Ear Lobe Repair

Pierced earrings can cause a variety of earlobe deformities.  The most common deformities include split earlobe and elongated pierce hole deformities.  These deformities can occur when a pierced earring snags on clothing and tears through the flesh of the earlobe causing a split in the lobe.  The chronic tugging of a heavy earring over time can cause elongation of the piercing hole that may eventually pull through the lobule to create a split earlobe deformity.  Repair of the split earlobe or elongated pierce hole deformities can be done under local anesthesia in the office setting.  The surgery involves the removal of any scar tissue, the creation of a flap of tissue to provide support for the earring, and closure of the wound with fine sutures.  A gold stud earring is placed immediately following surgery and kept in place for three weeks.  Sutures are removed at 6-7 days following surgery.  Earlobe repair helps preserve the normal shape of the lobule and scarring is usually minimal.

Earlobe Reduction:

A common sequel of aging in both women and men is the enlargement/ elongation of the earlobes.  Earlobe reduction is commonly performed in conjunction with other facial procedures or may be performed as an isolated procedure in the office setting under local anesthesia.  A variety of techniques are available for earlobe reduction.  As with split lobe deformities, earlobe reduction surgery helps restore the normal size and contour of the earlobe with minimal scarring.  Depending on the amount of tissue removed, numbness in the earlobe may occur as a result of earlobe reduction.  This usually improves over time (3-9 months) but can be permanent.

Next Step

For an appointment, please call Chicago Plastic Surgery, LLC office at 312-337-7795, or contact Dr. Walton by filling out our online form. We look forward to meeting you and helping you with your ear lobe procedure here in Chicago.