A MAN whose chest was so large he taped his boobs under his armpits has finally had his “C cup breasts” surgically removed.
Sam Sawyers, 23, first noticed his enlarged chest during puberty but chalked it up to being overweight as a kid.
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It wasn’t until he dropped a whopping five stone last year that his boobs – which he says were a “B or C cup” size – still refused to budge.
“I lost all this weight and was at five per cent body fat, but they were still there,” Sam, an assistant site manager from near Oxford, explained.
“It wasn’t great for my mentality.”
The cruel bullying started at school, where classmates poked and prodded his chest daily.
“I’d never taken my top off in front of anyone.
“I went swimming in a t-shirt and sunbathed fully dressed because of people staring,” Sam admitted.
To cope, Sam resorted to extreme measures: “I used to tape them under my armpits, but it ripped my skin.
“Sometimes I bled through the tape… it was horrible.”
After losing weight, a fitness coach suggested Sam might have gynecomastia, a condition caused by excess breast tissue often linked to hormone changes.
Doctors confirmed the diagnosis – but quoted him a staggering £20,000 for surgery in the UK.
Instead, Sam found a clinic in Poland where the operation, including excess skin removal, cost just £5,000.
‘The scars are cool’
He went under the knife in July and hasn’t looked back.
“It’s been life-changing. I’ve missed out on so much because of it,” Sam said.
“I was with my girlfriend for a year before I even took my top off.”
Now, Sam’s planning a topless beach holiday, something he once thought impossible.
“I finally feel confident in my own skin. The scars don’t bother me… I think they look pretty cool.”
He’s also determined to raise awareness about gynecomastia: “If I knew what I had when I was 12, I would’ve sorted it back then.
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“It’s a simple solution, but not enough people talk about it.”
For Sam, this transformation has been about more than just surgery – it’s about finally living his life without shame.
“All I think about now is tomorrow and bettering myself,” he explained.
What are ‘man boobs’?
Gynaecomastia, or ‘man boobs’ is where men have bigger breasts than usual.
It’s common and may not need treatment, but can sometimes be caused by other conditions.
The main symptom is getting bigger breasts than usual.
Your nipples or breasts may also look swollen or feel sore. One or both breasts can be affected.
What causes gynecomastia?
- Hormone changes in men aged over 50, or during puberty
- Being overweight
- Certain medicines
- Conditions such as an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, or cirrhosis
- Drug use, including anabolic steroids
- The effect of pregnancy hormones on some newborn babies
Treatments
Gynaecomastia is often harmless and may not need treatment, but if it’s a problem for you, your GP may recommend:
- Medicines that reduce or increase certain hormones
- Losing weight, if you’re overweight
If your gynaecomastia is caused by a condition, getting treatment for the condition may help reduce the size of your breasts.
Surgery can reduce your breasts if other treatments have not worked, but it may not be available on the NHS.
When gynaecomastia happens in newborn babies, or when it’s caused by puberty, it usually goes away by itself over time.
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