My Life With Gynecomastia

From Pain to Freedom

I had gynecomastia since I was around eleven or twelve years old, somewhere between fifth and sixth grade is when it started developing. It was in this time I initially started to cover up after a woman on the street randomly approached me and my father and said to him “What a beautiful daughter you have.” My immediate response out loud was “I’m a boy.” I was already self conscious about the fact I was developing breasts and didn’t need confirmation from anyone about it, especially unsolicited and from a stranger.

As time went on I began exhibiting behaviors and mannerisms that many teenage boys and men afflicted with gynecomastia employ to reduce exposure and humiliation. I was avoiding any situation requiring no shirt such as swimming and locker rooms, or regardless of the weather I would wear layers of clothing to mask the appearance of female like breasts, and became socially withdrawn, all in an effort to avoid embarrassment. Internally I was always aware how physically prominent my gynecomastia was, and over the years of experiencing external responses first hand, whether visual or verbal, the undesirable and negative feedback only contributed to how I chose to interact less with the world. People in general could not not see it, and when they did it was an awkwardly long stare or side eye as they passed by, worse with kids, as the general public seems confused between the outward appearance and face of a man with a chest that appears with explicitly feminine traits. I learned to deal with it and put it aside but it still bothered me immensely.

Fast forward to my mid-fifties, I had gynecomastia surgery to fully remove the glands, along with liposuction to contour the treated area. Healing and full recovery was expected to take a year or more. I can tell you honestly when I took my first look 24 hours after the operation I was already 100% relived to be free of gynecomastia, free from the physical attribute of C cup size breasts, and no longer having the psychological stigma that I had carried for decades.

In other areas of this stack you will find relevant information about gynecomastia. This is a work in progress, as time goes on I hope you will find more stories of my journey through recovery and continued reflection.

Nothing here is intended to be medical advice, only facts about my own experience, including materials I found during my research about the procedure.

Please consult a medical professional for advice about your case.