Earlobe Correction Surgery for Droopy lobes
When most people think of cosmetic surgery, the earlobes is probably not the first part of the body that comes to mind. However earlobe correction surgery has been growing in popularity over the last couple years as more men and women experience sagging of the lobes, lacerated piercings, or the desire to reverse the effects of ear gauging. Depending on the scope of the problem natural repair may not be possible. However, with earlobe correction surgery a skilled surgeon can fully repair and restore your lobes.
Earlobe Stretching from Heavy Earrings
Years of wearing heavy over-sized earrings can cause the earlobes to thin and stretch downwards creating a vertical slit in the ear. The long-term effects of gravity’s pull on such a thin strip of skin combined with a loss of volume (fat) in the lobe from aging can make the lobes floppy and dangly, thus affecting ones appearance. In severe cases, the piercing can elongate until eventually the earlobe is torn in two.
Earlobe Lacerations from Caught Earrings
It’s fairly common for earrings to get pulled by children or caught on objects causing lacerations of the earlobe. Beyond its effect on appearance, the resulting earlobe rupture can be a major health concern.
Earlobe Stretching from “Gauging”
The practice of ear gauging or ear stretching has become increasingly popular in the past decade. The wearer begins with a normal piercing of the ear lobe, into which successions of wood or metal plugs are inserted to stretch the piercing. Once the piercing can comfortably accommodate the plug, the current piece is removed and replaced with a slightly wider one, so that over time the hole gradually gets bigger and bigger.
Wearers may choose to stop increasing the size and simply maintain a size of ear gauge, or they can continue stretching the piercing until it reaches as much as 50mm in diameter or more. Gauges must be worn to maintain the shape of the hole, giving a tunnel-like appearance to the lobe.
Gauging has been growing in popularity among America’s youth since the early 2000’s. Just take a walk down 6th Street in downtown Austin and you’ll be sure to come across at least one person with stretched ear lobes.
Earlobe Correction Surgery
Ear lobes that have become majorly stretched or have expanded piercings (including ear gauges greater than half an inch in diameter) are unlikely to repair on their own. However, correctional earlobe surgery can return the ear lobe back to its natural look. The procedure can be performed on earlobes affected by elongated piercings as well as lobes that have become thinner and longer with natural aging.
Correcting an Elongated or Torn Piercing: The procedure starts with the surgeon trimming off any excess scar tissue around the hole. Stitches are then used to pull the edges together, creating a naturally shaped lobe. The surgery can take place under local anesthesia, and as the incision site is very small. The procedure has a very short recovery period. Once the wound has healed there will be some scarring, which for most people, fades over time.
In the most severe cases, where the piercing has been substantially extended, there may not be enough tissue left on the ear to successfully close the gap. In this situation, the patient’s ear can be rebuilt utilizing a graft of tissue taken from elsewhere on the body, usually the rib cage. This operation requires a longer recovery time since there are two incision sites to heal.
Correcting Stretched Earlobes from Aging: Otoplasty (sometimes called an “ear lift” surgery) can be performed wherein a small incision is made behind the ear allowing the surgeon to removed or fold excess skin and cartilage. The ear is then sutured to maintain the final shape and positioning.
Do you notice moderate to severe drooping of your earlobe or want to reverse the effects of gauging? Contact us today for a free consultation and more information on earlobe correction surgery.
A united group of skin care specialists from Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Austin's leader in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery. Articles posted under WD staff are authored through combined contributions from our entire team, including Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, Aestheticians, Physician Assistants, Aesthetic Nurses, and Patient Coordinators.
Price for 2 ears? The cost please
Hi Sheila, the actual cost varies greatly depending on the particulars of the surgery. We do offer free consultations. Would you like a representative to contact you?
Is it possible to enlarge the earlobes? Or is most surgery about smaller lobes?
Hi Emily, thanks for reading our post. It is possible to enlarge the lobes, there are a few potential procedures that use tissue grafting. Please feel free to contact us to learn more and get a free consultation!
How does one know if they need earlobe surgery? Are there any tests that can be done at home to determine if lobes are overy large or non-symmetric?
Hi Rebecca, thanks for reading our post! Unfortunately there are no good at-home tests other than just going off visual appearance. If you feel that you have overly large or unsymmetrical ear lobes we would encourage you to see a plastic surgeon for a consultation. A skilled surgeon will be able to assess your lobes for any issues and advise you on the best course of treatment.
Thanks,
WD Staff
Yes I’d like to see how much it is to make my earlobes smaller cause there are pretty big and also birthmarks two super small ones
How much is an initial consultation?
Hi Molly, we offer free consultations with our cosmetic consultants. Please give us a call at 512.328.3376 to setup an appointment!
Thanks,
WD Staff
I was just told consultations are $200?
Hi Ashlee,
Our apologies for any confusion on consults. Our surgeons do charge fees for consultations, which vary by surgeon. However, we do offer free consultations with our team of trained cosmetic consultants.
Please let us know if you would want to move forward with a free consult with one of our cosmetic consultants. You can give us a call or email us at [email protected] to set one up.
Thanks,
WD Staff