Skull Reduction

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am trying to figure out if there is a cosmetic surgery that exist for skull reduction. I am a female with a 25.25 inch head circumference and it has been the joke of my life since birth. I already have to have jaw surgery because of my underbite, but I am praying that maybe there is some way to make my bobble head less noticeable. I tried gaining weight so that the weight could bring proportion, but unsuccessful. I know that this may sound silly to some, but this is my life and if I could change this, I will. I don’t expect to ever wear a hat, but I would at least like to face the public without having to cover my head with long hair or look down while walking.

A: There are a variety of skull reduction procedures that can done for just about anywhere on the skull. What is important to understand about them is that they treat selective areas which can be used to change some of the contours of the skull. In rare cases, there is even overall skull reduction by burring. These procedures can not, for example, take a 25 inch circumference of the skull and make it 21 inchs around. But in many cases they can make a visible difference which could provide a psychologically substantial improvement in how the patient sees the size of their head.

Whether these type of skull reduction procedures may be of benefit for you would require that you send me some pictures of your head for my assessment.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana