Wearing heavy earrings can, over time, damage our earlobes, causing the underlying fatty tissue to stretch, sag, or even tear apart.
Torn earlobes can also be the result of blunt trauma, which some moms have unfortunately found out the hard way (babies love to lunge at shiny objects – it’s best to avoid dangly earrings in their presence!).
Our Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Richard Galitz, MD, FACS, can repair torn earlobes with a quick procedure performed here in our office:
After administering local anesthesia, Dr. Galitz cuts away the healed skin on each edge of the tear. Next, he sutures the ends back together. The sutures are then removed in 5-7 days.
Once your earlobe has healed – which is usually 6 weeks after your surgery – Dr. Galitz will carefully re-pierce your ear here in the office. Surgical precision is needed so that re-piercing is located to the left or right of your scar, in order to prevent it from re-tearing.
This depends on your insurance provider. Among our patients who have had this procedure, many of them have had it covered by their insurance. Our staff can work with you to help you determine your coverage benefits.
As we age, gravity takes its toll on all of us, and our ears are no exception. Injectable Fillers – like Restylane and Juvederm – are very effective in firming up loose, droopy earlobes and restoring a firm, tight appearance.