Skull Reshaping

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to see the possibilities of skull reshaping surgery. I am 33 years old and have always been unhappy with the shape of my head. My head is big overall and I dislike the unusual shape and so I would like to change this for it to look more normal.  I have the following concerns about my head shape: (1) It slopes down and stands tall at the back side. (2) I have a protruding knob on the back. (3) it’s wide on the sides. So please look at the pictures I have attached.

A: Than you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. I can certainly see your skull shape concerns with a very convex posterior temporal region which connects with an occipital protrusion and a higher posterior sagittal region. All three of these skull areas are really connected and part of the overall skull shape protrusion. While I think there is no question some major improvements on your shape can be made by bone and muscle reduction, it will require a full coronal scalp incision to do so. In a male with your close cropped hairstyle that always give me pause. Every aesthetic surgery involves tradeoffs and one has to evaluate the scar vs. the skull shape benefits very carefully. You never want to trade into another ‘problem’ that you may dislike just as much as what it was designed to treat.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana