Other Services | Earlobe Repair

It can happen in an instant. A once beautifully-pierced ear becomes an unsightly torn ear lobe. An ear ring tangle with hair or fingernail, a child’s grabbing hands, or some other injury can damage the tender ear lobe tissue which is comprised of skin and fat. The wear and weight of loop and dangling earrings over time can make the hole larger. Sometimes it takes only the smallest tug to tear the lobe.

Dr. Timothy Jochen expertly performs ear lobe reconstruction and says that once repaired and sufficiently healed, patients can pierce their ears again if they so desire. Sometimes the ear can be reconstructed with an earring stud in place to retain the piercing.

The simple outpatient procedure takes about 15 minutes and is performed with a local anesthetic to numb the ear lobe. The sutures will dissolve in a few days. Depending on the extent of the injury, immediate repair may be an option or the patient may need to let the wound heal before surgery is recommended. Even in the case of lost tissue, the ear lobe can be reshaped to look proportional.

To prevent the possibility of a tear, always remove earrings before taking sweaters and shirts off, and take earrings off when around young children.