Ear Lobe Repair

Split Earlobes are usually caused by prolonged use of heavy earrings or accidental pulling and tugging.

The actual tear may be a partial tear, or a full thickness tear that completely splits the earlobe. Torn earlobes may bother patients from a cosmetic standpoint, and they can prevent the wearing of earrings. The repair of torn earlobes is a very simple process that takes about 15 minutes and requires only a local anesthetic. To create a simple recovery, dissolvable sutures are used and the patient can immediately resume normal activities that do not place tension on the ear. Sutures dissolve in about 1-2 weeks resulting in a normal-appearing ear in almost all cases. Ears can generally be re- pierced after a 6-8 weeks.