The guys at the gym may have a few suggestions for how to get rid of gynecomastia. People with no understanding of the condition will probably tell you to watch your diet or do some bench presses. And the internet will be full of advertised products and programs, almost all of which are certainly guaranteed to be a bottomless hole for your money.

First off, I’ll say outright that no matter what products you try and how many, if you don’t want to live with gyno, you will almost certainly end up resorting to surgery in the end. Give some thought to whether you consider it a good, affordable or worthwhile option. Consider whether you are willing to go that route if all of the pills, lotions, diet and exercise don’t get rid of the gyno…because they probably won’t.

That said, if you have any excess body fat, then yes: diet down and work out and eliminate for yourself the possibility that you only have pseudo-gynecomastia caused by adipose (fatty) tissue. If you get your physique to a level of leanness where you should not have breasts and you are able to feel gland tissue, then you are probably looking at a stubborn case of true gynecomastia. It is a good idea to get it confirmed by your doctor.

There will probably be a couple of solutions floating around the gym, or recommended by the guy who provides the gymrats with their gear. The legality of these solutions will be questionable at best, as they will involve prescription medication, typically drugs used to combat breast cancer.

These drugs do have the potential to prevent gynecomastia tissue from forming (especially for those whose gynecomastia is caused by steroid use) but once the tissue is there, do not expect these drugs to go in and make the already-formed gland tissue vaporize.

That said, the drugs that are typically handed out in locker rooms (or by legitimate physicians) to fight gynecomastia are:

(1) Letrozole – This drug prevents the conversion of androgens to estrogens in the body.
(2) Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) – This drug prevents the estrogen receptors in the body from accepting estrogen and allowing it to function.

Be informed that what these drugs are preventing is typically normal hormone functioning in the human body and there are potential health consequences to prolonged use. It is not a good or healthy idea to make sure your body never has any estrogens in its system. The human body works on balance between hormones, not on flooding or complete absence.

There will be several other options out there, especially on the web. Maybe you will see DVD sets or books claiming to have “the cure” or “the solution.” If any of these had the cure, somebody would have read it, found that it worked, told everyone else “the secret” and then surgeons would be out of business. Surgery is usually not the first option anybody looks at with gynecomastia…yet it is usually where they end up. There is a reason.

Information is free on the internet. Anybody who is charging for “the secret cure” to gynecomastia is not likely to be providing a product or service that is worth your money. There is no “special workout” that will focus on gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is common among professional bodybuilders who develop the condition from steroid use. And if anybody knew the secret workout techniques that would get rid of gyno, it would be the professional bodybuilders who are able to maintain body fat percentages below 5%. And they typically end up turning to surgery.

In short, do your research. See what options are out there. Think very critically if you see something that appears too good to be true. Talk to somebody about pharmaceutical options if you like, but be warned that these options are probably illegal, probably ineffective and probably not worth the risk. Hope for the best but prepare for the likelihood that breast gland tissue is there to stay unless you have it removed.

Think of it like a giant crooked bump on your nose. You aren’t going to get rid of that with pills, lotions or books. It’s real, tangible tissue. Chances are it will require a real, tangible tool to remove it. But hey, that’s life. Solve the problem or accept the problem, then put it behind you and move on.