Can My Sternal Bump Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a bump on my sternum. It’s small, between my breasts, right where the 2 sides of my rib cage connect. The bump is hard like bone, does not move, has no feeling. It feels like bone, not like tissue. Can it be shaved down?

A:This is a prominent sternal edge, which although it can be shaved down and would not regrow, this requires a incision over it to do so. Whether a scar in such a visible area is a good aesthetic tradeoff can be debated. I would question that in a female.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon