Can Liposuction Treat Gynecomastia Effectively?

If you’re living with gynecomastia, a condition that causes enlarged breast tissue in men, you may struggle with poor body image and experience emotional distress about your appearance. In fact, many men with gynecomastia avoid physical activity, sexual intimacy, and other activities that may reveal their chest. 

Gynecomastia has several different causes, and there are many treatment options available that can not only address the root cause of the problem, but also eliminate the enlarged breast tissue to restore your quality of life. 

Our team, led by board-certified cosmetic surgeon David Davila, DO, FACOS, at Houston Cosmetic Surgery Center in Houston, Texas, offers a few treatment options for gynecomastia, including breast reduction surgery and liposuction. 

In this month’s blog, we discuss how these treatments work to help you achieve your ideal bodily appearance. 

Explaining gynecomastia 

Gynecomastia is a condition that causes enlarged breast tissue in men. The excess tissue develops inside breast tissue glands, meaning gynecomastia differs from breasts that grow due to weight gain. The enlarged breasts may cause breast tenderness, and you may develop hard lumps around your nipple area. 

Typically, men have low amounts of the hormone estrogen and higher amounts of testosterone. However, if your body starts producing more estrogen and less testosterone, the imbalance can trigger breast development. 

Some things that can lead to hormonal imbalances and put you at risk for gynecomastia include: 

• Thyroid or pituitary gland issues
• Using anabolic steroids or androgens for athletic performance 
• Taking certain medications for heart conditions, hypertension, or an enlarged prostate
• Taking certain anti-anxiety medications 
• Taking ulcer medications

In addition, excessive alcohol and drug use can also put you at risk for gynecomastia. 

Liposuction for gynecomastia 

Typically, it’s helpful to find the underlying cause of your gynecomastia so your hormones can be rebalanced. While it may not be completely reversible, finding a way to bring your hormones to more proportional levels will help long-term. 

In conjunction with discovering and addressing the root cause, undergoing breast reduction surgery can eliminate most, if not all, of the excess breast tissue, giving you a much flatter chest. During a breast reduction procedure, Dr. Davila removes much of the glandular tissue and, if necessary, repositions your nipples.

For optimal results, Dr. Davila can add liposuction, which is also an invasive surgical technique like breast reduction surgery. After the breast reduction, Dr. Davila uses a tube called a cannula to permanently remove pockets of fat that may be contributing to the size of your breasts.

Liposuction can’t address the excess tissues in the breast glands — that’s what the breast reduction does — but the extra fat removal it provides can enhance your results. 

Is liposuction right for you?

If you’re living with gynecomastia and it’s impacting your life, don’t wait to seek treatment: Dr. Davila and our Houston Cosmetic Surgery Center team are here to help. Call our office to make an appointment today, or use our online booking feature at your convenience.