Alex Moore, 30, was 13 when he developed gynecomastia, a condition in which men develop breast tissue because of a hormone imbalance

A man who has avoided dating his whole life because he is so self-conscious of his 'man boobs' has finally had the surgery to reduce them after 17 years.

Alex Moore, 30, was 13 when he developed gynecomastia, a condition in which men develop breast tissue because of a hormone imbalance.

Alex, of Los Angeles, spent almost two decades concealing his 'moobs' in over-sized clothing and strapping them down with muscle vests while playing sports.

The Uber driver and gymnastics teacher tells DailyMailTV how the condition has taken huge psychological toll on him.

He has avoided dating because his insecurities about his breasts makes him anxious of being intimate with a partner.

But Alex has finally undergone the surgery to reduce the size of his breasts, telling DailyMailTV exclusively that he now feels great about it.

'It just feels kind of like a new lease on life - to be so cliche - and it feels great. It really does!' Alex told DailyMailTV in a post-op interview.

These photos show Alex's overgrown breasts that he has spent 17 years concealing in over-sized clothing and strapping them down with muscle vests while playing sports

Alex told DailyMailTV that his large breasts caused him to lead a more 'limited life' and miss out on experiences including dating and enjoying hot days by the pool and beach

Alex says he has about six to seven weeks of recovery but says he feels good and his energy levels are up.

'I have to wear this compression garment and that has to continue for the next seven weeks now,' he says. 'You take it day by day and week by week.'

WHAT IS GYNECOMASTIA? Gynecomastia is a common condition in which men grow breasts. It is most commonly caused by a hormonal imbalance – usually too much of the female sex hormone, estrogen. It can range from swelling or puffiness around the nipple to full, more prominent breasts. Puberty, old age, and obesity are all common triggers of the condition, because all can result in a drop in testosterone levels, meaning estrogen has a bigger effect on the body. Other less common causes may include drinking alcohol, medication side effects, illegal steroid use, or kidney failure. Treatments can include hormone therapy or surgery to remove extra breast tissue. The condition can be distressing for a lot of men, and there is an online support forum at www.gynecomastia.org Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

Alex says he can already see a change in his figure underneath the bandages.

'I can already see a difference in the contours of my silhouette and reflection. Like when I look at shadows or just look in the mirror.

'It's really awesome but being the person I am, I'm trying to manage expectations to a certain degree and just kind of wait until the final reveal.'

The 30-year-old says the condition, which is often made light of in TV and film, has taken a huge psychological toll on his life.

Before the surgery, Alex said the breast tissue he developed as a teen 'droops and hangs like female breasts'.

He said that dating was 'not an option' with the condition.

'When I was a teenager I was so uncomfortable with myself that the idea of approaching someone I had a crush on was just not something I considered,' he said.

'Now, I am always thinking, ''Do they notice them. Do they care?'''It's stressful.

'Even if they tell me they are fine with it, it's still in my head and in the moment it makes me so full of anxiety.'

Alex, who identifies as bisexual, said the gay dating scene especially is focused on 'hyper masculinity and even when this is not the ideal, there is still a focus on having a lean body type.'

'I think the straight scene is more body positive but even still, I just avoid dating.'

He said the large breasts caused him to lead a more 'limited life' that made him miss out on experiences.

'Psychologically this has been a negative experience.'

'Man boobs are made fun of in movies and on TV but many people don't understand the mental pain. It's not something that should be made light of.

'For me, I always feel like it's the first thing everyone sees. I am a social person who always made friends easily, but having this condition does have its challenges in that I have a lot of anxiety about it.

'It might seem like a trivial thing, but it is a huge mental labor for those who are dealing with it. This is a part of my body that is not supposed to be there.'

AFTER: Alex underwent male breast reduction surgery on April 23 to tackle the issue that has attacked his self-confidence for most of his life. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 300,378 men in the US underwent breast reduction surgeries in 2017

The gymnastics teacher based in Los Angeles finally underwent the long-awaited surgery to reduce the size of his breasts two weeks ago and will wear these compression bandages for several weeks as they heal

This photo of Alex shows how without wearing compression bandages, his overgrown breasts could be seen through his shirt. Luckily, he says he was never bullied but the term 'man boobs' hurt him

Alex, who is 5'10'' and weighs 215lbs, said he had concealed his breasts in large shirts and jackets ever since he was a young teen.

The Uber driver, originally from Oklahoma, said he avoided the beach and pool for most of his life because he feared being topless in public.

While gynecomastia is typically caused by a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and testosterone, Alex feels being overweight as a child may have contributed

Alex said he would wear shirts or stray from going entirely.

'I love volleyball but if I'm playing I wear a muscle shirt. If I went to a pool party I would never get into the water.

'I was on a river trip in college and I just decided to go for it and take off my shirt but I was so uncomfortable the entire time,' he said

He recalled an instance in his younger days when he was approached about his breasts.

'I remember when I used to dance in school, someone that was in the audience asked me what I had on my chest on stage.

'They weren't being nasty, they were just curious and I remember I was so embarrassed.'

Luckily, Alex said he never suffered any extreme bullying, but he is saddened when people use the words 'man boobs' to describe his breasts.

Alex underwent male breast reduction surgery on April 23 to tackle the issue that has attacked his self-confidence for most of his life.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 300,378 men in the US underwent breast reduction surgeries in 2017.

Ahead of the surgery, Alex believed it would have a profound impact on his life

'This will be a second chance for me,' he said at the time.

'It will have an impact on who I am as a person because it will change how I feel about myself.'

The gymnastics teacher says he loves to go to the beach and pool but would never take his shirt off because he was embarrassed

Alex says the surgery is going to have a profound impact on his life and says: 'It just feels kind of a like new lease on life - to be so cliche - and it feels great. It really does!'

About 300,000 men in the US underwent breast reduction surgeries in 2017 and Alex says he is 'optimistically hopeful' that his new body will serve him well

While gynecomastia is typically caused by a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and testosterone, Alex feels being overweight as a child was a contributing factor in his case.

Alex said: 'At my heaviest in high school I was 240lbs and I was definitely overweight as a kid.

'I think this problem could be prevented in childhood. If parents see their children gaining a little weight they should nip it in the bud.

Alex says post-surgery he is 'optimistically hopeful' that his new body will serve him well.

'I'm excited to continue into this decade without this problem.'

'It's the beginning of a process and it's something that I'm super excited to see through and to see how my body does change and how you know even just how my mentality changes surrounding this issue and just myself,' he said.

Alex has created a GoFundMe to pay for the remainder of what insurance won't cover for the surgery.