Dr. Herzog On Treating Torn Or Sagging Earlobes

Today, Dr. Herzog shares the options for how to deal with torn or sagging earlobes. This is very helpful information for a common problem. Last year, one of my daughters had a torn earlobe and was unable to wear earrings. After a visit to Dr. Herzog for repair, my daughter now has a normal ear and is able to wear earrings again.

Dr. Jo Herzog

I decided to talk to all of you about earlobes this week because I have gotten a lot of questions about torn or sagging earlobes and their repair.

Torn earlobes occur from earrings that are too heavy or from trauma-accidents with earrings. An earlobe can be partially torn, or it can be torn through to the end of the ear, looking like a slice in the lobe. These tears are easy to repair, and it is something that we have been doing forever in my practice.

The earlobe is anesthetized with an injection, and the torn portion is removed. The edges of the skin are then re-approximated with stitches. The result is usually excellent and leaves a scar that is minimal if visible at all. The ear can be re-pierced later.

Some insurances will pay for this if the cause is an accident, others will not. The cost of this procedure varies from office to office. We charge $350 for an ear to be repaired. Sutures are removed in one week, and there is no down time.

Sagging earlobes is another common problem. If your earlobes have thinned and are not as plump as they used to be, your earrings might hang the wrong way, and your ears might look a bit like they are old and hanging. Earlobes can easily be plumped up with Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra, or Radiesse, and they will look young and thick again. Your earrings will stand out much better, and post earrings will not be facing the ground any longer. This is done in the office and takes a few minutes.

The cost of plumping earlobes with fillers will depend upon whether you are having  fillers done that day for something else. If you are doing your lips or other areas, the doctor might be able to use part of the syringe that that you are using already at no extra cost. If you are doing earlobes only, it should not cost you more than a couple to a few hundred dollars, depending on which filler is used.

Hope you learned a little bit about earlobes,

Dr. Jo