Earlobe surgery: split or elongated earlobes

The earlobe is the lower part of the auricle. It is composed of adipose tissue and contains no cartilage. The lobe is a particularly delicate and vulnerable area, as it is composed of delicate skin and is not supported by cartilage tissue, unlike other parts of the outer ear.

Earlobe surgery is a cosmetic surgery procedure for people who are bothered by the appearance of their earlobes (too large or deformed), or for those who have suffered trauma (lobe tear). The lesions may be constitutive, or acquired over the years.

Dr Christelle Santini in Paris offers two main types of earlobe surgery: torn lobe surgery and elongated lobe surgery.

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Earlobe surgery in Paris | Ear cosmetic surgery | Plastic surgery | Dr Santini

Why have split lobe surgery?

In many cultures, the lobes have long been a preferred area for wearing certain types of jewelry. Wearing earrings or ear piercings generally involves perforating the lobes, which will weaken the tissue. Certain circumstances can lead to further trauma to the earlobe: wearing heavy earrings that progressively lengthen the lobe, or tearing following an accident.

Lobes can also split as a result of prolonged wear of heavy jewelry, which gradually enlarges the pierced hole, sometimes even splitting the lobe.

It is therefore always an acquired tear, and can occur at any age, in adults and children alike.
Earlobe repair is a cosmetic and reconstructive surgical procedure for people whose earlobes have been "torn".

A lobe tear can be caused by an accident involving the wearing of earrings.

Surgical correction of split lobes can only be performed once the tear has completely healed.
The procedure involves removing part of the skin from the lobe, followed by suturing. After the operation, the lobes are reshaped and the original harmony of the ear is restored.

This is a minimally invasive surgery, where the technical gesture generates little pain. If the scar is old, it may be necessary to revive the tissue with the scalpel blade before suturing.

This split lobe surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis, under local anaesthetic.

Why undergo auricular surgery for elongated lobes?

Extended lobe surgery is designed for people who consider their lobes too long, especially after wearing heavy earrings that have deformed the ear tissues. It is also for people who may have worn "stretchers" and wish to regain normal-sized lobes.

As the earlobes are subject to gravity, they are a part of the body that lengthens with age - this lengthening being reinforced by the progressive loss of fat in the lobe with age, and by the loss of skin tone due to the disappearance of collagen.

Dr. Santini believes that earlobe surgery can help rejuvenate a face in certain cases.

Correction of elongated lobes is a relatively simple form of ear surgery, since the lobes are made up of skin and fatty tissue, with no cartilage, like the rest of the outer ear.

The procedure involves reshaping the earlobe to give it a more harmonious proportion.
After removing the lower part of the excess ear, a simple suture is performed.

To rejuvenate the lobe, it is sometimes necessary to plump it up, either by hyaluronic acid injection or by fat injections via auricular lipofilling.

What are the after-effects of auricular lobe surgery?

Earlobe surgery takes an average of 45 minutes, usually under local anaesthetic.
Post-operative pain is slight and can be relieved with simple analgesics. As after any operation, it is normal to notice some edema (swelling) and ecchymosis (bruising) in the treated area. These gradually disappear in the days following the operation.

Sutures are removed after 8 days if they do not absorb spontaneously.
The final result of the operation can be assessed after 3 months. If the patient wishes, the ears can be pierced again from the 6th month onwards.

Smoking increases the risk of surgical complications in any surgery. Stopping smoking 6-8 weeks before and after surgery eliminates this additional risk.