Price: Starting at ~$1,000
Procedure Time: 30 minutes
Recovery Time: 1 week
Introduction to
Earlobe Surgery
A torn or deformed earlobe can be a result of intentional actions such as wearing heavy earrings and gauging, or accidental, such as trauma or injury. Regardless of the etiology, earlobe repair is a type of Earlobe surgery or Ear surgery that Dr. Raggio performs to correct these enlarged or damaged earlobes.
Ideal candidates for earlobe surgery in Birmingham, AL are patients bothered by a split or torn earlobe and who are struggling to wear earrings or are simply concerned regarding the appearance of their ears. If these are concerns you share, dual board-certified Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Blake Raggio might have the answers for you. Consider reading further to find out more about the earlobe repair procedure and what a potential visit to Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery entails. We invite you to schedule a consultation or read below to learn more about one of the best earlobe surgery Birmingham has to offer.
Earlobe Repair Expert In Birmingham, AL
What is Earlobe Repair Surgery?
Earlobe repair surgery is a reconstructive procedure meant to restore our earlobes to their original shape prior to their stretching due to trauma, piercing, or the insertion of ear gauges, amongst other causes.
Without an earring, a stretched earlobe can reduce in size a bit, but it can never return to its prior shape as the skin loses its elasticity. An Earlobe Surgery in Birmingham.AL can also be sought just to close an unwanted, regular-sized ear piercing.
Earlobe Repair
What are the benefits of Earlobe Surgery?
There are various benefits of getting your Earlobe repaired via an Earlobe Surgery in Birmingham. Some of the following are listed below:
- Easier ear hygiene
- Flexibility of wearing shorter hairstyles
- Increased self-esteem
- Professional appearance restored
- Reduced unwanted attention
- Ability to wear earrings again
Who are the best candidates for the Earlobe Surgery procedure?
Whilst an Earlobe Surgery can be performed on adults and children alike, there are some characteristics of the best candidates for this type of procedure:
- Do not intend to expand their earlobes again
- Have already let the ear shrink on its own
- Have anxiety about the appearance of their ears
- Have elongated or torn earlobes
- Have low self-esteem
- Have no underlying medical conditions
- Have realistic expectations
What’s the first step to scheduling Earlobe Surgery?
What are the first steps?
If you are interested in Earlobe Surgery in Birmingham, we would suggest you schedule a consultation with Dr. Blake Raggio first. Dr. Raggio will typically take a medical history and do a physical exam. Be sure to share your history and concerns openly as health issues such as diabetes can affect wound healing as can habits such as smoking.
Like any other procedure, Dr. Raggio will be asking about the patient’s goal, and then looking at the hole in your earlobe to determine the size, possibilities of repair as well as the surrounding tissue anatomy. Some earlobes just need to be stitched up and closed but others might need a more complex rotation of tissue. Both earlobes can be repaired in the same surgery setting.
What to expect on the day of Earlobe Surgery
On the day of your Earlobe Surgery in Birmingham, you will be welcomed by our friendly staff at Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery. The procedure can be safely and comfortably performed simply using local anesthetic numbing injections. Before the procedure, you will receive local injections. If you would like to maximally reduce any discomfort or anxiety, you have the option of receiving oral sedation and/or nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) to further enhance your experience. After the numbing has been completed, your ear will be cleaned and prepared for surgery.
For earlobe reduction, small incisions are made around the ears to allow access to the tissues to be manipulated, shaped, and removed to change the size and position of the ear.
Sometimes, excess skin can be removed as well to rejuvenate a stretched or droopy earlobe. Ear surgery almost always produces natural-looking results. The extent of the surgery is typically no more than 45 minutes but ultimately depends on the method Dr. Raggio uses to repair the ears and the severity of the ear defect.
Earlobe Surgery Recovery
Since you are given local anesthesia, most patients can drive themselves home after the surgery, that is unless you elect to receive oral sedation. Most patients also return to work the next day, often even on the same day.
Permanent sutures or absorbable sutures may be used for skin closure, depending on the individual case.
You may have an ear bandage after surgery to hold the soft tissues in place and prevent infection.
Earlobe Surgery recovery is a day-by-day process, and you will need to be patient. There’s minimal to little pain or discomfort during Earlobe Surgery recovery, but you should expect some tenderness and swelling. It’s crucial that patients not touch or bother their ears while they are healing, other than as directed for wound care. The recovery time for ear surgery varies, and final results are typically appreciated by 2 months after surgery. That said, final scar maturation will take 12 months.
Before you are released to go home on the day of your surgery, we provide detailed aftercare instructions, such as how to sleep after Earlobe Surgery, tips for Earlobe Surgery recovery, and more.
Earlobe Surgery scars are minimal. You will have a scar behind the ear that first heals as a slightly pink color. Over the next 12 months, the scar gradually changes to a color that is slightly darker than your natural skin tone.
How much does Earlobe Surgery cost in Birmingham, AL?
This may vary as each case is different based on the complexity of the issue as well as the technique used. For more information, schedule a consultation with Dr. Raggio so that he can come up with a plan that our patient care coordinator can then help get you a price quote on.
Why choose Dr. Raggio for Earlobe Surgery?
Dr. Blake Raggio embodies a holistic approach to Earlobe Surgery, prioritizing each patient’s unique goals and concerns. With a comprehensive facial analysis, he meticulously evaluates all aspects before recommending personalized surgical or non-surgical interventions. Dr. Raggio’s patient-centric philosophy ensures collaboration throughout the treatment journey, culminating in a tailored plan that prioritizes patient satisfaction.
Utilizing proven techniques, both surgical and non-surgical, Dr. Raggio strives to achieve durable and natural-looking results aligned with the patient’s cultural and ethnic values. His commitment extends to upholding classical beauty ideals, ensuring outcomes that stand the test of time.
Dr. Raggio’s success is indicative of his esteemed credentials and qualifications.
He strongly believes in educating the next generation of clinicians and serves as a Clinical Adjunct professor with the Faulkner Physician Assistant Studies Program, as a Clinical Adjunct professor with Tulane University Medical Center Department of Head and Neck Surgery in New Orleans Louisiana, and as a Clinical Preceptor for the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine.
He is an active member of multiple medical societies, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) as well as the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (AAFPRS).
Lastly, Dr. Raggio is one of only a few Fellowship-Trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in the entire Birmingham Hoover Metropolitan area, and has obtained rare Dual board certification in both Head and Neck Surgery as well as Facial Plastic Surgery.
For these reasons, patients can be confident and rest assured that they will receive the absolute best care and service with Dr. Raggio and his team at Raggio MD Facial Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, AL.
Contact us
Schedule your Earlobe Surgery consultation
Do not wait to fix your torn, split, or drooping earlobes. An Earlobe Surgery in Birmingham is a relatively quick and straightforward procedure that can improve your quality of life with minimal associated downtime. For more information, call our office or contact us online at RaggioMD Facial Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, AL.
