Issues with chest muscle development

Here’s my story.
I was born without a pectoral muscle.
The doctors didn't catch it at birth; my parents only really noticed when I was about five years old.
Since then, it's been a cycle of physical therapy, exercises, hitting the gym, going to rehab centers, and endless doctor visits... That was back when I was a little kid, and I even spent an entire summer training at a local gym when I was twelve.
Now that I'm going through puberty, I feel a lot of shame about it, though I don't really bring it up with my parents, and none of my classmates know.
Every day, that fear and embarrassment just seem to grow.
I'm honestly not sure what to do.
I'd love to have surgery to get implants, but I doubt my dad would be on board since he can be pretty old-fashioned about these things.
So, does anyone have any advice or help? What should I do?
I've thought about sitting him down to explain how much this affects me, but he always finds a way to shut me down.
I just really want that muscle.

Is it really that obvious?😕

Look, so many people out there struggle with how they look... and speaking as someone in the healthcare field, my advice is to steer clear of unnecessary surgeries if it isn't actually affecting your physical health, because every single procedure comes with its own set of risks... but on a purely human level, I get it. I really do. It’s completely normal to want to fix something and try to fit in with what society calls "normal." Though, honestly, who gets to decide what "normal" even is? For instance, I’ve always struggled a bit with my weight, but I eventually learned to embrace myself as I am. People saw that, and they accepted me—some probably before I even accepted myself. I think the real hurdle here is just learning to accept yourself. You have to work on that internal stuff. Most people get stuck thinking, "Because I'm overweight, or awkward, or have a weird nose, or don't have much muscle definition," 🙂 that they'll never truly belong or be equal members of society, and that mindset just holds them back. But things have a way of working out. You eventually meet an amazing girl you love, or find friends who give a damn about you exactly as you are. So, my advice? Kill the shame by sharing it. Find people who deal with similar issues... talk to them openly about how things really are... and that might be your first real step toward self-acceptance. Just being who you are. Because let's face it, you can't fix every problem with a scalpel. And besides, you can't even go under the knife for cosmetic reasons until you're 18... so maybe just try to make peace with it until then. Accept the reality of the situation. If it’s still eating at you after that, well, at least you'll be old enough to make the decision for yourself.

Which chest muscle are we talking about here? There are a few different ones to hit. Which one are you feeling like you're lacking?

stormyheron4 said:Which chest muscle specifically? There isn't just one. Which part are you actually missing?

Honestly, I'm stuck on this too... what even is "chest muscle" in this context? 😕

fadedmarlin402 said:I'm feeling the struggle too... what even is a "burst muscle"? 😕

Honestly, I’d bet it’s just some kind of developmental quirk rather than actually missing a whole chunk of pectoral muscle. It could be something like a flared ribcage or a slight chest wall deformity that just makes it look like his pecs are missing when the issue is really just his bone structure.

I feel like my right pec is definitely lagging behind...

velvettiger90 said:Is it really that obvious?😕

It’s pretty hard to miss, isn't it?
It’d be even more obvious if I actually took my shirt off, wouldn't it? They’d probably notice right away since they know exactly what's going on... plus, one of my shoulders is actually shorter than the other.
Looking at all those vacation photos on Facebook, it seems like everyone is constantly swimming, relaxing, or high schoolers are already planning their summer trips together... What am I supposed to do when my turn finally comes?
Just a few more months to go!

cosmicmaker30 said:Look, plenty of people deal with insecurities about how they look. As someone working in healthcare, my advice is to avoid unnecessary surgeries if it isn't impacting your actual health, because every procedure comes with its own set of risks. But on a human level, I totally get why you want to fix things and try to fit the "normal" mold. Then again, who gets to decide what's normal? For instance, I struggle a bit with my weight, but I've learned to accept myself as I am. People have been great about it—some even accepted me before I could even accept myself. I think the real challenge here is self-acceptance. Work on being okay with yourself, because people often feel like because they’re overweight, clumsy, have a weird nose, or lack muscle 🙂, they'll never truly belong. But everything works out. You find an amazing girl you love, friends who care about the real you, and people who just get you. So, my advice? Stop carrying that shame alone; share it with others. Find friends who face similar struggles and talk openly about it. That’s the first step toward accepting who you really are. Not every problem can be solved with a scalpel. Plus, you can't go under the knife for cosmetic reasons until you're 18. Just try to find some peace until then. Accept the reality of the situation, and if it's still a major issue once you're older, you'll be old enough to make that decision for yourself.

Is it possible to transplant muscle? It feels like I'm missing part of my right pectoral
. And regarding the shame...
Listen, I'm just going through puberty. Most kids my age are worried about acne, but I'm dealing with something much more serious...
What am I supposed to do now?
I live in a small town, a pretty backwards place, and I only have a few friends and one awesome female friend.
I honestly don't know if I'll ever have the strength to trust anyone this much.
I think I can tell her anything, but I'm already lying to myself about certain things, and I have no idea how to explain that to her...
And how are things handled over in Europe?

David Flores45 said:Is it possible to transplant a muscle like that? I feel like I’m actually missing my right lung lobe...
It's honestly embarrassing...
Look, I'm just a teenager. My peers are out here stressing over acne, meanwhile, I’m dealing with something way more serious...
What am I even supposed to do with my life???
I live in this tiny, rural town—kind of a backwater, really. I only have a handful of friends and one girl who’s been amazing to me.
I don't even know if I have the strength to open up to anyone about this!!!
I think I could tell her everything, but the thing is, I can't even be honest with myself about certain parts of this, so how on earth am I going to explain it to her?...
And what's the medical situation like in other countries????

You're saying you're missing a lung lobe? That has nothing to do with your pectoral muscles. I'm not entirely sure what you mean regarding that specific muscle. Do you have an actual diagnosis in writing? If you had a formal report from a doctor, we might actually be able to figure out what's going on...

fadedmarlin402 said:Are you talking about lung capacity? That shouldn't have anything to do with your pectoral muscles. I'm not quite sure what you mean regarding that muscle, though. Do you have an actual diagnosis from your doctor? That would probably clear things up pretty quickly...

Well, I'm missing some chest mass myself! I've got a strong jawline, but definitely not the muscle...

David Flores45 said:I’m totally missing a pec! I’ve got the chin, but zero muscle definition...

How much does that actually mess with your range of motion? Like, what can't you do with that arm now?

David Flores45 said:I’m lacking the actual mass. I’ve got the beard, sure, but zero muscle definition...

If you ask me, you're just working with a pigeon chest...

stormyheron4 said:How much does that actually limit your range of motion? Like, what can't you do with that hand anymore?

For instance, I can lift my left arm way higher or even reach down to touch my toes, but I just can't do that with my right one.

David Flores45 said:Basically, I can lift my left arm way higher or even reach down and grab my toes with it, but with the right one? No way. It just won't happen.

Is the diagnosis that the right pectoral muscle is completely missing, or is the muscle actually there but just totally underdeveloped? Because if it’s the second option, hitting the gym and training that side could definitely help fix things up.

stormyheron4 said:Is the diagnosis that the right pectoral muscle is completely missing, or is it just severely underdeveloped? If it's the latter, wouldn't targeted training help improve things a bit?

I'm not entirely sure... I suspect it's just underdeveloped since I play handball...
That was my hope, anyway. His physical therapists mentioned he might see some progress by focusing on scapular exercises...

I don't know... maybe send over a photo? Just so you can show me exactly which muscle is missing... and what we're actually looking at here. I have a hunch he’s missing some part of his chest muscles, because if that's the case, breathing wouldn't be easy—everything works together to keep you oxygenated, after all. He’d probably tire out incredibly fast and start having real issues just catching his breath.

Oh, man... look, I know exactly what it feels like coming from a small town and feeling like you've been dropped straight into the middle of nowhere.

Is this some kind of joke?🙂....my gut feeling on these forums tells me that it actually is...🙂...

Scott Allen10 said:Is this some kind of joke?🙂...My gut feeling on this forum tells me that's exactly what it is...🙂...

I'm inclined to agree...

Okay... am I losing my mind here? Like, seriously, who actually needs a whole lung lobe? 😕