By Dr Maria Lombardo
When you consider Cosmetic Surgery and facial procedures, the earlobe is often left out of the conversation. But, the lowly earlobe should not be overlooked!
Earlobe surgery is mostly thought to be just for repairing a split or torn ear piercing or for the reversal of large gauge plugs and overly stretched holes. Restoration of a more natural looking earlobe in these situations can be done with surgically removing the hole and suturing the opening back to the closed position. But there are other times when consideration of the earlobes can be useful…
If you have pierced ears, the pierced hole can stretch or elongate especially with heavy or “dangling” earrings. Through the years, this stretching can cause your earrings to sit in a different position or lean forward. Additionally, the fullness of the earlobe changes in time. Just as we lose volume (fat, muscle and bone) in our faces as we age, resulting in a hollowed out appearance and hanging skin – this same process is happening in our earlobes too.
A common treatment for an improvement of the appearance of the earlobe is to “re-do” the piercing. This involves removing the existing hole by excising it, repairing it and letting it heal. Then re-piercing is performed in a new position several weeks later.
Often, the icing on the cake is to add a small amount of filler (Juvederm or Restylane) to the earlobe to restore its youthful fullness. This can be done even without re-piercing to “hold up” the earring in a better position…. Patients often state that their earrings look “like they used to” after the filler procedure is done. Filler injection to the earlobe will typically last about a year.
Earlobe rejuvenation is almost always included in facial fat grafting procedures as well. When you add volume to the whole face, using the patient’s own body fat, restoring the shape and volume of the earlobe is the finishing touch!
So take a new look at your earlobe: you may be surprised by what you see…
Complimentary consultations are available with Dr. Maria Lombardo – call today to set up an appointment time: 760-610-8990 or visit online at lombardocosmeticsurgery.com
