …… To emphasize, these are only drugs that may induce gynecomastia. The word “may” means that it does not necessarily occur and the user should not be too nervous. The “male” is circled by the object of action, the girls who have fantasies, I know what you are thinking, die this heart.
Five, gynecomastia induced diseases
In addition to the drug factor, the appearance of gynecomastia is often hidden behind a disease that requires further investigation, including detailed physical examination, liver and kidney function tests, sex hormones and other hormone measurements and so on. We might as well make a list of common diseases that may trigger gynecomastia as well: Klinefelter’s syndrome, anencephaly, karyotype abnormalities, cirrhosis, alcoholism, hyperthyroidism, chronic renal failure, testicular tumors, adrenal tumors …… Of course, the list is not comprehensive and the diseases that are brought to light may not all have breast development manifestations. Sometimes there is no reason at all to find that the male breast is so capriciously developed, which is called “idiopathic gynecomastia”.
Sixth, how to deal with gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is not aesthetically pleasing, let alone healthy. Depending on the cause, the length of history, the presence or absence of accompanying symptoms, the size of the breast and other factors, doctors will take different individualized treatments. Sometimes, treating the primary cause alone can allow the mis-developed breast to spontaneously subside. However, more often, especially for those with painful, significantly developed, cosmetically and psychologically disturbed breasts, aggressive clinical intervention, including medication and surgery, is given. Surgery is an even better option when the breast is large in diameter (more than 4 cm), persists for a year without receding, is accompanied by significant symptoms or suspected cancer, and when medication is ineffective. Some people should be big or small, some people should be small or small, there is no way, the world is so unfair, fortunately these can be corrected.