Can A Prominent Mastoid Bone Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I noted my occipital bone pops out a bit and I realized that I have a bone popping out behind my ear just wanted to know if it’s doable to fix this. 

A: When you refer to the bone popping out behind your ear you likely are referring to the mastoid process which I have highlighted in the picture with the yellow arrow. This protrusion is due to the enlargement of the air cells that exist in the mastoid bone. Due to the air cells in the bone it would be important to know how much of that protrusion is bone and how close is the underlying air cells before attempting any reduction. This would require a CT scan to answer that important question.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon