Most earlobes split slowly. Heavy earrings, worn for years, stretch the piercing until the hole is long and thin, and in some people it tears through the bottom of the lobe. A lobe can also split all at once when an earring is pulled hard.
Repair is a short procedure, and the lobe can usually be pierced again once it has healed.
What the repair involves
The ear is numbed with a local anaesthetic, so you are awake but do not feel pain. The doctor closes the stretched hole or the tear with fine stitches. The whole procedure takes less than an hour, and you go home the same day.
Healing
The ear feels numb for a few hours, then sore for a while once the anaesthetic wears off. Bruising and swelling usually go down within a few days. The stitches either dissolve on their own or are taken out after one to two weeks. You may be asked to put an antibiotic ointment on the wound while it heals. A small scar is normal, and complete healing can take several weeks.
Wearing earrings again
The repaired lobe needs time to become strong before it is pierced again. Advice on how long to wait ranges from a few weeks to three to six months, so ask your doctor what is right for your ear.
The new piercing should be at least 3 mm away from the repair. Tell the person piercing your ear that the lobe has been repaired. A new earlobe piercing takes six to eight weeks to heal, and the stud should stay in day and night during that time. Heavy earrings stretch a piercing over time, so lighter ones put less strain on the repaired lobe.
If you have had a keloid
A keloid is a thick, raised scar. Ear piercings are the most common cause of keloids on the ear, so if you have had one before, tell the doctor before the repair.
At Beaut32
Earlobe repair is one of our cosmetology treatments in Roorkee. Call +91 70171 40563 to book.
This article is general information. It does not replace an examination.
Sources
- Earlobe repair, Cleveland Clinic
- Ear, nose and throat: earlobe surgery, NHS Birmingham and Solihull
- Keloid on ear, Cleveland Clinic