Torn Earlobes - Patients ask, Dr. Ringpfeil answers
Please feel free to use the blog below to share information about Torn Earlobes or to ask Dr. Franziska Ringpfeil a question that might be of interest to others.
Philadelphia and Mainline Center of Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
Torn Earlobes
Torn earlobe repair is a common procedure we perform. Our patients often present with a stretched earlobe or a complete tear of an earlobe that is caused by:
- an acute accidental pull on an earring,
- a chronic pull by wearing earrings overnight,
- wearing heavy earrings, or by
- an ear piercing placed too close to the earlobe rim.
Earlobe repair cost
$480 - One simple earlobe repair.
$750 - One gauge repair.
$25 - Professional repiercing.
A pre-procedure consultation is required.
While the consultation is usually covered by most insurance plans the surgery itself is not.
Less frequently, the stretch occurs intentionally due to gauging.
Earlobe repair surgery is the art of repair of an earlobe to reestablish the proper appearance of the lobe with only a fine, linear scar. During the procedure, the surgeon applies local anesthesia and removes a minute amount of tissue together with the scarred skin around the tear. This provides an even surface for re-approximation of the earlobe tissue. The edges are held together by several very fine stitches. A dressing is placed for about 24 hours and thereafter a thin wound covering remains. Stitches are taken out after one week.
Expected results:
- While a simple tear will leave a fine linear scar, a more complex repair of a gauged lobe results in a fine Y or X shaped scar.
- The new fine scar gains its full strength after about 4 weeks;
- The repaired site will not have the strength of normal skin. Therefore, repiercing within the new scar is not recommended.
- However, in most cases, repiercing may be performed at a slight distance to the new fine scar about 4 weeks after surgery.
Hello, I’ve had my ears stretched for 12 years I was at 2 1/8″ when my right lobe tore in my sleep. My left lobe is healthy. I downsized and I’m now at an 1″, but my right lobe is so thin in one spot.
I was wondering is there anything that could be done so that I could continue to wear plugs? Even at a smaller size if I had to. I have no plans of stretching again I just miss my plugs. I was always so careful and took such good care. It took just one slip up ,I fell asleep with my taped plugs in and my head must have leaned right and my plug got forced out I’m assuming. I woke up and it was bleeding. I cried and it still makes me sad to this day.
Torn skin of a stretched lobe can be repaired. The resulting scar has about 70% strength of your non-stretched skin. It might be enough to keep a plug in place, but no guarantees can be made. I recommend that you consult with our facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
Hello,
My name is Kellilyn. I am very interested in getting my 8 millimeter gauged ears sewn up. I I do have a question about the procedure though. Will I need to remove all body piercings for the procedure? I have a cartilage piercing that I got done 3 months ago, but I do not want to take them out for the procedure. Is it possible for me to still keep my cartilage piercing in when I get my earlobes sewn up completely?
Thank you
If the cartilage piercing is near the gauge to be repaired, and you do not want to remove the piercing, infection risk after surgery is increased. If cartilage piercing is higher up on the ear, infection risk is same as without.
Hi,
I have both of my earlobes split from wearing heavy earrings 5 years ago. My left earlobe has one split in it, my right has 4 splits. All splits/ tears are healed and ranging in size from the left earlobe split being about a 1/4 of an inch in size to my right earlobe splits being maybe an 1/8 of an inch. How much would it cost to have the torn earlobe surgery done for both ears? Paying out of pocket – (without insurance – won’t cover anything cosmetic). Thank you!
Repair for each split is $375. Repair must be staged so that healing is not compromised. Most of the time we can do 2 or 3 splits at one sitting as long as they are not immediately adjacent. In our office, Dr Gonzalez and I perform these procedures. Please schedule your pre-surgical consultation accordingly. The consultation for scar treatment options is submitted to insurance unless scar is excluded from your benefits. Consultation would then range between $85 to $115.
Hello,
I am interested in getting my earlobe piercings repaired. They are stretched from wearing heavy earrings years ago. I don’t wear stud earrings because they hang too low. Could you please advise how much it would cost to repair. I have one piercing in each ear. One is worse than the other.
Repair cost for each of your stretched piercing sites is $375. Piercing of the same lobe can be done 4 weeks after repair. We offer thios service in our office, too, ($25 for both lobes incluidng eartrings). If you repierce elsewhere, please be sure to use only knowledgeable piercers for this task as they must obey a specific distance to the surgical scar to avoid compromising the outcome. The original piercing site cannot be use for piercing after repair because a scar is never as strong as our intact skin.
One of my ear piercings has stretched slightly more than the other, so that certain longer earrings look asymmetric. Neither piercing is close to the edge of the earlobes (3-4mm above). Is it possible to inject a little filler under the slightly longer piercing, or is complete repair the only option? Thank you!
Filler injection is probably a good option for you. Please set up a consultation with Dr Gonzalez or myself. We perform both, filler and surgical earlobe repair.
I have an earlobe that is hanging loose and only held together by a thin layer of skin left.
I love to wear earrings and need to get it surgically fixed. Who on your staff performs this procedure and what are their qualifications/certifications to do this procedure? Do you give client referrals?
Earlobe repair is performed under local anesthesia in the office. It requires the dermatological or plastic surgeon to have trained in it. All dermatologists and plastic surgeon have had training in it. Dr Gonzales and I both offer this procedure and perform it regularly in our office. It requires a consultation prior to the surgery date. Please schedule your consultation.
I wore heavy earrings when I was young and although the stretched area isn’t that bad, I hardly wear earrings, because they would hang close to the end of my ear lobe. I’m interested to know if you would be able to create an opening around the inner stretched area and sutured the skin back together without cutting it the rest of the way down? I recently had a consult with a doctor who told me that would be the only option. When I’m not wearing earrings, the hole looks close to normal. Please help the curious. Thanks
Repair of a partially torn lobe does not always require the extension down to the rim of the lobe. If the portion along the rim is thinned or weak then there is no other option. I would be happy to provide you with options during your consultation.
I have my ears stretched to 7/8″ and the right one ripped a little. I want to get it repaired but not closed all the way so I can continue stretching. What are the risks as long as I take it nice and slow? Also do you do payment plans?
Our office does not perform a repair like this because it is expected that the repaired site will rip even more when stretching continues.
my daughter when she was 2 years old got her ears pierced, but her left ear was swollen n red at the back where the closure of the earring area was n I took the earring off from her. and since that time on until now, she is 5, the back area of her left ear was bumpy and her pcp doctor said it was keloid. is it still possible to fix her left ear that someday she want to wear earring and get pierced again. the hole of the earring for left ear was totally closed now. tq
Keloids frequently recur in someone who has a genetic susceptibility to keloid formation. In other words, if she gets her left ear repierced she might grow a bigger keloid than she currently has. A thorough examination is necessary to be sure that this is indeed the case or if options are available.
I was wondering if this procedure can be paid for with an HSA account or if this is considered too cosmetic of a procedure to usually count.
Most of the time it is covered through a health savings account (HSA). I suggest that you contact customer service of your HSA to obtain confirmation of your specific benefits.