Have You Heard Of The Man Bra?

A Japanese online lingerie store called Wish Room has come up with Man Bra, a bra designed for men.  In the two weeks since the start of sales, the Man Bra has become a much sought after item.

The bras retail for approximately $30 dollars and come in black, white and pink. The online retailer said even they were surprised at how big of a hit the man bras have been and that feedback has been positive. The store sells men’s underwear as well as lingerie for women.

An Australian retailer came up with a support bra called the Male Support Vest in 2007 that, unlike the Japanese retailer, was not designed to be lingerie, but intended to help a man with what is referred to as “man boobs” to flatten his chest. This bra vest retails for about $85 and is available through mail order. A man who is uuncomfortable with his chest could get the bra vest to help when wearing a tight-fitted shirt or when exercising.

Did you know that the condition that causes “man boobs” as they are nicknamed is a health condition called gynecomastia?  It is more common than originally thought among men and appears as extra fat over the male’s chest. It occurs when the male develops abnormally large mammary glands.

This condition occurs during puberty in 90% of adolescent boys. It usually goes away after a few months. However, the remaining 10% have this condition for the rest of their life. Studies have also linked this condition to steroids, obesity, tumors and genetic disorders. Losing weight does not always fix this condition and some men who are embarrassed with this happening resort to plastic surgery to correct the condition. Others just tend to not do anything at all about it and consider it a minor but common occurence among many men.