Earlobe repair and reduction with Dr. Henry Sandel
Earlobe Repair & Reduction
Two short in-office procedures: closing a torn or stretched piercing, and reducing an earlobe that has lengthened with age or with heavy earrings.
At a glance
Surgeon
Dr. Henry Sandel
Anaesthesia
Local, in the office
Time
Under an hour for both ears
Sutures out
About a week
Back to work
Usually the next day
Re-piercing
6–8 weeks, done here, not through the scar
Earlobe repair
A piercing that has torn through, or one that has slowly stretched into a slot, is repaired by removing the lined edges of the tract and closing the lobe in layers. The same approach closes gauged piercings, though a larger opening takes more tissue to rebuild and the scar is correspondingly longer.
It is done in the office under local anaesthesia and takes well under an hour for both ears. Sutures come out in about a week. We re-pierce the lobe for you at 6 to 8 weeks, deliberately placed away from the scar rather than through it.
Earlobe reduction
Earlobes lengthen over a lifetime. Long, heavy, or pendulous lobes can make an otherwise refreshed face look older, which is why reduction is often done at the same time as a facelift — the ear is already part of that operation, and an untouched long lobe next to a lifted jawline reads as a mismatch.
A wedge of tissue is removed and the lobe reshaped so it sits in proportion to the rest of the ear. The incision is placed along the lobe’s natural border, where it heals inconspicuously. As a standalone procedure it is done in the office under local anaesthesia.
Afterward
Expect mild soreness and a small dressing rather than a bandage around the head. Most people return to work the next day. Sleeping off the treated side for the first week helps, and earrings wait until Dr. Sandel says the tissue is ready.
Scars on the earlobe generally settle well, but they are permanent, and a lobe that has been repaired is not as strong as one that was never torn. Heavy earrings are worth reconsidering afterward.
Earlobe reduction before and after.
Common reasons to come in
A piercing torn through by an earring catching.
A piercing that has stretched into a slot over the years.
Gauged piercings a patient no longer wants.
Lobes that have lengthened with age, often alongside a facelift.
How it is performed
Two procedures, both with hidden scars.
The scars from these procedures are virtually invisible.
Earlobe repair
The old piercing tract is removed through a small incision and the lobe is closed in layers with sutures. The same approach closes a gauged piercing, though a larger opening takes more tissue to rebuild.
Recovery
No dressing beyond a layer of sutures covered with skin-colored paper tape, which stays on for a week. Sutures come out at your follow-up visit, and we re-pierce the lobe at 6 to 8 weeks, placed away from the scar.
Earlobe reduction
A wedge of excess lobe is removed and the edge is closed so the lobe sits shorter and in better proportion with the ear. The incision follows the natural border of the lobe.
Recovery
Mild soreness for a few days and paper tape over the sutures for a week. Most people return to work the next day, and earrings wait until Dr. Sandel says the tissue is ready.
A short visit, usually.
Many earlobe repairs are done at the consultation itself. Bring the earrings you wear most and Dr. Sandel will plan around them.