I'm 20 years old and I have Gynecomastia. Is surgery is the only choice for me to correct it?

Generally by age 20 the chest has developed and if there is excess glandular tissue it is unlikely to resolve on its own.  However, if you are generally overweight you may see an improvement in the appearance of your chest area with weight loss.  If you are already at a normal body weight, you could consider seeing your primary care doctor or a plastic surgeon to learn about surgical options to change your chest appearance.

I would have to examine you to give you the best recommendation. Look at
reviews and before and after pictures as well as credentials to select
your surgeon.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Unless you are overweight and plan on weight reduction (which only works in some not all patients), then surgery is the most predictable means to reduce male breast development. See options in below link.

If you truly have gynecomastia, surgery is the only effective treatment.  See a board certified plastic surgeon in your area for an evaluation.  Good luck
and be safe.John T.
Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board
Certified Plastic Surgeon

Most men at your age who have gynecomastia have had it since their teens.  The excess glandular tissue that has developed while you were a teenager will not disappear with time.  However if you have fullness in your breast area due to general weight gain then weight loss may be beneficial.  

Gynecomastia can be caused for a variety of reasons.  While surgery can be an effective treatment, the gynecomastia can recur if there is an underlying medical reason that is not addressed prior to surgery. A consultation and evaluation by a board certified plastic surgeon should help you understand your options.  Best wishes. 

Gynecomastia, or excessive development of
the breasts in a male, is a very common finding especially in
adolescents. It is estimated that over
50% of males will experience unilateral or bilateral breast enlargement at some
point during their lives. While the
surgical approach is one option, ruling out underlying reasons is important to
consider or the breast tissue may be at risk of recurring oftentimes as soon as
a year following surgery. Baseline
weight and body-mass index, the presence of breast and nipple ptosis, and age
of the individual are important considerations when deciding whether and how to
perform surgery. Hormonal treatment with antiestrogen directed therapies may
result in an excellent non-surgical result in the right candidate.  Just as gynecomastia can develop due to hormonal variations, gynecomastia can also sometimes be controlled by the same strategy of hormone adjustment sort of in reverse.  Depending on the configuration of your specific situation, surgery may or may not be the only choice for your correction. 

With chest volume, male breast reduction is generally the most common option. However, if you only need to remove the fat in the breasts, then coolsculpting is a nonsurgical approach that can be effective in the appropriate patient. Consult with an experienced and expert board certified plastic surgeon to understand your options.

Usually surgery for gynecomastia is the only way to reduce the chest volume. Hard to say without seeing you.  If it is primarily fatty tissue sometimes noninvasive devices like coolsculpt may help reduce the fat content by about 20%

On some occasions gynecomastia is caused by medications, drugs, or steroid use. By stopping the medications, the gynecomastia may resolve on its own. With that being said, the majority of cases in my practice involved the surgical removal of the breast tissue and fatty tissue. Your health insurance may cover for the removal of this tissue. Best wishes!