My two year old has a bald spot, is there a surgery that can correct this?

[chrisandcolesmom]

I have twin boys that are 2.8 years old.  They were seen by a Neurosurgeon at Children's Hospital for their skulls fused together prematurely.  Fortunately, there was no damage except for a very slight ridge at the top of their skulls, which they won't operate on because once they have longer hair it won't be noticable.  Unfortunately, my boys are "head bangers."  They have pretty much stopped now but when they were younger and they woke up in the middle of the night they would bang their heads on their cribs.  The pediatricians, as well as Neurosurgeons at Childrens told me to ignore the behavior and that they would grow out of the act somewhere around 2.5, which they pretty much have.  However, one of my boys (the one that has more of the pronounced ridge beginning at the hairline and extending back about 3" down the center of the top of the skull) has a bald spot which is about 1/4" wide and extends back about 2".  The doctors say that it was caused by the fact that he has a slightly pronounced ridge and the fact that he head bangs.  They assured me that the hair would grow back and, as of yet, it hasn't.  It continues to produce "peach fuzz" but doesn't grow beyond that.  Our Nanny, who is also a hairdresser, has looked into it and said that his hair follicle is probably damaged and that he may not grow hair back.  Another Mother told me that she has heard of a surgery where they would make an incision and then stretch the skin where hair is growing over the area that isn't so the bald spot will essentially disappear, but that seems extreme to me.  I know this sounds incredibly vein...but I also know how cruel children can be and though his hair "combs over" the bald spot (we call it the Donald Trump comb over) you can see it with the slightest movement of his hair and I would like to have it fixed before he enters school.  Any suggestions?  Thank you!

[whelans5]

I was watching a program the other night where a lady got a really bad bleach job at the hairdressers and she ended up with a bad infection and then a big bald spot.  What the doctors did for her was inserted a balloon type device that stretched the skin over a period of time.  Then they cut out the bald spot and sewed the skin with hair together.  

I don't think it is vein to try to help your children.  If you leave it they might get teased, especially during the puberty years when they start noticing the opposite sex.

A assume a plastic surgeon would perform this procedure.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your question is not within my area of expertise. This Forum addresses questions about child behavior, emotional development, etc., not medical or surgical procedures.