What Is Earlobe Reduction Surgery?
You may be an ideal candidate for earlobe reduction surgery if over the years, your earlobes have become elongated and wide and you want them to appear smaller or be shortened. This is a relatively basic procedure that is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. An earlobe reduction simply removes excess skin off of the earlobe. This can be achieved a couple of different ways with each way leaving a different type of small scar.
There are different deformities that affect a person's earlobes. Overly large earlobes are generally considered a sign of aging and can often cause a feeling of embarrassment. A woman may not have any wrinkles but her ears are sure to tell her age. Alternatively, shrunken, small earlobes that offer creasing and less volume are also a clear sign of aging. Additionally, it is quite common for earrings to get snagged on clothing and cause either a small or sometimes, a complete tear. Earlobes may also be left deformed from a face lift or at times, the earlobe does not completely separate away from the cheek the way it is suppose to at birth.
The two most popular procedures for earlobe reduction are making a crescent, curved excision of the fat and skin that is involved in the unwanted portion of the earlobe or by making a triangular wedge excision. The triangular wedge excision for earlobe reduction is the most common preferred procedure. This helps to avoid any irregularities that can often form on the lower part of the earlobe after a crescent excision has been made. An earlobe of any size can benefit from the triangular wedge excision.
Keloids
It is important to be aware that keloids can form after an earlobe reduction surgery. This is a type of scar that is made up of collagen. It is an overgrowth of fleshy tissue that occurs at a point of the body that is trying to heal itself after injury or surgery, with the most common sites being the shoulders, back, chest and earlobes. They expand as a growth over the skin and are often associated with mild to moderate pain. There is a 50 percent chance that if the keloid is removed after earlobe reduction surgery, it will come back again.
Otoplasty
Otoplasty is a type of reconstructive surgery that is done on some patients at the same time as their earlobe reduction. This is done to correct a congenital ear deformity that is resulted from unfurling of the ear's normal crease in the cartilage. Too much cartilage or “conchal cartilage” is a similar problem. This reconstructive surgery redevelops the anatomical folds within the ear's cartilage. Sometimes this may involve removing cartilage and carving and suturing are always involved.
Otoplasty done in conjunction with an earlobe reduction generally takes around an hour per ear and is performed under either local plus sedation or local anesthesia. This is an outpatient procedure and since the incision is behind the ear, a scar is rarely visible. Adequate dressing and padding usually helps to minimize and postoperative discomfort, accompanied by mild relievers if needed.
Earlobe Repair
At times, earlobe reduction may be done at the same time as an earlobe repair. People that have pierced ears and wear heavy or extra-large earrings, may experience stretched earlobes, stretched holes or sometimes, partial or fully torn earlobes. Repair is done in the doctor's office under local anesthesia. The torn rim is usually excised and sewn together. The sutures are generally removed in less than 10 days. It is ideal if you accompany an earlobe repair with an earlobe reduction because it actually helps to lessen the visible scar.