What Are The Stages of Gynecomastia? Know Its Treatment Option in Delhi

Key Facts About Gynecomastia

  • Gynecomastia is the condition of enlargement of breast tissue in men and boys.
  • The most common cause of gynecomastia is the hormonal imbalance of estrogen and testosterone levels in the male body.
  • The breasts become large unevenly in people suffering from gynecomastia.
  • If gynecomastia develops during puberty, there’s no need to undergo any treatment as it cures on its own with time.
  • There are almost 7 types of gynecomastia.
  • Some common risk factors of gynecomastia include drug abuse, smoking marijuana, excessive alcohol consumption, suffering from a particular disease or taking some medications. All these can eventually disrupt the normal hormone levels.
  • Gynecomastia develops in stages.

Read the blog to know about the various stages of gynecomastia so that you can choose an appropriate treatment option in Delhi.

4 Stages of Gynecomastia

Quoting the authors of the research paper, “Classification and surgical correction of gynecomastia”, there are exactly four stages of gynecomastia. These are as follows-

  • Grade I-  In this grade, there is only very mild swelling of the breasts without any excess skin growth.
  • Grade IIa- Men in this stage of gynecomastia have mild to moderate breast enlargement with some puffiness around the nipples. In this stage too, there is no excessive tissue growth.
  • Grade IIb (commonly known as the Grade III)- By this stage of gynecomastia, the breasts enlarge considerably with mild tissue growth on the breast.
  • Grade III (commonly known as the Grade IV)- Marked enlargement with excess skin, mimicking droop of the female breast.

The above classification of grades has also been identified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeon as the standard classification of gynecomastia stages. Gynecomastia surgeons around the globe now identify these stages as the standard stages of gynecomastia.

How To Identify Each Stage?

Identifying which stage of gynecomastia you are suffering from can help you opt for the most appropriate treatment option. Although all the above stages can be cured with surgery, there are some people who are scared of going under the knife.

Depending on the stage of gynecomastia the person is suffering, the doctor inquires about the medical history, habits of the patients and any particular medicine they are taking. The combination of both these pieces of information helps the doctor to make an informed decision regarding the treatment of gynecomastia.

Grade I-

Grade I is the first stage of gynecomastia. Identifying this stage is the most hardest one because you’ll not be able to experience full symptoms nor there would be any toughness of tissue around the breasts. The breast enlargement is not visible over clothes nor there won’t be any tissue growth. However, tissue around the nipples discolors and the nipples look similar to cones.

Grade II-

This stage of gynecomastia is deemed as mild to moderate swelling of the male breasts. The chest may feel tighter, firmer when wearing loose-fitting clothing. However, thr nipples are not noticeable over the clothes. Doctors say that if people undergo gynecomastia surgery in this stage, they’ll be able to experience the most desired results of body contour.

Grade III-

The excessive growth of tissue in grade III makes the breasts saggy and droopy.  The width of the chest increases and the droopiness of the breasts becomes visible even with wearing loose-fitting clothes. The breasts enlargements moderate to severe by this grade.

Grade IV-

This is the by far the easiest stage to identify. Grade IV gynecomastia is the most severe stage. Men suffering from this stage develop complete women-like breasts. No amount of clothing can hide the enlargement. The tissue underneath the breasts feels tough. It can only be cured with a surgery and no other option can provide any results.

How To Differentiate Between Chest Fat and Gynecomastia

Now, excess fat deposition on the chest can look similar to gynecomastia. Afterall, both of these contribute to the swelling of the chest and breasts. In common terms, chest fat deposition is often referred to as pseudogynecomastia.

You can differentiate between these two by simply touching and pressing the chest area, especially around the nipples and areola. If you are apprehending that signs of gynecomastia are becoming visible, just touch under the breasts under the areola. If you feel the tissue around this area is tougher, firmer than the other region, then most probably it is gynecomastia. Otherwise, if the tissue feels squishy and soft or the texture of the breasts feel different, it probably indicates fat deposition.

Factors Gynecomastia  Pseudogynecomastia
Definition The condition of growing breast tissue in men is gynecomastia when the hormonal balance disbalances Chest enlargement caused mainly due to large amounts of fat deposition
How To Tell The Difference You can feel a firm mass of tissue under the areola that feels different from the fatty tissue around it in texture Neither any mass beneath the nipple nor any uniformity of breast
Reason Develops due to hormonal imbalance- testosterone and estrogen- in the body Excess fat accumulation on the chest
Treatment option Diet, exercise along with liposuction and gland excision Lifestyle modifications that largely includes a change in diet and exercise routine

What is the fastest way to get rid of Gynecomastia in Delhi?

Men suffering from gynecomastia, irrespective of any stage, have to bear the consequences of the condition. The consequences faced can be in the form of embarrassment in front of social groups. Or in some cases it can act as a triggering factor for the psychological condition for a person. In other words, gynecomastia which is a physical condition has a close association with the psycho-social well being of a person.

Hence, people want to get rid of the problem fast. There is no harm in trying other non-surgical options such as ayurvedic medicines, medicines to reduce the testosterone levels or even homeopathic medicines.

“Most people in Delhi try several natural remedies, herbal/natural supplements but by that time these show any results, the problem becomes severe and it becomes too late for any other non-surgical option to provide any relief”, says one of the gynecomastia doctors in Delhi. He further adds, “In case you have delayed the treatment, choose a surgical option which is more promising and offers immediate results”. The surgical option is common and offered by several hospitals and clinics in Delhi. The gynecomastia surgery includes a liposuction and gland excision that works on reducing the chest enlargement and giving the body a proper shape. Following the surgery, taking special care of the diet and exercising regularly can enhance the results of the surgery and make them more permanent in nature.