How Much Can My Prominent Brow Bones Be Reduced?

Q: Hello Dr. Eppley  I am a 28 year old male with an extreme prominent brow ridge.  I have been doing research on this and understand the male vs female forehead anatomy.  It seems my brow is quite larger than a typical caucasian male and was wondering if I went through a surgery for this what would be the result.  I’m certainly not looking to become “feminine” by any means. I am a heterosexual male, but the size of my brow makes me feel uncomfortable and self-concious.  I have a cephlometric x-ray of my profile view so you can see the size of the brow and maybe show me how much of a change is possible. Thanks for taking the time to read this, it’s a great website you have which is very informative.

A: Thank you for sending your ceph x-ray. There is no question that you have a very large pneumatized frontal sinus air space which is the cause of the prominent brow bones. The size of those brow bones are very good candidates for significant reduction through a brow bone reduction osteotomy technique. This is done by removing the outer table of frontal sinus bone, reshaping it, and then putting it back in a much flatter shape and secured with tiny titanium plates and screws. I have attached the ceph x-ray computer imaged as to how much flatter it can be.

The biggest issue for a male brow bone reduction is the scalp incision/scar required to do it. That often is the rate-limiting step for most men and is highly influenced by the man’s hair density and hairline pattern.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana