What is gynecomastia? Gynecomastia is an enlargement of the breasts in men. This condition presents itself in a variety of ways.

Grade 1 is “a tiny enlargement usually confined to the nipple area,” says Dr. Roxanne Guy, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgery and can be left alone.

Grades 2 and 3 are defined by moderate enlargement, while grade 4 means “skin is stretched to a severe degree, the location of the nipple and areola is distorted and tissue is more firm,” says Dr. David Staffenberg, a plastic surgeon at the Bronx’s Montefiore Medical Center.

Gynecomastia Treatment: Liposuction can leave such breasts saggy, so a better option is reduction surgery, in which the tissue is cut out and extra skin removed.

What causes gynecomastia? Typically, gynecomastia is a result of hormone fluctuations during puberty or excess fat, some doctors believe gynecomastia has risen as the number of overweight teens shot up 7 percent last decade.

It is estimated that between 40 and 60 percent of all men have had some degree of gynecomastia at some point in their lives. The condition is persistent in about 8 percent of those cases. [via]