A MAN who took steroids to bulk up had to spend £5,000 on a boob reduction.

Danny Smith, 27, took anabolic-androgenic steroids to aid his body builder training.

The drywall fixer from Manchester had always been keen to upkeep a muscular physique since he was a teenager. 

However, when gyms closed during Covid lockdowns, he found himself unable to train.

Danny soon developed “man boobs”, which experts say can be a side effect of illegal anabolic steroids among a number of other causes. 

Danny felt insecure in his “out of shape” body and as his breasts grew, his mental health started taking a toll.

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He said: “I hated my body and I would put tape over my nipples to feel confident and would be scared to take off my t-shirt on holidays.”

In 2021, he underwent gynecomastia surgery, which aims to remove excess breast tissue, fat and sagging skin – costing him £5,000 in total.

Gynaecomastia is the medical term for "man boobs", but reduction surgery is very rarely available on the NHS.

In a bid to achieve his fitness goals and “impress” his now ex-girlfriend, Danny also began working out again.

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Danny said: “Because I had surgery, I couldn’t lift anything over 10lbs for four weeks.

“My best friend is an online coach, so I spoke to him for some guidance and we got a calorie deficit diet plan together.

“After gyms opened, I started lifting weights again and I trained six times a week.

“Now, I’m confident and get a lot of attention from females.

“Mentally, I am strong and physically, I’m in the best shape of my life."

Eleven months later, Danny has achieved his ultimate body goal but he says there were many sacrifices made along the way.

He stopped having a social life and drinking on weekends, and his cravings for junk food were difficult to ignore – but he didn’t give in.

Before, he would eat McDonald’s breakfast and takeaways for lunch, along with carbohydrate-heavy meals such lasagna, pie and chips for dinner.

Now, he’ll have mixed berries and a fat-free Greek yoghurt for breakfast, chicken wrap and peppers for lunch, and eggs, bacon medallions and chopped tomatoes for dinner.

Danny shared his fitness and surgery journey on TikTok and Instagram, where he has since received 437,000 views and 27,000 likes on one post.

In the clip, he begins by showing himself before as he pinches his “man boobs”.

Shortly after, the clip cuts to show him wearing a vest-like bandage on his torso, which he removes to show scars and bruising.

Finally, he shows himself working out at the gym, before revealing his toned, muscular physique.

Danny said: “I’ve had people tell me I’m their inspiration, which means the world to me and it motivates me to be better each day.

"I want to learn more about nutrition, as well as help people who want to transform their bodies.

“Life in general is a whole lot better –  I’m a big believer in feel good, look good."

Viewers were impressed with Danny’s determination and the surgeon’s work.

“This is f***ing good,” one viewer commented.

“One hell of a surgeon. No scar at all,” someone else wrote.

One person said: “Huge respect, dude. Amazing work.”

Dr Hassan Nurein, specialist in gynecomastia surgery at Harley Street, said: “Men who use anabolic steroids can end up with enlarged breasts due to imbalance of sex hormones leading to enlarged breast tissue.

"This usually affects confidence, choice of clothing, limitations in social activities e.g. swimming holidays and even going to the gym.

"Male chest reduction is quite common partly because of social media and due to increased awareness of this condition and available advances in surgical treatments.

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"It is crucial that this condition is initially assessed by your doctor and any concurrent medical conditions or sinister causes are ruled out first.

"Surgery is a last resort if other means fail."

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