As a sensitive and delicate area, your earlobe can be easily torn or damaged. At Noble Cosmetic Surgery in Plano, Texas, Dr. Patrick Obasi offers earlobe repair among the many procedures available to patients. With a goal to minimize your pain and leave you with flawless skin, Dr. Obasi and his team are experts at helping men and women fix imperfections and feel more confident showing their faces to the world. Call Noble Cosmetic Surgery or click to schedule an earlobe repair procedure.
Earlobe Repair Q & A
What causes an earlobe to tear?
As an area of soft, delicate skin, your earlobe is prone to rips and tears. That’s especially true if you wear earrings or have ever had earring gauges, which cause the skin to stretch and sag. An earlobe tear might also happen if you’re active in sports or other high-impact activities that leave your ears exposed.
While a split earlobe might not cause you pain or any serious health issues, it can heal in a way that makes the ear look disfigured. Oozing, bleeding, or redness all indicate that a torn earlobe needs medical attention.
What is earlobe repair surgery?
The separated skin on the earlobe must be stitched back together. In some cases, Dr. Obasi might need to cut away parts of the ear that are sagging to ensure the lobe doesn’t droop any further down.
He uses a local anesthetic to numb the ear. You’ll be fully awake and conscious during the procedure but won’t feel pain. After a few days, Dr. Obasi makes sure your ear has healed properly and removes your stitches.
He’ll give you instructions on how to clean and care for your ear moving forward, which might involve applying a special cleaning solution or antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
How do I keep a torn earlobe from getting infected?
Your ear will need to be closely monitored after the procedure to make sure it’s not exposed to bacteria or dirt that could cause infection. Good hygiene is usually enough, but you’ll also want to:
- Keep hair away from your earlobe
- Wash the ear and keep it dry
- Refrain from wearing earrings or touching the ear unnecessarily
- Cover the area with a bandage or wound dressing
An earlobe rip shouldn’t be left untreated for very long, as you risk the ear becoming deformed or infected. This will make treating or repairing it in the long-term more difficult.
If you’re concerned about an earlobe issue, contact Dr. Obasi today and he can determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for the earlobe repair surgery.
