Modern earrings can be a challenge. Big hoops. Big plugs. If they’re not getting caught on things and tearing the earlobe, they’re stretching the earlobe beyond its ability to snap back.
What do you do then?
Come to Deschutes and let us repair those earlobes.
What is earlobe repair?
Earlobe repair is a specialized field in cosmetic dermatology that addresses the correction, repair, and reshaping of earlobes that have been split, stretched, or are naturally out-sized.
Split earlobe repair
When an earring catches on something, the post can rip completely through the earlobe. This, of course, leaves the patient with an unpleasant looking earlobe, and the person can’t wear an earring again in that ear.
The procedure is simple. After local anesthesia takes effect, Dr. Carter will cut away any skin that has healed on both of the split sides. This needs to be removed because this skin will no longer heal together. Next, the two incision sides are sutured together to make the lobe whole again.
Stretched earlobe repair
The bigger the plugs, the more the lobe can be stretched beyond the point where the elastin in the skin will allow it to come back to its original form when the plug is removed. And plugs keep seeming to get bigger and bigger!
When the wearer wants to repair the damage, he or she needs to first remove the plug and let the lobe settle into its shape. Once the lobe has healed as much as it can, then it’s Dr. Carter’s turn. Like in the repair of a torn earlobe, she’ll stitch the two stretched sides together to eliminate the hole. If some skin is stretched so much that suturing it together will still leave some loose skin, she may need to remove the excess.
Recovery
After five days, the stitches will come out. Future piercing? Do not do it on the scar or adjacent to the scar because this skin is weaker and will tear again more easily.
Need to repair your earlobes? Let us handle it at Deschutes. Call us at [primary_phone] for an appointment.
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