Plastic surgery is becoming more and more accepted in Honolulu and nationwide, but the main stream is far from accepting children having plastic surgery. Record numbers of people are having plastic surgery in Hawaii and across America, but how young is too young for gynecomastia correction?
Gynecomastia is a disorder in which males develop abnormally large breast. In fact, the word gynecomastia comes from the Greek meaning “gyne” which translates to woman and “mastos” which translates to breast, literally meaning “women breast.”
This is not to be confused with being overweight or simply not getting enough exercise. Gynecomastia is a medical condition that causes an abnormal development of the mammary glands in male. This abnormal development can be absolutely devastating for young boys. Many parents in Honolulu have considered surgical correction of their son’s gynecomastia to relieve them of the pain and suffering peers cause by bullying and taunting of young boys with gynecomastia.
In Honolulu a parent can legally make the decision to have their son’s gynecomastia corrected at a young age, assuming they pass through all of the checks and balances put in place to be approved for a plastic surgery procedure. But how young is too young?
While some say it should be entirely up to the parents when a minor should be able to undergo a plastic surgery procedure, others feel it should be much more regulated than that. Honolulu plastic surgeons recommend that parents first consider weight loss alternatives if their child is overweight, and even if they are not, it is recommended that boys wait until their late teens. In many situations, gynecomastia has resolved itself as a young man matures and sheds baby fat. Electing to undergo plastic surgery without allowing the body part to fully mature is rarely recommended.
If you have any questions about gynecomastia or you or your son’s candidacy for surgical correction call S. Larry Schlesinger, MD, FACS in Honolulu today. S. Larry Schlesinger, MD, FACS is confident that he can compose a solution to your issues that will not only leave you satisfied but also increase self-confidence.