More women are considering earlobe repair surgery to correct stretching that comes from years of wearing earrings, reports Britain’s Daily Mail.
Why Earlobe Repair?
Whether from wearing heavy earrings or just the natural aging process, earlobes can stretch and droop, aging a woman. Some are choosing to have this corrected either in combination with a facelift or just the lobes on their own.
“It is no secret that more women are having what could be called a ‘lobe job’,” says Wendy Lewis, cosmetic surgery adviser and editor of a beauty news website. “Gravity takes its toll on earlobes — they droop like chins and breasts do, and can make you look older.”
Lewis says that heavy earrings can stretch the earlobe out of shape and sometimes even tear the earlobe, when the hole from a pierced ear gets so stretched that it tears the lobe open and needs to be stitched back together.
big earlobes all round by kurisuuu, on Flickr
Alternatives for Ear Rejuvenation
In addition to surgery, some surgeons are experimenting with other ways to rejuvenate the ears. A representative of a London-based clinic reported using radio-frequency energy to tighten the skin of the ears. She also said fillers are sometimes used to plump up the ear and make them look younger and fuller without surgery.
If you’re interested in earlobe rejuvenation, talk to a plastic surgeon about the best approach. If you have cosmetic issues beyond stretched lobes, ear surgery can correct issues such as protruding ears, disproportionate ears and overly large or misshapen ears.
How It Works: Earlobe Repair Surgery
Earlobe repair surgery is a relatively simple surgical procedure to repair a torn, stretched or split earlobe. Usually performed under local anesthesia, your plastic surgeon will remove the skin surrounding the split to create a clean edge, and then sutures are used to close the split earlobe.
Sutures are typically removed within two weeks of surgery, and patients can usually wear earrings again within six months.
