"Many guys with gynecomastia suffer from self-confidence issues – and can often isolate themselves."
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You are a man who has excess fat on his chest, and you don't like it one bit.

What do you do?

In Australia, you have surgery – if you can afford it.

The country has seen a rise in the number of men going through breast-reduction surgery to get rid of their "moobs", aka "man boobs", reports Metro UK.

Technically called gynecomastia, a full chest on a man can be caused by benign swelling of breast tissue typically caused by an imbalance in hormones, hormone expert Rob Kominiarek told Men's Fitness. However, it can also be caused by weight gain.

At least 30 percent of guys will grow a set of "man boobs" at some point during their life, according to a study in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

One dermatologist based in Melbourne, Dr Daniel Lanzer, says he's noticed a significant rise in the number of men going through the procedure. He now performs up to five breast-reduction surgeries on men a day.

Many guys with gynecomastia suffer from self-confidence issues – and can often isolate themselves, because they feel it's unsightly and embarrassing.

The procedure involves making a small incision in the breast, then using liposuction to suck out the fat in the area.

Lanzer reports that many of the men who come in for the treatment have been teased for years, and are often too embarrassed to take their shirts off on the beach.

"Many guys with gynecomastia suffer from self-confidence issues – and can often isolate themselves, because they feel it's unsightly and embarrassing," said Kominiarek.

Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and social phobias can develop as a result.

A U.S. study on adolescent boys found that those with gynecomastia had lower scores on a standard quality of life assessment, indicating problems in several areas including general health, social functioning and mental health. Breast enlargement was also associated with lower scores for self-esteem. This, along with impairment in emotional areas of quality of life, appeared directly related to gynecomastia, rather than being overweight.

Hitting the gym, eating clean and not taking steroids should be considered by men before surgery, suggests Kominiarek – because like most surgeries, breast reduction surgery can be pricy, recovery can take some time, and as with all surgeries, there are risks of infection.

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