Do you have man boobs or man boobs? Are you embarrassed to take your shirt off in public, especially at the beach? Are you afraid of friends having pool parties? Are you considering the surgical removal of your man boobs through liposuction or mastectomy/breast reduction surgery?

Now, before you run off to see a cosmetic surgeon, I want you to think about the reasons why you should not have this surgery. But before I get into these reasons, I will describe the different types of man boobs.

There are two types of man boobs: gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia. A visit to your doctor should determine which type you have. It is commonly believed that gynecomastia is caused by a hormonal imbalance, while pseudogynecomastia is essentially caused by a man being overweight.

Unless you are an extreme case and have gynecomastia and not pseudogynecomastia, here are three reasons why you should not consider this surgery.

Risk

As with all surgeries, removal of the male breast through gynecomastia surgery is risky. These are some of the common risk factors: bruising, swelling, scarring; infection; blood cells, internal bleeding; damage to blood vessels, nerves, muscles, or lungs; temporary or permanent changes in the sensation of the nipples and breasts; and many more. You may even end up having to repeat the surgery to correct or reposition the chest, as it is not uncommon for cosmetic surgery to fail. In unusual cases, it can even result in death.

Money

Like other cosmetic procedures, gynecomastia surgery is expensive. It differs from doctor to doctor, but in mild or less severe cases, you can pay around $3,500 on average. But, if you’re an extreme case, you might be looking to shell out as much as $10,000.

underlying cause

The third reason not to consider gynecomastia surgery is that surgery alone doesn’t address the reason you have man boobs to begin with. You may even end up back where you started: that is, with man boobs again. And, you don’t want that.

If your man boobs are caused by a hormonal imbalance, then it’s best to address that problem with your doctor, while you focus on adopting a diet and exercise regimen to eliminate them naturally. Hey, you could even develop them after taking a course of medication. So once again, a visit to your doctor should help.

If medication is not the cause and your estrogen hormone levels are high, there isn’t much doctors can do. Therefore, keeping body fat levels low will help minimize the problem.

And, if your man boobs are the result of being overweight or obese, then again, adopting a healthier lifestyle will help you get rid of your man boobs.