Wearing earrings and other jewelry is a common way of accessorizing and adorning oneself for special occasions or even everyday activities. But sometimes, body jewelry can cause complications by pulling the piercing and stretching it wider than intended. This can take place due to particularly heavy jewelry, the earrings being pulled on or ripped out by accident, or an allergic reaction to the metal/material.
In any case, it is not uncommon for earring wear to lead to split earlobes. This means that the piercing can be split all the way open or distended like a slit rather than a hole. Luckily, there is a means to correct this type of cosmetic malfunction through split earlobe repair surgery.
Split Earlobe Repair Surgery
A quick, minimally painful, and minimally invasive surgery in a doctor’s office or clinic can repair the earlobe to its former state. To achieve this, the surgeon refreshes the split by slicing from the hole downward to completely open it up (if it is not already). The skin and fatty tissue of the earlobe are then stitched back together in such a way that the natural contour, shape, and aesthetic of the earlobe will be restored. For this purpose, it is important to find an experienced and certified doctor to perform the surgery.
The procedure takes one to two hours and the patient is made relatively comfortable with local anesthesia.
Care After Earlobe Repair Surgery
Taking care of the earlobes post-procedure to make sure they heal nicely and do not develop scar tissue is important. A patient will be instructed to leave her sutures in place for one week before returning to have them removed. New earrings must not be worn for as long as six to eight weeks after the stitches are removed and must be made of a hypoallergenic material (either gold or platinum). This jewelry should be left in for two months before being temporarily removed for sleep, shower, exercise, etc.
As a preventative measure, one should always try to limit the wear of heavy earrings and be careful in situations where they could be pulled out. It is wise to wear shorter earrings or studs as often as possible to avoid getting split earlobes.