KEY POINTS:
More kiwi males are going under the knife to have their "man boobs" removed.
New Zealand Foundation for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery secretary Dr John de Waal estimated up to 120 men were having the $10,000 procedure every year - a big increase over the past five years.
Foundation president Tristan de Chalain said gynaecomastia, the correct term for the condition that leaves men with cleavage, was "stigmatising".
"Men want to be returned to looking like a normal male. They are really trying to improve their own self-image and self-confidence. It can be quite crippling."
"Moob" reduction, or gynaeplasty, has jumped from eighth to third on the list of preferred cosmetic procedures for men worldwide since 2003.
In 2006, a record 4000 British blokes had their moobs removed, almost double the 2005 number.
The increase could be, in part, down to adverse publicity.
Magazines have taken to printing shots of noted "moobies", such as American Idol judge Simon Cowell, former British PM Tony Blair, actor Jack Nicholson and singer Robbie Williams, going topless on holiday.
Some claim that lavender and tea tree oils in natural soap and toiletries make men grow breasts because the ingredients mimic the female hormone oestrogen.
More accepted reasons include obesity, hormonal imbalances, and the use of drugs such as steroids and marijuana.
Cosmetic plastic surgeons told the Herald on Sunday more Kiwi men were realising they did not have to cover up at the beach because there was an easy, if expensive, alternative.
De Chalain said he used to see up to four men a year for the operation but was now seeing double that.
He said the surgery was a "much lesser" a procedure than the female version.
Small cuts were made around the man's areola, some of the breast gland was taken out, and liposuction performed.
The removal was generally "90 per cent fat and 10 per cent gland".
Last October, Tauranga pharmacist Graeme (not his real name) forked out almost $10,000 to have his "moobies" removed by a cosmetic surgeon.
Now in his 60s, Graeme, developed the breasts from medication he had been taking for a decade after surviving prostate cancer. Graeme decided to have the procedure when the condition started causing physical discomfort.
"Something had to be done at some stage," he said. "It wasn't for the sake of looking good, but it was getting uncomfortable - put it this way, I had a decent cleavage."
De Chalain removed 300g of fat and gland from each side of Graeme's chest.
Insurance and ACC refused to cover the cost of the cosmetic procedure, even though it was caused by his illness.
