Today, with a wide array of products, medications, injections and skin treatments, cosmetic plastic surgery is not the only route to looking younger and better.

The earlobes are pretty nifty gadgets. They are utilitarian; they can be pierced so that studs or earrings can be passed through the channel or earrings can be clipped on. Nature had a good idea to facilitate wearing jewelry.

Sometimes, the earlobes get into a little trouble. For those with rather thin lobes who favor wearing heavy earrings, after the lobes have been pierced, there can be a gradual elongation of the ear piercing tract such that it becomes slit-like and often too large. Another problem is that the earlobes can be torn by accident if undue pressure is placed upon an already elongated ear piercing tract through the natural forces of the heavy earring or even by a playful child tugging on a dangling earring.

The repair of such is not simple. It is important that it be well done so that the earlobe looks normal and without overt evidence of having been torn and then repaired.

We favor a three-layer repair done under hypermagnification. It is an office procedure done under local anesthesia. But it is very important to remove the damaged ear piercing tract or to trim the edges of a cleft if the earlobe has been torn through completely. Then the three-layer closure consists of closing the outer layer of skin, the fatty tissue between the two layers of the skin and finally skin in the back of the lobe. Typically, the surgery must take great pains to avoiding any notching at the bottom of the earlobe. Such a repair is all technique-dependent. The surgeon needs to have the skill, the experience and the patience to do a first-class job.

People ask if the ears can be pierced again. They can. Typically you should wait two months after the lobe has been repaired before initiating a repaired earlobe piercing.

This answer should not be considered medical advice...This answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.