Ears play a vital role in maintaining facial symmetry and proportions. Unfortunately, the earlobe is prone to damage from injury and trauma. Damaged earlobes are quite common. While they are an inconvenience and can make a person feel insecure or self-conscious, they can be easily repaired. Earlobe repair surgery, sometimes known as earlobe reduction surgery or lobuloplasty, helps patients achieve better facial aesthetics and improves their confidence and self-esteem by repairing and reshaping the earlobes.
Expected Results after Earlobe Repair
- Correction of earlobe that has been stretched, torn, split, or injured
- Possible correction of abnormally shaped earlobes
- Ability to cut and style hair any way with confidence that earlobes will not attract unwanted attention
- Enjoy wearing any type of earring without fear that earrings will fall out
Ideal Candidate for Earlobe Repair
Good candidates for earlobe repair:
- Have stretched, torn, or damaged earlobes
- May have been born with earlobes that are too large or too small
- May have a large hole as a result of gauging
- May have overly elongated earlobes or keloids
- Resist wearing earrings out of fear that the earrings will fall out or further stretch the earlobe piercing
- Resist cutting or styling their hair in a fashion that reveals their ears
Surgical Technique with Earlobe Repair Surgery
Earlobe repair is one of the most straightforward, simple office procedures a plastic surgeon can perform. The procedure can take up to an hour to perform if both ears are being repaired. Torn earlobes, a split earlobe, or earlobes that have been significantly stretched will require the surgeon to rearrange the soft tissue and to replace the tissue that has been damaged. In the event the patient has experienced only a partial tear, our surgeon will remove the damaged skin and stitch the lobe back together using small sutures. Patients can expect natural-looking earlobes once the procedure is complete.
Before and After Photos
Cost of Earlobe Repair Surgery
The cost of earlobe repair is $1500 per earlobe. This cost includes the fees for facility as well as re-piercing the earlobe.
Preparation for Earlobe Repair
Earlobe repair can be performed on the same day as your consultation as long as our staff is informed that you would like to have the procedure done the same day. The procedure is done under local anesthesia in the office. After your earlobe repair surgery there are specific instructions that patients will be provided with to ensure an optimized recovery. Patients will be encouraged to refrain from any products containing aspirin for at least a week prior to the procedure. They will also need to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol for at least 48 hours before the procedure as these activities complicate the healing process. Since earlobe repair is an outpatient surgery performed under local anesthesia patients can drive home alone.
Recovery after Earlobe Repair Surgery
Earlobe repair is a low pain procedure with an easy recovery period. After the surgery, the patients may either be prescribed a special ointment to use or a special brown tape to apply to their earlobes depending on the surgical technique utilized.
In the event that patients do face any discomfort, they can use over-the-counter pain relievers to control soreness. Patients can expect swelling and bruising to disappear within a few weeks. Once it is determined that the repair has healed properly, your surgeon will then re-pierce the ears if that is what you desire.
Patients should refrain from wearing turtlenecks or placing their phone to their earlobe for a week after earlobe repair. Additionally, they should stay away from excessive sun exposure and abrasive soaps while they allow their earlobes to completely heal.
In most cases, patients who undergo earlobe repair surgery do not need to take any time off work. However, they may want to schedule their procedure toward the end of the week so they can rest and recuperate during the weekend.
Risk, Safety and Complications after Earlobe Repair Surgery
Earlobe repair surgery is a fairly low-risk surgical procedure to have performed. Your surgeon will review your past medical history to ensure that it is safe for you to move forward with this procedure. During the consultation appointment, Dr. Kulak will further discuss the risks and potential complications during the earlobe repair surgery in great depth.
Possible complications after earlobe repair surgery include:
- Infection
- Keloid formation
- Poor scar healing
- Need for revision surgery
Earlobe repair specialist, Dr. Jessica Kulak
The Naderi Center takes great pride in providing each and every patient with the highest quality care. Our board certified surgeons are always learning about and implementing the latest and greatest surgery techniques and technologies so that our patients can enjoy optimal results. Our meticulous surgical techniques paired with years of experience can provide earlobe repair patients with attractive, natural-looking earlobes and attractive ears that balance their facial aesthetics. Most importantly, we believe in specialization. Each of our board certified surgeons exclusively perform a handful of procedures that they are expertly trained in.
Patients who are interested in earlobe repair are encouraged to schedule a private consultation with our double Board Certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jessica Kulak. Dr. Kulak will take the time to evaluate your earlobes, the extent of repair required, and get to know your reasons for considering earlobe repair. If you are a good candidate for this plastic surgery procedure, Dr. Kulak can share before and after photos of real patients, explain what you can expect, and answer any questions you may have.
Schedule a Consultation for Earlobe Repair
To get additional information on the earlobe repair surgery and the process for scheduling surgery at The Naderi Center, contact our Reston, Virginia office at 703-481-0002 or our Chevy Chase, Maryland office at 301-222-2020. Consultations with Dr. Kulak can be scheduled in-person, as well as online. The Naderi Center has two convenient locations, easily reached from anywhere in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Anyone coming from outside of Maryland, Virginia, or Washington D.C. may want to discuss travel advice and request reservation assistance with one of The Naderi Center’s expert patient coordinators. You can also fill out our convenient online contact form.
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Earlobe Repair Questions to Ask
In many cases, patients seek out earlobe repair after they have developed a split earlobe or torn earlobes due to injury. Patients may also choose to undergo earlobe repair if their earlobes are droopy, they have stretched piercings, their earrings constantly fall out of their piercing holes, or catch on pillows or clothing.
Our surgeons perform earlobe repair on many patients who have experienced earlobe damage from gauge piercings.
Patients are permitted to shower and wash their hair the day after earlobe repair. However, they should be careful and avoid scrubbing the surgical area. A gentle shampoo like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo should be used for at least a week after surgery to prevent irritation.
There are very few nerves in the earlobes, making this surgery relatively low in pain. Local anesthesia is used during the procedure itself to ensure patient comfort.
Extensive time in the sun may cause pigmentation of incision lines. Therefore, we recommend staying away from sun exposure for at least a week after surgery.
At The Naderi Center our surgeons makes it a top priority to use sterile equipment while conducting the surgery and provide each patient with specific after-care instructions so that they do not develop an ear infection.
Since earlobe repair involves an incision, there will be some minor scarring. The good news is that this scarring almost always becomes virtually unnoticeable over time.
After successfully recovering from earlobe repair, patients will be able to wear earrings again. However, they’ll need to re-pierce the ear, since the holes in the ears will be closed during surgery. Our surgeons typically wait a minimum of 4-6 weeks before recommending re-piercing, so to reduce the risk of earlobe damage recurring.
Yes. Many patients who undergo earlobe repair at our Reston, VA or Chevy Chase, MD locations choose to combine the procedure with another surgery, such as a neck lift or facelift in order to enjoy complete facial rejuvenation.
If you live in the states of Virginia or Maryland, The Naderi Center for Plastic Surgery and Dermatology offers earlobe repair among its services. For a full list of services, please visit our Locations page.
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