How Can I Reduce The Large Sides Of My Head?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am looking to reduce the width of my head, from birth i have had quite a large head on the sides. There are these bumps on both sides, making it look a bit alien-like. I saw somewhere that these can be reduced via skull burring, which removes part of the layer of the skull if there is “excess” bone. I have a few pictures, the black and white was taken a long time ago, but with shorter hair showing that. Then I have a more recent picture. I have also sent a picture with a yellow line where these bumps are, I understand there should be small bump but mine are rather excessive. Hopefully, these are informative.

A:Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. In head widening reductions this is purely a muscle removal in the vast majority of cases. Most patients think that it is bone related, and while the temporal bone on the side of the head above the ear does have a convex shape ,the thickness of the muscle is usually greater than that of the bone. To understand the contribution of the muscle versus the bone in your areas of concern a 2-D CT scan would provide clarity on that issue. However in just looking at your frontal picture in the area of needed reduction this appears to me to be adequately reduced by muscle removal alone.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon