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Have you ever considered surgery to alter your noggin? by rfn on 13 Jul, 2012 12:24
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Hi Folks
I started a thread in the introductions forum a while back, which touched upon this issue.
Have you ever considered some form of surgery to change the shape of your skull? I have a big 'ol dent in my left parietal bone after hitting my head against a pickup truck a couple of years ago. This is the biggest reason why I haven't shaved it all off yet, even though I am steadily losing more and more hair. I've given serious consideration to having it repaired. I've spoken to a couple of plastic surgeons, and I'm considering seeing a neurosurgeon as well to get another opinion before I do anything. The plastic surgeons have had all sorts of recommendations, including cutting my scalp open and filling it up with methyl methacrylate (which leaves a scar) and taking fat from elsewhere in my body and injecting it into my scalp.
I'm just curious as to whether anyone else over here has ever been in the same boat, and if so, which option you went with.
Cheers,
rfn -
#1 by Andrei on 13 Jul, 2012 13:14
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Hey there rfn!
The fat tissue transplant has pros and cons. If something wrong happens the body will easily resorb the fat tissue. The con: during the transplant part of the fat tissue might die so after the procedure you will see an improvement but it won't be just as expected.
The PMMA (Polymer Methyl Methacrylate) is used in orthopedic surgery to fix and remodel bones and has some potential side effects, though I'm not very well documented about this list of side effects.
Please keep in mind that any doctor/physician/medical staff represents a higher authority than me.
Long story short: don't fix it if it's not broken.
IMO if the the only reason you are considering such a surgery is for an esthetical purpose then think again.
Further more, any surgery implies some risks, pain and some recovery time. Are you sure you're ok with that?
First try to see if a shave or a short buzz will make the dent more visible or it will just put it in a better light. Think of it like part of your personal charisma and not something that must be fixed.
If you would see the dent on someone else would you still think it should have been surgically corrected? -
#2 by JasonR on 13 Jul, 2012 14:48
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Andrei: sounds like you know you know what you're talking about!
Rfn: Do you have a picture, perhaps? It may be less noticeable then you might think, and on top of that most people probably won't notice (most people are worrying about their own appearance).
There are quite a few bald heads out there with bumps, ridges, etc. If you don't have a picture, can you shave it and post one? Even with a 0 guard or something? It will grow back.
Good luck...and keep us informed!
Edit: I have a small bump/indent in my head...and can be self conscious about it. It's probably all in my head, though. I doubt it makes a different to anyone else. -
#3 by Mikekoz13 on 13 Jul, 2012 15:22
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Uh no Dude. Why would you subject yourself tounnecessary surgery. I've got so many scars and v alleys on my head I look like a modern day Frankenstien. Earned every one of them.... wouldn't leave home without them
.
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#4 by Frontier Guy on 13 Jul, 2012 17:50
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I gotta agree that you are probably much more concerned about "disfigurement" (as you might term it) versus a small "imperfection" as others might classify.
Easy for me to write, but I think it would be best it you can come to terms with it and integrate it into your being. It could even be an ice-breaker in conversations. My septum piercing has initiated some of the greatest conversations with people I otherwise wouldn't have had contact with.
It's all a matter of accepting yourself and not worrying about what others think. -
#5 by Andrei on 13 Jul, 2012 22:29
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@Mikekoz13: I bet you have a great story for each and every one of those scars.
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#6 by rfn on 14 Jul, 2012 04:11
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Thanks for the tips guys.
Here's an old photo of the dent. It's not the end of the world, but I'm as much of a perfectionist as one can get. I'm fairly uncomfortable with having a visibly asymmetric skull. If I had a cool story to go with it, maybe I could make it work. But the extent of the story is that I'm a clumsy bugger.
All in all, I think that a small scar will be a decent trade-off. Fat re-absorption is one of my biggest concerns with fat injections - I don't want to spend a lot of money, only to have the effect disappear a couple of months down the line.
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#7 by Frontier Guy on 14 Jul, 2012 04:39
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Based on the photo, to be it's not a big deal. I've seen worse. And I wonder if being shaved it will be less noticeable because you don't have the color variations of the hair to define it.
I'm not you, but as an outsider I don't think it's worthy of a lot of energy being concerned about.
Would it have to be shaved for surgery? Probably ... and if so, perhaps you want to shave now. You could use the medical consultation as justification in case anyone cares. And if you shave now you can get some other opinions - and see how you feel living the Sly life for a while.
I think that's probably the route I'd take. -
#8 by Mikekoz13 on 14 Jul, 2012 05:14
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@Mikekoz13: I bet you have a great story for each and every one of those scars.
Every one of them Andrei. I did a lot of stupid stuff as a kid. -
#9 by Sir Harry on 14 Jul, 2012 07:31
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rfn....Hey, man, I understand your concerns about your dent (which looking at your photo) is nothing to be alarmed about. I wish that there was some magic pills that could make all of the imperfections on our bald heads go away...but there isn't. Conversely, some of our "imperfections" is the things that make us unique. I had two surgeries in December and April to remove cysts and scar tissue, and you can see the scars if you stand up close. Just ask the many guys who have had hair transplants and they will tell you that even with the shaved head the scars left behind does not bother them....If you want to go for this surgery, I wish you well, but getting the desired result isn't guaranteed. Most people won't even notice or care about your dent....Good luck and take care!
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#10 by Frontier Guy on 14 Jul, 2012 14:04
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rfn ... your post was stuck in my brain today. I work in the tourism industry and today was outside for about 6 hours and had the opportunity to see thousands of people, which included a couple hundred bald guys (MPB and BBC, all ages).
Because of your post I studied them more carefully than I normally would - many of them had imperfections. None were horrific. And clearly none of the guys were concerned or trying to hide under a hat.
Just reinforces my original feeling that you are worrying a huge amount over something which no one else is going to care about.
I hope you'll consider going sly for 30 days before further consideration of surgery. I think you'll be surprised how easy it is and how good you feel.
Wishing you only the best. -
#11 by TheSlyBear on 14 Jul, 2012 15:26
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Well said, FG!
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#12 by JasonR on 14 Jul, 2012 16:38
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Thanks for the tips guys.
Here's an old photo of the dent. It's not the end of the world, but I'm as much of a perfectionist as one can get. I'm fairly uncomfortable with having a visibly asymmetric skull. If I had a cool story to go with it, maybe I could make it work. But the extent of the story is that I'm a clumsy bugger.
All in all, I think that a small scar will be a decent trade-off. Fat re-absorption is one of my biggest concerns with fat injections - I don't want to spend a lot of money, only to have the effect disappear a couple of months down the line.
I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be seeing. I don't see anything wrong. Would you be wiling to shave your head and take another shot?
Like the others have said, I don't think it's anything to worry about. No one has a perfectly shaped head. We all have bumps, bruises, and scars.
I, myself, have two to four scars on my head, and I have a little bump/ridge where the two bones meet in the head. I have a slight imperfection that I am blowing up in my head. I think you're doing the same thing. You're fine...no surgery needed. -
#13 by rfn on 15 Jul, 2012 13:40
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rfn ... your post was stuck in my brain today. I work in the tourism industry and today was outside for about 6 hours and had the opportunity to see thousands of people, which included a couple hundred bald guys (MPB and BBC, all ages).
FrontierGuy, thanks a lot for this awesome post. I often find myself staring at sly guys' heads, and like you said, none of them are perfect. It's just my own perfectionistic tendencies messing with my head (literally).
Because of your post I studied them more carefully than I normally would - many of them had imperfections. None were horrific. And clearly none of the guys were concerned or trying to hide under a hat.
Just reinforces my original feeling that you are worrying a huge amount over something which no one else is going to care about.
I hope you'll consider going sly for 30 days before further consideration of surgery. I think you'll be surprised how easy it is and how good you feel.
Wishing you only the best. -
#14 by rfn on 17 Feb, 2013 10:52
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I've consulted a neurosurgeon, and as such, I've decided to revive this post.
The first thing he said, after running his fingers over my head, is that I broke my skull. He sent me for a CT scan. The results showed that the inner layer of my skull is intact (fully healed, it seems) and that I suffered slight soft tissue damage to my left parietal lobe, but nothing that requires brain surgery. The surgeon explained that he could open the area and fill it up, but it could leave substantial scars and he wouldn't recommend it. He said that a plastic/reconstructive surgeon might have other techniques to fix it.
Not only is there a dent, but the area around it is slightly raised as well. So the top of my head is raised on the left side, while it immediately starts sloping down on the right side. Whenever I look at it, I feel horrible - it just feels so bloody unfair. I had a nice head shape before I started balding. Sadly, I then smashed it in in an unfortunate mishap a couple of years before baldness set in. Other guys either have hair, or a nice, generally symmetrical head. It feels like the universe screwed me over so that I have neither. I realise that I should let it go, and that there are people who are worse off. I started accepting it and wearing a short buzz cut, but one of the other bald guys at work recently made a comment about my lumpy head. I'm one of the youngest guys on my team, and one of the few suffering from noticeable male pattern baldness. The other guys like to joke about it, and I normally go along with them, but at the end of the day, I don't really find it amusing. The lumpy head comment hit me hard. I think I have slight OCD, and apart from the sharp stinging pains I sometimes get around my dent (the surgeon said that it might be due to a nerve), my raised, dented head has a psychological effect - with reference to OCD, it's like being forced to stare at a skew painting hanging on a wall - with my hands tied behind my back so that I can't do anything about it. I find it severely depressing.
My medical insurance won't cover cosmetic surgery, but the neurosurgeon said that he should be able to convince them to cover a cranioplasty, since it is a result of an injury, and not purely a cosmetic procedure. I want to schedule an appointment with a reconstructive surgeon to see what he can manage. Hopefully he'll be able to convince my insurance to pay for a cranioplasty.