Until this morning I was pretty sure that the only worrying guys did about boobs was about how to see more of them, but apparently they’re just as paranoid about their own boobs as women are. Who knew?!
According to figures published yesterday by The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons* there’s been a massive surge in demand for cosmetic procedures in the UK, with the number of men requesting to get rid of ‘moobs’ or ‘man boobs’ up by 24 per cent on last year.
Apparently, the operation is now the second most popular cosmetic operation for men behind nose alterations. Surgeons are putting the increase down to a return in consumer confidence after the economic downtown, with Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and president of BAAPS saying 'it’s the most impressive rise in demand for cosmetic surgery since the onset of the recession’.
‘Moobs’ is obviously a bit of a stupid word, but it can actually become pretty serious for guys. Thousands of men in the UK are thought to develop breast tissue – a condition known as gynaecomastia. It’s mostly just a bit embarrassing, but it can also cause discomfort and tenderness around the nipples (welcome to our world, PMT naysayers!). They're caused by a hormone imbalance between oestrogen and testosterone. (And before you ask, that urban myth that they're caused by too much oestrogen in the water from the contraceptive pill has never actually been proven.) But judging by these stats it's also possible that men are becoming more body conscious and paranoid about their body.
Thousands of men in the UK are thought to develop breast tissue – a condition known as gynaecomastia
Obviously, a sudden gender balance doesn't make anyone feeling shit about their body OK. But it might help that next time you're paranoid about the size/shape/bounceabilty of your own boobs, you can think that guys might just be going through the same thing themselves.
*That spells out BAAPS, which sounds a bit like ‘baps’. (Sorry, it's been a long day.)
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.