People with pierced ears may notice their earlobes stretching or tearing. This can be because of multiple pierces, heavy earrings, or from gauges. In other cases, earlobes can be torn when earrings get caught on clothing or are pulled by children.
Fortunately, your earlobes have remarkable capacity to change. After removing heavy earrings or gauges, the soft tissue of your earlobes may shrink. However, a significant hole often remains. Earlobe repair in Troy is a popular cosmetic procedure that board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Danielle DeLuca-Pytell can use to address problems that will not heal by themselves and improve the appearance of your ears.
To determine if an earlobe repair is the right choice for you, we review your medical history and perform a physical exam during an initial consultation at our Troy office. We discuss factors that could affect wound healing, such as diabetes, smoking, and blood-thinning medications. We also assess the condition of your ears to determine the size and shape of any holes and if there is damage to the surrounding cartilage. With this information, we work with you to determine the best strategy for repair.
Before your earlobe repair procedure, we clean and anesthetize your ear. For your comfort, we offer Pro-Nox, an FDA-approved analgesic drug involving a 50/50 blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen that you have control over. Dr. DeLuca-Pytell begins the procedure by marking the earlobe incisions. She then removes scarred tissue and rearranges the remaining healthy tissue.
After repairing the lobe, Dr. DeLuca-Pytell uses stitches to close the wound. Dr. DeLuca-Pytell can repair both earlobes at the same time.
Dr. DeLuca-Pytell performs earlobe repairs on an outpatient basis at our Troy office. You should typically be able to drive yourself home after the procedure. Depending on the extent of damage, full healing of the earlobe may take several weeks, and you may experience mild discomfort and itchiness during this process. Your sutures will be removed within a week or so. After six weeks, Dr. DeLuca-Pytell will repierce the ears if desired.
The vast majority of patients express satisfaction with their natural-looking results. Scarring is unavoidable, but we try to minimize the size and visibility. The remaining scar should also fade over time.
Whether your earlobe was damaged by an accident or stretched by piercings over time, earlobe repair surgery could help you get back to your ideal look. Dr. DeLuca-Pytell could provide more information about earlobe repair in Troy during a personal one-on-one consultation. Call us today to begin your journey to looking and feeling your best.
Please take a look at the upcoming events hosted by Your Girlfriend the Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Danielle DeLuca-Pytell. We look forward to seeing you there!
