SHTFman, I don't know about that 40% figure, but it is a lot more common than most people think. You're lucky that you have it now. I knew a bunch of guys that lifted about 40 years ago that had that problem, but they didn't have any choise but to live with it. The $3.5K estimate sounds like too much. It's a simple procedure, and I even knew a couple of guys that had a vet do it for them without problem. Definitely look around before paying that much. The last two friends I had that had this procedure done paid about $600. They had it done outpatient while awake. One friend that had this done a few years ago, had to pay about $2,500 because he had to be put under due to the amount of tissue that had to be removed. To put the $3.5K in perspective, one local pro-body builder recently had this procedure done by a top surgeon in LA for $5K. Again, $3.5K sounds like too much for an average cosmetic surgeon. Also, make sure the doctor makes the incision on the nipple since it isn't prone to scarring. The skin there also heals faster. Also, many insurance plans will cover this procedure. There have been a couple of studies that show the incidence of male breast cancer is greatly reduced by the procedure. See if you can get your doctor to play that card. Another card to play is if it is uneven. You might be able to get insurance to pay for one side and pay the other one out of your pocket. If your insurance company won't cover it, you might want to wait until you have a plan that does.
You might be able to wait it out. I've seen several guys that had a screwed-up estrogen:testosterone ratio when they were in their late teens or on Vitamin S, and they got much better with time. On paper I read on this claimed that for teenagers, this problem gets better in 95% of the cases within 1-3 years. I know you're 21, but that isn't that much older. Also, have your liver, adrenal gland, and thyroid checked if you're serious about this. Gyno can be an indication of a problem with any of those. You said it's hard so there is definitely something causing it. An endocrinologist, while expensive, could be useful. If you know any guys on steroids, you might want to ask them who they recommend to go to. If you smoke tobacco or (especially) marijuana, stop immediately.
Since you said you're embarrassed to take your shirt off at the beach, here's a hint: Preparation H. I've seen guys use that before competitions. Also, about 20 mg/day, then back down as you can, of Nolvadex will reduce the symptoms. I don't recommend that, but I've seen it work. I don't personally know anyone taking Cytadren, but I've heard second-hand that it works a little better.
SHTFman, on any drugs that you think could make this problem worse? A friend was taking Proscar, and it made him grow so much, his wife wanted to try taking it [:)].
Feel free to post back any detail you think you need to add. Someone here might be able to help.z