If you’ve stretched or torn an earlobe, you probably experienced a moment of sheer panic as you wondered whether your ear will ever look the same. Dr. Ary Krau has good news: the treatment for stretched or ripped earlobes is relatively simple, and can help you get back to wearing your favorite earring styles in no time at all! Read on as he explains more about this type of injury and the treatment to fix it.
Reasons for Earlobe Surgery
The most common causes of ripped, torn or stretched-out earlobes include the following:
• Gradual elongation of the earlobes due to wearing large, heavy earrings
• Unexpected trauma – e.g., getting an earring ripped out, perhaps by the grabby hand of a baby or toddler
• Wearing oversized gauges that create gaping openings in the earlobes
Treatment Details
Repairing stretched or ripped earlobes is a simple procedure that takes place right in our office. It should not be confused with otoplasty, which is a plastic surgery procedure to improve the appearance of oversized or protruding ears.
During the earlobe repair procedure, Dr. Krau excises the skin lining the hole or tear, creating a new wound. Then, he carefully sutures the edges of the wound so they will seal together. Finally, Dr. Krau places dressings over the lobes to protect them as they heal.
You will not feel anything during the procedure, thanks to the local anesthetic Dr. Krau uses. The total treatment time depends on the extent of the injury; however, the procedure usually takes an hour or less.
Earlobe Repair Recovery and Aftercare
After the procedure, you might have minimal discomfort that can be alleviated with over-the-counter pain medication. Your earlobes will also be slightly swollen. Dr. Krau will provide complete instructions for caring for the healing wounds; he may ask you to apply antibiotic ointment to your lobes regularly to prevent infection.
If Dr. Krau uses non-absorbable sutures, you will return to him after about a week to have your sutures removed.
There is no downtime with earlobe repair and you can immediately return to your normal activities. The only exception is strenuous exercise and heavy lifting; Dr. Krau will clear you to resume those activities once it is safe for your healing earlobe.
Once your earlobe has healed, you can have it re-pierced, allowing you to wear earrings again. If you would like to avoid making another emergency trip to see Dr. Krau, scale back on how often you wear heavy, dangling earrings, as they can re-stretch your lobes. If you know you will be around young children, avoid wearing bulky or big earrings.
Contact Dr. Ary Krau for Earlobe Repair
For more information about repairing ripped or stretched-out earlobes, please contact our practice and request an appointment with Dr. Krau. You can call or send us an email today.