How are Torn Earlobes Repaired ? Dr. Aviva Preminger

Most women have pierced ears and at some point most women have struggled with earlobes that are causing them problems wearing earrings. And often it has to do with the fact that they’ve worn heavy earrings over time and the earlobes have gotten stretched. Sometimes it has to do with the fact that their earlobes were pierced in the wrong location to begin with and then some women have a problem because they sleep with earrings and they get caught on their pillows at night and get torn. And other women just have an issue because they're wearing, for example, diamond studs that they're worried about losing and so they're constantly pressing on the back of the earring to try to prevent losing them but what's happening is the pressure is causing a lot of pressure on the skin and the tissue of the earlobe and causing that earlobe piercing, the hole, to become wider and wider with time. I have patients who come in who are losing earrings because of this or can't wear earrings at all. Other patients come in because they've had gauges over time, really large piercings, and the earlobes need to be reconstructed. Patients are often curious what's involved in the actual procedure and what I tell patients is we can't just sew the hole back together. Because it would be like sewing your two fingers together, nothing would happen . You have intact skin and it just doesn't heal. So what we have to do is numb up the earlobe, this can be done in the office, we excise or cut out both sides of the hole and then we repair the inside of the whole the front and the back of the hole so that the earlobe heals completely. And then what I tell patients is that they have to wait six weeks to have the ears re-pierced. I’m happy to re-pierce the ears for them, but that I recommend doing it in a different location so that it doesn't tear through again.

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