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Coffee Shop Talk - Doc, I've something to get off my chest </TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></CENTER><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"></TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">BadNews0 <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Dec-27 4:01 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right>(1 of 1) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4></TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>17545.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Doc, I've something to get off my chest
Student, 16, is one of growing number of S'porean males seeking breast-reduction surgery
By Ng Wan Ching
December 27, 2008 Print Ready Email Article
JOHN (not his real name) was the butt of his friends' jokes in school.
The reason: He had breasts which looked like a woman's.
John, 16, who attends a local boys' school, became so depressed that he considered committing suicide.
Fortunately, he told his sister about his problem who, in turn, told his parents. They took him to see a plastic surgeon, who did an operation to reduce his breast size last year.
John is part of the growing number of men, from teenagers to those in their 60s, going under the scalpel to deal with gynaecomastia, a condition which causes a man to look like he has breasts.
Gynaecomastia occurs when the level of female hormone oestrogen, which is present in low levels in men, rises relative to the level of testosterone. The oestrogen can cause breast tissue to grow.
Before he found out about this procedure, John, a rugby player, said he could not shower in the locker room without someone making fun of his chest.
'I was really dreading what might happen when I have to do my national service,' said John, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
'I had no idea what to do about the problem. No one else I knew seemed to have the same problem.'
Things got so bad that he would hang around after practice until almost everyone had left before taking a quick shower.
'I could not take a shower if there were other boys about. Some of them even tried to grope me,' he said.
He said: 'After the operation, there was some swelling and bruising. But after a month or so, my chest was flat and looking normal. It did not look like I had 'breasts' anymore. I was relieved and happy with the way my new chest looked.'
Rising demand
Six out of 10 plastic surgeons in private practice told The New Paper that they have seen demand for the procedure go up from two to four fold over the last two years.
Unlike women's breast jobs, which helps to augment the breast size, men want flat, muscled pectorals (pecs).
Pecs are the fan-shaped muscles, situated at the top of the chest wall.
Said Dr Marco Faria Correa, a Brazil-trained plastic surgeon who has been practising here since 2000: 'People now know more. They have more information. So they know that they can come for surgery to correct this problem.
'Our techniques have also improved over the years.'
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Student, 16, is one of growing number of S'porean males seeking breast-reduction surgery
By Ng Wan Ching
December 27, 2008 Print Ready Email Article
JOHN (not his real name) was the butt of his friends' jokes in school.
The reason: He had breasts which looked like a woman's.
John, 16, who attends a local boys' school, became so depressed that he considered committing suicide.
Fortunately, he told his sister about his problem who, in turn, told his parents. They took him to see a plastic surgeon, who did an operation to reduce his breast size last year.
John is part of the growing number of men, from teenagers to those in their 60s, going under the scalpel to deal with gynaecomastia, a condition which causes a man to look like he has breasts.
Gynaecomastia occurs when the level of female hormone oestrogen, which is present in low levels in men, rises relative to the level of testosterone. The oestrogen can cause breast tissue to grow.
Before he found out about this procedure, John, a rugby player, said he could not shower in the locker room without someone making fun of his chest.
'I was really dreading what might happen when I have to do my national service,' said John, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
'I had no idea what to do about the problem. No one else I knew seemed to have the same problem.'
Things got so bad that he would hang around after practice until almost everyone had left before taking a quick shower.
'I could not take a shower if there were other boys about. Some of them even tried to grope me,' he said.
He said: 'After the operation, there was some swelling and bruising. But after a month or so, my chest was flat and looking normal. It did not look like I had 'breasts' anymore. I was relieved and happy with the way my new chest looked.'
Rising demand
Six out of 10 plastic surgeons in private practice told The New Paper that they have seen demand for the procedure go up from two to four fold over the last two years.
Unlike women's breast jobs, which helps to augment the breast size, men want flat, muscled pectorals (pecs).
Pecs are the fan-shaped muscles, situated at the top of the chest wall.
Said Dr Marco Faria Correa, a Brazil-trained plastic surgeon who has been practising here since 2000: 'People now know more. They have more information. So they know that they can come for surgery to correct this problem.
'Our techniques have also improved over the years.'
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