Earlobe Reduction

The goal of an earlobe reduction is to correct large, pendulous earlobes and create a more balanced size of the ear. Like other parts of the body, ears come in all shapes and sizes. Despite the ears being a small part of your body, there are some people that feel self-conscious about the appearance of their ears.  They may wear their hair in such a way that conceals their ears, or they may stop wearing their favourite earrings so that it doesn’t draw attention to the area they are bothered by. Some are born with longer and larger earlobes than others. Others may see changes in their earlobes over time due to the aging, such drooping, thinning, and wrinkling. An earlobe reduction can help restore a youthful shape to this facial feature.

Earlobe reduction surgery is performed under local anesthetic, and while you may feel some movement and light pressure on your ears, you should not be in any discomfort while the surgery is carried out.  Generally, the incisions made during the procedure are made into the crease between the earlobe and cheek. Sometime, depending on the quality of the skin and the size of the earlobe, the incision may be placed elsewhere or additional incisions are needed to improve the contour of the lobule. A small part of the earlobe will be cut away and the earlobe incision will be closed using dissolvable sutures at the back of the earlobe and non-absorbable sutures that will need to be removed at 7 days on the front of the ear. Polysporin and a dressing will be placed immediately after the procedure.

Patients should keep their incisions dry for 24 hours. There may be some minimal bleeding from the incision for the first few days, so we advise placing a towel over your pillow. Swelling and some mild discomfort is normal after the procedure, and Tylenol or Advil can be taken.  A thin layer of polysporin should be placed over the incision every day until the sutures from the front of the ear are removed. Heavy exercise should be avoided until the sutures are removed.  The incisions will be red after the sutures are removed. Swelling and redness of the incision will continue to fade, with the resulting scar seen after a year.  Scar massage is recommended at 2-3 weeks to help soften the scar tissue. Scar tape or gel can also be used, with the window of opportunity being 1-6 weeks to improve the scar.

Some of the potential risks associated with this procedure include hematoma (blood collection), infection, poor scarring, delayed wound healing, numbness, asymmetry, and notching of the scar.