Does Gynecomastia Mean Low Testosterone?

Posted October 15, 2024 in Plastic Surgery

Gynecomastia, also known as male breast enlargement, is an extremely common condition that can affect males at nearly any point in their life. Newborns, teens, and men can all have some degree of gynecomastia at one time or another, but they often aren’t aware of what causes it. In this blog, we’ll discuss the role that hormones play in gynecomastia and whether developing the condition means that you have low testosterone. 

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What Causes Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia is the development of excess glandular tissue in the male breasts. While it can be attributed to weight gain, it should not be confused with pseudogynecomastia, which is simply excess fatty tissue in male breasts. True gynecomastia is caused by several factors, including:

• Hormone shifts due to puberty or aging.
• Prescription medications used to treat anxiety, depression, pain, heart conditions, ADHD, cancer, heartburn, and even some antibiotics.
• Recreational drugs, including alcohol, marijuana, opioids, amphetamines, and anabolic steroids.
• Medical conditions like the presence of certain tumors, aging, malnutrition, hyperthyroidism, as well as kidney or liver failure. 

The one thing all of the above factors have in common is the effect they have on your hormones. Whether by lowering the amount of testosterone present in your body or increasing the amount of estrogen, the imbalance between these two hormones is responsible for the development of gynecomastia. 

How Hormones Influence Gynecomastia

Even though testosterone is the dominant hormone in men, a man’s body still produces two types of estrogen: estrone and estradiol. In men, normal estrone levels are generally 10 to 60 picograms per milliliter, and estradiol levels are around 10 to 40 picograms per milliliter on average. Comparatively, women typically have 200 picograms per milliliter of estrone and 350 picograms per milliliter of estradiol.

Estrogen contributes to a woman’s reproductive development, function, and health, as well as bone, heart, skin, and brain health. One of the primary functions of estrogen is to help a woman’s body develop glandular breast tissue. When a man’s estrogen and testosterone levels are improperly balanced, it can cause issues ranging from weight gain to low libido—and it can also cause the increased development of glandular tissue in the breasts.

So, if you’ve developed gynecomastia, does that mean that you have low testosterone? Not necessarily. It likely means that your hormones are unbalanced, but it takes a blood test to determine whether your estrogen is too high, your testosterone is too low, or a combination of the two.  

Why Do Teens and Older Men Develop Gynecomastia?

The reason gynecomastia is so prevalent in teens and men between 50 and 80 is because those are prime times in a man’s life for hormone imbalances. Boys entering puberty experience a surge of hormones, and until they balance themselves out, boys may seem like they have an excess of “baby fat,” especially around their middle and on their chest. And while older men don’t go through as drastic a shift in hormone levels as women do with menopause, they still experience hormone fluctuations. 

For example, as men age, they may tend to gain weight. Estrogen is produced in fatty tissue, so the more fat you have, the more likely you are to overproduce estrogen. Add that to the fact that you may have co-existing health conditions or take more medications for things like anxiety, ulcers, or chronic pain, and you’ve got a higher probability of developing gynecomastia.

Options For Treating Gynecomastia

At Careaga Plastic Surgery, we offer male breast reduction surgery for men who feel self-conscious about their enlarged breasts and who want to restore their chest to a more masculine contour. Your options for gynecomastia surgery include:

• Excision: For men with excess glandular tissue, this procedure surgically removes the dense tissue of your breasts.
• Ultrasonic liposuction: This method uses ultrasonic waves to break up both glandular and fatty tissue, and then excess fat is suctioned out. 

You may also choose to combine the two methods to create a more defined chest contour. Each technique is designed to offer maximum results with minimal scarring. 

Learn More About Gynecomastia Surgery in Coral Gables

If you’re a man who struggles with confidence because of the appearance of your chest, the experienced surgeons at Careaga Plastic Surgery can help. Whether you wish to undergo male breast reduction on its own or you’d like to combine it with other procedures to create a total Daddy Makeover, we’re here to help you shape the body you desire. To schedule a consultation, call (305) 929-0445 or complete the online contact form.