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Articles from Dr. Jenq

Plain answers from Dr. Tina Jenq, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, on surgery, recovery, costs and skin.

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Dog Ear Revision in Portland

A dog ear is a small fold of excess skin or scar tissue at the end of a surgical incision, seen after procedures such as tummy tuck, breast reduction, and gender-affirming top surgery. Small dog ears may flatten as swelling decreases, so Dr. Jenq often recommends waiting up to a year. If one remains, small dog ears can often be corrected in the clinic under local anesthesia in about one hour.

Nipple Retraction: What It Is and How I Treat It

Nipple retraction is usually caused by tight bands or shortened ducts beneath the nipple. Dr. Jenq first recommends a gentle suction device to stretch the band; if that is not enough, she corrects it with an in-clinic procedure under numbing that takes about an hour. Most people return to work after one day off, shower after 3 days, and return to cardio after 4 days.

Breast Shape and Weight in Breast Reduction

Very heavy breasts can stretch the skin along the sides of the chest, making the breasts look wide and sometimes reaching toward the armpits. In breast reduction, Dr. Jenq removes excess tissue or fat from the side of the chest wall and moves the skin forward to reshape the breast. She also uses quilting sutures to help minimize swelling and lower the risk of fluid buildup.

Why Emsculpt and CoolSculpting Have Dropped in Popularity

CoolSculpting can reduce some fat by cooling and injuring fat cells, which the body slowly absorbs over several weeks, but results are often mild and some patients need multiple sessions. A rare complication called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH) can make treated fat larger and firmer instead. Dr. Jenq notes these treatments can sometimes give modest improvement but do not replace healthy habits.

A Guide to Gender-Affirming Care in Oregon

Oregon has expanded insurance coverage, more trained providers and stronger legal protections for transgender patients, and care usually follows a team approach of counseling, hormone therapy and surgery. At OCRC, Dr. Jenq offers mastectomy with or without nipple reconstruction, breast reduction and breast augmentation. Patients traveling for surgery should plan to stay in town at least 2 weeks after surgery, with 4 weeks being ideal.

Panniculectomy vs. Tummy Tuck: Which Is Right for You?

A panniculectomy removes the hanging skin and fat of the lower abdomen for comfort and health, without tightening the muscles, and may be covered by insurance when it causes rashes, infections or trouble walking. A tummy tuck is cosmetic: it removes skin, tightens weakened muscles, repositions the belly button and is generally not covered.

Keloid vs Hypertrophic Scars: When to Excise, Inject, or Revise the Scar

Hypertrophic scars stay within the original wound boundaries and may improve over time, while keloids grow beyond the original injury and have a higher risk of coming back after treatment. Dr. Jenq usually starts with steroid injections and silicone, and considers surgical excision when a scar is large, tight, highly visible or has not responded. After surgery she uses prevention such as silicone, steroid injections, CO2 laser and, for true keloids, low-dose radiation.