One popular rock star look among teenagers and those in their 20s is to gauge their ears, pierce their ears multiple times, and wear earrings that are large and beautiful. While this often seems like a good idea at the time, what people don't consider is that these choices to alter the ear can often result in the need for cosmetic surgery. Not only do ears stretch out and stay stretched out, but they can often rip. The only way to correct stretched out or ripped earlobes is with earlobe repair surgery.

Candidates

Any individual that has a ripped, stretched out, or torn earlobe is a good candidate for an ear surgery technique such as earlobe repair surgery. Many individuals suffer the pain and embarrassment of damaged earlobes, not realizing there is a quick and easy solution.

To be considered a good candidate for surgery, patients should be in generally good health and not smoke.

Procedure and Recovery

The earlobe repair procedure is fairly simple and quick. The first step a plastic surgeon will take during the procedure is to use local anesthesia to numb the earlobe, and an optional oral sedative to help calm the patient for the duration of the procedure. Whether or not a sedative will be used depends on the patient's preference and the doctor's recommendation.

After the patient is comfortable, the doctor will remove excess tissue that has stretched out or is scarred. Once this tissue has been removed, the plastic surgeon will reshape the earlobe with either a straight line or zigzagging technique. The plastic surgeon will then use extremely fine suture threads to close any incision that are made and produce minimal scarring.

The procedure is fairly quick, and the patient will be able to return home that same day. If the patient takes an oral sedative during the surgical treatment, he or she should make arrangements ahead of time to have someone drive them home.

To reduce the risk of infection, the surgeon will apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment to the treatment area, and will usually prescribe a pain medication and an antibiotic ointment for follow-up care.

Common Questions

One of the most common questions that patients who undergo this type of surgery have is whether or not they will be able to pierce their ears again. The general answer is yes, but the plastic surgeon will recommend that the patient wait at least eight weeks before piercing the ear again. Sometimes, the doctor will recommend a longer time before re-piercing the ear, so it's important for patients to consult their doctor if they plan on piercing their ears again in the near future. Additionally, the patient will want to wait for the go ahead from their plastic surgeon.

Another common question patients have about this type of surgery is the risk of complications. The risks of this procedure are extremely low and include ear abnormalities and skin infection.

For more information about earlobe repair surgery, contact the Dallas office of experience plastic surgeon Paul Pin today!