Earlobe Repair

Renew Your Earlobes

Earlobe repair can enhance and restore your ear shape. An earlobe surgery removes torn or split areas of the earlobe and sutures the lobe together in your desired shape and position.

The procedure is rapidly gaining popularity as one of the most requested procedures in the United States, as more people have removed their gauges or heavy earrings. Earlobe repair in Charlotte, NC, could solve your problem if your soft tissue has shrunken but there is still a significant hole.

What is Earlobe Repair?

An earlobe surgery or earlobe repair corrects a torn earlobe or split earlobe. Doing so provides the following benefits:

Improved overall appearance
Improved facial symmetry
Restored facial proportions

Earlobe surgery is a simple plastic surgery that can correct partial, complete, or multiple earlobe tears:

Partial tears occur with ear piercings, weighty earrings, and gauging or stretching the earlobes
Complete tears happen when the bottom edge of the lobe completely separates from itself
Multiple tears are caused by trauma or when multiple ear piercings tear through

Who is a Good Candidate for Earlobe Repair?

In addition to heavy earrings and intentional earlobe stretching, elongated earlobe holes or a split earlobe can be caused by:

Earrings getting caught and then pulled, such as long earrings snagging a dress or other clothing
Children pulling on earrings
Multiple piercings too close together
Piercings too close to the bottom of the lobe
Sudden trauma

Ideal candidates for earlobe repair include children over five years old, teenagers, and adults experiencing any of the above.

The perfect candidate is in generally good health and wants to correct their earlobe appearance. However, earlobe surgery is not recommended for those with severe earlobe deformities or those prone to keloid scarring.

To determine earlobe repair candidacy, Dr. Pratt will take a medical history and physical exam. He will discuss your health issues affecting wound healing or bleeding, such as diabetes, and specific medicines and herbal preparations.

Dr. Pratt will consider your aesthetic goal, the size, and condition of the earlobe hole, as well as the anatomy of the surrounding tissue. Some earlobes require closure, while others require complex tissue rotation. Dr. Pratt can generally do both earlobes at the same visit.

Earlobe Repair Procedure and Results

Earlobe repairs are done as an outpatient, under local anesthesia, in the office. Because of this, most patients can drive themselves home.

The earlobe is cleaned, marked, and anesthetized before the repair begins. If the earlobe tear is partial and does not break through the bottom of the ear, the tear will be surgically removed and sutured shut. However, if the tear is in the lower third of the earlobe, Dr. Pratt may extend the tear completely before excising and suturing. In either case, tissue may be rotated. The wound is closed in layers to reduce tension from the outer part of the incision, and there is usually a fine scar when all is healed.

Earlobe surgery produces immediate and permanent improvements to the appearance of the earlobe. However, these results can be affected by ear stretching and heavy earrings.

What can I expect from recovery from earlobe repair?

Most patients return to work the next day, if not the same day. Permanent or absorbable sutures may be used for skin closure, which should not be submerged in water for up to seven days post-procedure. You’ll need to avoid strenuous activities for two days, and stitches will be removed in five days to two weeks. Additionally, avoid sleeping or placing pressure on the earlobes for one week.

Rare but possible side effects following an earlobe surgery include:

Itching
Mild pain
Bleeding
Scarring
Infection at the incision site when not properly cared for

Please wait at least three months before re-piercing your ear. We also ask that the new piercing be at least 3mm from the old piercing site.

Why Choose Bespoke for Earlobe Repair?

Dr. Pratt, a top plastic surgeon in Charlotte, NC, believes that the best way to choose a doctor is the old-fashioned way: through a frank, one-on-one discussion of your goals and wishes during an informative and empowering consultation.

When you choose Dr. Pratt for your earlobe repair, you are selecting the Bespoke Approach:

We blend time-tested aesthetic principles with innovative techniques to achieve a result that is both natural and beautiful.
Our results are a product of a comprehensive approach to all aspects that define beauty. Factors considered are proportion, balance, and symmetry within the natural framework of the patient’s body shape.
Every person is truly unique.
Your cosmetic surgery procedure should never be one size fits all.

Dr. Pratt prides himself on his superior listening skills. He is always curious and engaged when talking to new patients. He takes a genuine interest in all aspects of their lifestyle and hobbies, their fears and concerns, and what results they hope to gain from their procedure. By forming a personal bond with every patient, Dr. Pratt ensures a customized procedure tailored to your unique specifications so you leave feeling comfortable and informed.