Posted February 05, 2019 in Earlobe Reduction and Repair
Getting your ears pierced has become a popular trend among many men and women. While some people prefer to pierce their ears the traditional way by inserting small studs into their earlobes, others have been drawn to gauging their ears. However, like most fads that come and go, there is a downside to gauging your ears. If you decide that you no longer want to wear gauges, you will be left with widened ear holes that can make them feel self-conscious. Fortunately, Dr. Friedman can address this issue by performing ear surgery to close the hole and improve your earlobe contour. This will also require some reduction of earlobe size.
How Do the Earlobes Become Damaged?
Like many areas of your body, your earlobes are mostly made of skin and fatty tissue, with little to no cartilage. The earlobes are not as strong as the rest of the ear, and putting a lot of strain on the earlobes can cause them to stretch or rip the skin completely when wearing big or heavy earrings. Gauges and large earrings cause the earlobes to develop large holes and unattractive hanging skin.
*In this video Dr. Friedman surgically repairs and then re-pierces a young woman’s gauged earlobe. The stretching caused by inserting larger and larger studs over time is reduced to a fine-line scar, and her ears demonstrate improved symmetry and aesthetic appearance.
Your Earlobe Reduction Surgery
Repair of gauged earlobes involves a combination of the plastic surgery techniques for earlobe reduction and repair. Under local anesthesia (with laughing gas, if desired), the rim of stretched-out, hanging earlobe is removed along with the entire gauged area. The earlobe, which is now much smaller, is repaired with three layers of stitches. Typical cost is $1,950 for the repair of both earlobes; however, prices may vary depending on the size of the gauges.
Recovery
Following your ear surgery, you may experience some minor swelling and bruising. The procedure can be performed in under an hour, and there is little downtime needed. You can resume most normal activities after your surgery, but you should avoid strenuous workouts and lifting for the first three to five days. When resting at home, make sure to keep your head up to reduce swelling. You will follow up with Dr. Friedman about two weeks later to remove the sutures and see how your earlobes are healing.
To learn more about ear surgery and to determine if you are a candidate, please call our office at (469) 467-0100 or schedule a consultation with us online today!