Blog

Q: Dear Dr Eppley, I am contacting you with interest in stem cell-enriched breast augmentation. I think it is an interesting new technique and it has raised many questions in my mind. Here is my list of questions. 1) First of all, how is the surgery done and how much fat do you need to […]

Q: I am interested in having a jawline tuck procedure. The only part of my face that bothers me as I have aged is along the jowls. That is the only place where I have some excess skin that affects my appearance. Please tell me where the incisions area and what part of the face […]

Q: I had breast reduction surgery last year and , while those results were great, my stomach area is now the problem. What is the best way to get rid of some (or a lot of!) stomach fat? I have read about Zerona. Is it better than liposuction or does it just depend on the […]

Q : When I was 20 and in the service I had a breast reduction. I went from a 44DD down to a C cup.  I am now 50 and my breasts have slowly over the years grown back. I have been so uncomfortable physically and mentally from their size. I didn’t know breasts could […]

Q: I wanted to get some information as far as migraines and Botox. I have suffered with migraines for many, many years and have read that Botox can help. My headaches usually start around the eyebrow area. Thank you. A: The fact that your migraines have a focal area of initiation at the eyebrows strongly […]

Q: i am going to have my chin shortened by cutting the bone, a procedure known as a vertical chin reduction. But I wanted to know something that is very important to me. After the surgery, the people that know me which i see everyday, will they see the difference in my face without me […]

Q: I have a prominent ‘apron’ and it’s getting difficult to navigate. I had twin girls last year and would just like to have a lap to hold them in. I am not expecting to be a size six overnite but I just need to get rid of this extra baggage. I have read about […]

Q: I had cheek implants 3 yrs ago which I am looking at having revised. I am tall and athletic and they are just giving me a bony gaunt look to my face which also makes my eyes appear too far apart. What I really wanted in the beginning were midface implants, but wasn’t able […]

Q: Dear Dr. Eppley,  I’m 20 yrs old and currently in my junior year at college. I just found out earlier this year I have a breast deformity called ‘Constricted Breasts”. I knew something was wrong growing up when I wasn’t developing as I should. So I asked my doctors, at 18, about that, and […]

Q: Hi Dr. Eppley, I am 3 weeks post SMAS facelift and necklift.  I had a friend who had her facelift months before me.  She was very thin and her face looked too tight to me (really pulled along the jaw line).  I have a round face despite losing 50 pounds with very sagging neck […]

Q: I have been suffering from angular cheilitis subsequently leading to cutaneous candidiasis and sometimes even a secondary bacterial infection for the past 18 months.  If my face starts to sweat I immediately dry off my face but am mortified when I awake to realize saliva has pooled in the little cracks in the corner […]

Q: Hello, I just have a few questions about a cosmetic issue that I have been dealing with for really all of my life, but just became totally aware of within the last few years. I have a condition called Plagiocephaly. I’m sure you know what that is, so I won’t go into that. I […]

Q: Dr. Eppley. Five years ago, I had surgery on the right upper eyelid  to reduce the size of my eye opening.  My right eye used to be larger than the left one.  Some times for a few seconds my right eyelid seems relatively normal but as I blink, it seems like the skin detaches from the muscle and […]

Q: Can you tell me how the Zerona laser is supposed to remove fat. When I think of a laser it seems to be that it is hot and would burn the skin before it ever got to the fat underneath. I am interested in it to help me reduce my lower tummy, back and […]

Q : I recently had a rhinoplasty approximately 3 months ago.  The purpose was to make my nose more symmetrical (nose was crooked due to getting hit in the nose 10+ years ago) and smaller/narrower.  I consider the results (as I see the nose today) as somewhat of an improvement, but I believe that better […]

The desire to eliminate excess fat is both universal and historic. The sheer number of diet books, meal programs, and fat burning medications and supplements are a testament to what the majority of the American population would like to do. If one of these approaches was universally effective, there would not need to be so […]

Divorce is an unsettling experience for everyone involved, and represents a time of unwanted and maybe even unexpected change. Divorce is often cited as the second major stressor in life, second only to the death of a loved one.  Divorce can be a crushing experience,  and can easily produce feelings of failure. As a way […]

Q: I’m interested in a facial fat graft.  You’ve mentioned in one your Explore Plastic Surgery blogs about the use of growth factors with fat grafting. My understanding is that these can be derived from the patient’s blood . How is that done and how does it work? A: Fat grafting to the face through […]

Q: I’m 29, very healthy and I weigh 128 lbs. I have always wanted a more rounder shapely butt for years but never could get enough money for the procedure and was afraid of the risks associated with the procedure. My self-esteem is very low because of my small buttocks. I just want to feel […]

Q: I am seeking information regarding some sort of procedure I could have done and if you either know about it or can do it. I am unhappy with my forehead. My forehead slopes down perfectly then rounds out. Its bone from my eye socketes in my skull that stick out. Basically Im assuming my […]

Q: I have an old indented fracture of my left cheekbone. I fell several years ago on my face and was diagnosed with an ‘infracture of my zygoma’.  It didn’t seem to bad at the time but maybe the swelling made it look better than it was. Now that side of my cheek is flatter and […]

Q:I’m 20 years old and I had a direct brow lift a year ago and now i have very obvious and wide depressed scars over each brow. I started out getting Botox and liked the effects that it had on lifting my brows. My doctor then told me that if I had a direct browlift […]

Q: Dear Doctor: I’m a 47 yr. old white male in good health. A few years ago I went to India to have a jaw augmentation that was done by lipo injection which was absorbed in a short period of time. I’m looking for a better and lasting result. I would like to know if […]

Q : I had a birthmark removed, and I went back to the plastic surgeon for him to cut out the remaining area he missed. He ended up cutting out more than he should have and left me a huge scar on my face, with dog ears at the ends. The scar is already twice […]

Q:I have been taking melatonin for sleep. Is this harmful before surgery? I also take a host of vitamins and antioxidents, such as Acai and COQ10. Should these be eliminated before surgery?  My plastic surgery is in 9 days.The Vitamin C seems to be a dilemma. I have heard not to take Vitamin C before surgery […]

Q: i am interested in changing the bottom front part of my nose. i believe it is called the columella. I think this is where the skin between the nostrils meets the upper lip. In my case, that angle is too small. It should be more open. I have read that an implant can create […]

Q: Dr. Eppley, one of my earlobes is split.  This is a result of earrings.  Discoloration has taken place at the opening of the split earlobe.  Is there any hope for my situation? A: A torn or split earlobe is a very common ear problem. In fact, it may be the single most common reason […]

Q: I am considering getting jaw angle implants and have some basic questions. I want the Medpor RZ angle implants but don’t know if 3mms or 7mms width is the best for me. How can I decide? Will looking at patients with each size implant in help? Also, what is the recovery from this surgery […]

Q : I am 49 years old and at least 30 lbs over weight. I am in the process of losing this weight. I want a facelift and liposuction under my chin to help my neck. My second question is about burn scars on the bottom of both of my large toes. These scars cover […]

Q: I have always been bothered by these fat collections on the lower part of my stomach and around into my back. Despite working out regularly and really focusing on these araes, I have been unable to lose them. Several years ago I tried fat-dissolving injections (I can’t remember their name) but they were very […]