How Much Can The Back Of My Head Be Built Out With A Cranioplasty Procedure?

Q: The back of my head is very flat. As a child in school, they used to make fun of me  because the back of my head was so flat. While I want to wear my hair short, I can’t because it becomes really apparent. I have attached some pictures showing how flat it is. Because of my longer hair, I have drawn a line indicating the actual shape of my head beneath my hair. I want to add up to an inch to the whole backside of my head to give a more rounded shape. Do you think it is possible with the Kryptonite material and not having to make a big incision across the back of my head?

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. It is easy to see, even with your hair, how flat the back of your head is. Yes it is possible to build out the back of your head with a minimally invasive cranioplasty technique using Kryptonite. However there are several caveats about the outcome with this cranioplasty method. The build-out of your skull can not go below the lowest level of the occipital bones which is about at the mid-level of the ear. (you can feel how high the end of the occipital bone sits with your fingers. Most people think that the bone goes much lower than it does. Any cranioplasty material can only be put on bone not muscle. A skull build-out of as much as an inch may be too extreme due to scalp expansion issues, a more likely result is 1/2″ to 3/4″ at the very center. (midline)

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana