Can Skull Reduction Surgery Be Done To Reduce One’s Head Size?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am inquiring about skull reduction surgery. I have read online said that you can reduce the head. I have always been very conscious about how wide my head Is. It’s wide and big. What can you do exactly? May I send you some pics so you see what I am talking about? I also am losing hair and I read on your website that you don’t recommend the procedure for hair loss. But I am not entirely sure how you narrow the head, mine is very broad. I often wear hats because I am self conscious about my wide head and hair loss.

A: Thank you for sending your pictures and expressing your concerns. There are procedures that can very effectively reduce the size of your head including temporal muscle reduction and bone burring. (skull reduction) There is no doubt in my experience that they could change the way you see your head. However, to do these procedures one needs a scalp incision to do it and with your hair loss I would have grave concerns about the remaining fine line scar from the surgery. Thus in your case I would seriously question that aesthetic trade-off. You don’t want to trade one problem for another. While there are trade-offs in every aesthetic procedure, what one trades into should be perceived as being better than what they currently have.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana