Male Breast Reduction

It depends on the cause. If your chest enlargement is due to fatty tissue alone (pseudogynaecomastia), weight loss and exercise can help, though the contour often remains imperfect even after significant fat loss. True gynaecomastia — the firm glandular disc beneath the nipple — does not respond to diet or exercise no matter how lean you become, because it's glandular tissue rather than fat. Surgical removal is the only reliable way to correct it.

Occasionally, but funding is strict and varies significantly by area (often described as a postcode lottery). Many NHS trusts require criteria such as a stable, healthy BMI, at least a year of failed non-surgical management, exclusion of hormonal or drug causes, and a more severe (Grade III) presentation before they'll fund surgery — a lot of men don't meet all of these thresholds, so most have gynaecomastia surgery privately. Mr Patel can advise whether an NHS referral is worth pursuing in your case.

Some reduction in nipple sensitivity is common in the weeks after surgery and usually recovers as swelling settles. Permanent altered sensation is possible but uncommon, and Mr Patel takes particular care during glandular excision to protect the nerve supply to the nipple-areola complex.

Tissue that has been surgically removed does not grow back. However, gynaecomastia can recur if the underlying cause isn't addressed — significant weight gain, continued anabolic steroid or cannabis use, or an unresolved hormonal condition can all cause new tissue to develop. This is why Mr Patel investigates and, where possible, addresses contributing factors before surgery.

For liposuction-only cases, scarring is limited to a few tiny puncture marks. Where glandular excision is needed, the incision sits at the lower border of the areola, where the change in skin colour naturally camouflages it — it typically settles to a fine, inconspicuous line within 12 to 18 months. More extensive skin excision (needed in higher-grade cases) leaves a more visible scar, which Mr Patel will discuss honestly before you decide.

Most men with desk-based jobs return to work within 1 to 2 weeks; physical or manual work takes longer. The compression vest is worn for 6 weeks, after which most patients return to the gym and upper-body exercise, building back up gradually.

The procedure is done under general anaesthetic, so you won't feel anything during surgery. Afterwards, most men describe tightness, soreness, and bruising rather than sharp pain, and this is well controlled with simple pain relief.

It's generally reserved for adult men once the chest has fully developed. In teenagers, pubertal gynaecomastia often resolves on its own within 1 to 2 years, so Mr Patel typically recommends a period of observation before considering surgery, unless it is persisting well beyond puberty.

Where a secondary or reversible cause of gynaecomastia is suspected, Mr Patel will arrange appropriate blood tests or further investigation before proceeding with surgery. In the majority of adult men presenting with stable gynaecomastia, however, no correctable underlying cause is found and surgery is the most effective treatment.