Can Plagiocephaly Be Treated in Adults

These days it’s common to see babies with flat heads, and you might have even seen one or two sporting funny looking helmets to correct the deformity. But what if you have reached adulthood with a flat spot on your head, having been born at a time when knowledge of this condition was limited? Can plagiocephaly be treated in adults and older children?
The rise of plagiocephaly
Plagiocephaly has gained much media attention in recent years. While the Back to Sleep campaign of the 1990s may have successfully reduced the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), long periods spent lying in the supine position also left many children with misshapen heads.
Fast forward 20 or so years, and awareness about plagiocephaly is beginning to pick up, with doctors and health visitors providing advice for parents and private clinics offering helmet therapy to correct severe cases of plagiocephaly in infants.
But how about those teenagers and adults who were born before the information and treatment options we now have came to light? Is there a limit to the age at which plagiocephaly can be treated?
Plagiocephaly treatment for adults
Unfortunately, the only known treatment for plagiocephaly in adults involves surgery, and few surgeons are willing to undertake the procedure. Given that the condition is thought to be largely cosmetic, the risks and costs associated with surgery outweigh the benefits.