Talk and Act
Unlike women who talk to one another about their breast augmentation or liposuction, men do not talk to one another about gynecomastia. They treat it as a closely guarded secret, and tend to hide their gynecomastia under clothing – until they get it fixed. And once it is fixed, they go forward with their life as if they never had it, closing that chapter and putting it behind themselves forever.
In the past, men did not know where to turn or who to ask to get something done. Thanks to the Internet, men can now learn that there is a solution to this constant source of consternation and embarrassment.
The male chest has muscle, fat, and even little buds of breast tissue. In fact, if one were to squeeze a newborn baby’s nipples –even a boy – a couple of drops of milk can come out due to stimulation of the tissue by its mother’s hormones. So both men and women have this breast tissue, only in women the surge in estrogen during puberty causes it to grow into a full-fledged breast (but when it doesn’t, some women consider having a breast augmentation.) In addition to the buds of breast tissue, a man obviously also has some fat in his chest, and if that fat grows disproportionately to the rest of his body, it can also contribute to gynecomastia.
The raging levels of testosterone during puberty are always accompanied by an increase in the level of estrogen in every male. That is because testosterone production is not a perfect process; when the body makes a large amount of testosterone, some estrogen is also made. Likewise, even the most feminine women also produce testosterone. Testosterone is also converted into estrogen by fatty tissues, thereby increasing the growth of the breast buds on top of the additional chest fat seen in overweight young men.
It is said that over 80% of boys develop some degree of gynecomastia during puberty. That means that it is actually more normal to get it than not to get it. Usually it subsides as men enter their twenties, but for at least a quarter of them, some degree of gynecomastia persists. It can persist in any man, even the thin, healthy, and fit, but it is more common in boys and men who are or who have been overweight. Anabolic steroid use in weightlifters can also increase gynecomastia, as can heavy marijuana use. There is also a long list of prescription drugs that can cause gynecomastia.
That being said, the majority of male breast reduction patients have no identifiable cause. The bottom line is that it is so common that it is really a variation of normal and should not be a cause of embarrassment.
Tags: body contouring, cosmetic surgeon, gynecomastia, male breast reduction, Plastic surgery
Posted in Beauty · May 2nd, 2010 · Comments (0)
The goal of laser hair removal is permanent hair reduction. According to the FDA, permanent hair reduction is defined as reduction of hair density for a period of time equal to one full growth cycle of hair. Of note, there is no treatment available that provides permanent complete hair removal.
The laser light targets a dark pigment called melanin which is produced in the bulb, or deep part of the hair follicle during anagen phase. The laser generates heat in this pigment, thus destroying the melanin producing cells along with the bulb and remainder of the follicle. Laser hair removal is only effective on hairs during the anagen phase. At any given time, up to 90% of the hairs in a region may be in anagen. Anagen phase may last from 6 months to ten years, while catagen lasts several weeks and telogen may be one to three months. For these reasons, the laser hair removal treatment generally must be repeated 3 to 5 times to catch all hairs in the anagen phase. Many people do not realize that laser hair removal must be performed multiple times by a cosmetic surgeon and that these treatments are very far apart. A lot of people believe that laser hair removal is a “quick fix” when in fact it takes time and patience.
The efficiency of any particular laser hair removal system depends on the ability of that laser to target the melanin in hair follicles without hurting surrounding skin. This has to do with the wavelength of the laser, the pulse duration (length of time the skin is exposed to the beam), and the fluence or power of the laser. Longer pulsed lasers enable more complete ablation of the hair follicle, however have greater risk of thermal (heat) damage to surrounding tissue (skin). Newer devices incorporate cooling systems for the skin which allow longer pulse durations with less risk of non-specific thermal damage.
Lasers used for hair removal include the ruby, alexandrite, Nd:YAG, and diode laser. IPL (intense pulsed light) is also used with success for hair removal. IPL devices emit a broad band of light of varying wavelengths (a laser is one specific wavelength). Typically, a filter is used to narrow this band to the spectrum of light that is most efficiently absorbed by melanin in hair follicles. About 80% of patients respond well to laser hair removal. You should expect a 30% reduction in hair density with each treatment. Optimal results may require five or more treatments. Treatments are spaced one to three months apart. The best candidates for laser hair removal have light skin and dark hair. Laser hair removal is not without risks. There are few risks to laser hair removal, but may include blistering, scabbing, hyperpigmentation, and hypopigmentation.
Tags: cosmetic surgeon, hair removal, laser hair reduction, laser hair removal, san diego
Posted in Beauty · February 5th, 2010 · Comments (0)