Beverly Hills & Pasadena Breast Reduction: Not Just for Women Anymore

The plastic surgeons at Marina Plastic Surgery Associates are seeing an increase in male patients considering Beverly Hills breast reduction as more and more men feel comfortable getting help for their cosmetic concerns.

Marina del Rey, California (August 2008) – Over 200,000 women, many of them in Los Angeles and Pasadena, undergo breast reduction every year. Until recently, however, only a few of the 30% of men suffering from gynecomastia, or feminine-looking breasts, took advantage of plastic surgery to correct their condition. At least one Southern California practice has treated an increasing number of men who are seeking a more masculine chest contour.

“Male breasts are a very common problem, but men often feel it’s too taboo to discuss – or to correct,” observes Dr. Grant Stevens, Medical Director of Marina Plastic Surgery Associates (www.losangelesbreastreduction.com), which provides plastic and reconstructive surgeries including breast reduction for Beverly Hills men and women.

Dr. Stevens believes that breast reduction’s increasing popularity among men is strongly connected to the increase in the average male weight in the U.S. (191 pounds, a significant leap from 166 pounds in 1960), together with an increase in the number of men who feel comfortable addressing the effects of being overweight through plastic surgery.

In addition to being caused by weight gain, male breasts also can form through a combination of physiologic, pathologic and pharmacologic causes. While the causes can vary, the effects are more predictable: male breasts can deeply affect personality and self-perceptions, causing anxiety that can affect a man’s confidence for the worse.

“For women in Beverly Hills and Pasadena, breast reduction is highly popular because it can directly address the sagging and flattening that many women experience due to age or pregnancy,” Dr. Stevens explains. “But men, who don’t undergo the same changes as women do, tend to choose to wait it out, and often do significant damage to their confidence and self-esteem in the process.”

Gynecomastia can indicate a serious condition, such as male breast cancer, but it more commonly results from genetic factors or from medications such as hormone therapy. Hereditary gynecomastia usually becomes noticeable in the adolescent years, and in most cases will diminish at or around age 18.

For about 30% of men, however, the rounded chest appearance will persist regardless of whether they diet and exercise, and may even worsen as the body ages. In some cases, being overweight is not the central cause, but it significantly aggravates existing tendencies for a feminine-looking chest.

“This can be a difficult for a man, especially in our culture, where a man’s physical appearance can directly affect his peers’ perception of his masculinity,” Dr. Stevens says. “Those negative views can translate to a perception that he is less energetic, has less of the competitive edge.”

Depending on the cause of the enlarged breasts, a plastic surgeon may use a variety of procedures to eliminate excess tissue through a breast reduction. Pasadena and Los Angeles surgeons often utilize liposuction to remove excess fat precisely, without damage to nearby muscles and glands. Excess tissue also may be removed, and in some cases the surgeon may reposition the nipple higher to account for the reduced tissue volume.

Dr. Stevens finds the rising number of men seeking treatment for gynecomastia to be a positive sign overall. “While it is true that gynecomastia rates are high in part because obesity rates in this country are high, more men are turning the corner and taking control of their health and appearance. For years they have seen women receiving the benefits of cosmetic treatments and many men are asking themselves, ‘why shouldn’t I have the body I want, too?'”