So You Stretched Or Ripped A Hole In Your Earlobe From Wearing Heavy Earrings This Holiday Season?
CINCINNATI, OH – December 18, 2019 – Glittery, sparkling earrings are all the rage during the holiday season, but they can certainly take their toll on the earlobes causing both stretching and tearing.
Television personality Kelly Ripa has recently been in the headlines discussing her earlobe repair surgery. After wearing heavy, dangly earrings for over the years, she was left with “hanging gauges,” which ultimately tore through the earlobes over time.
“This is an increasingly common problem, that can easily be remedied by a board-certified plastic surgeon,” says Dr. Jon Mendelsohn, medical director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center. “Your earlobes are made of skin and fatty tissue that is not as hardy as the rest of your cartilage-based ear structure. Even after an ear-piercing is well-healed over time, putting too much force on that skin can cause it to stretch or even split completely. A tear can occur through an accidental trauma, such as when an earring gets caught on your sweater when tearing it over your head. Gradual elongation or ripping of the lobes can also occur when you routinely wear heavy earrings or gauges.
“But have no fear, the tears can be repaired in office and under local anesthesia in a simple procedure called a Lobuloplasty that takes about 30 minutes, says Mendelsohn. “Depending on the severity and whether or not there is earlobe stretching or a complete tear we use a variety of techniques, all designed surgically remove the hole and repair it with stitches. The stitches are typically removed in 5-7 days and we typically advise patients who wish to have their ears re-pierced to do so about four weeks following the procedure.”
Dr. Jon E. Mendelsohn is the Medical Director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in Rookwood Office Tower. A renowned specialist in Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Mendelsohn is double Board Certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and also the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery and has performed more than 3,000 facelifts in his career. Mendelsohn has been featured in the national media – including USA Today and CNN New Day, as well as The Doctors TV Show. For more information, visit https://351face.com/.
