Torn Earlobes Blog
Please feel free to use the blog below to share information about Torn Earlobes, or to ask Dr. Ringpfeil a question that might be of interest to others.
The Philadelphia Center for Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
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rad@ringpfeildermatology.com
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Torn Earlobes
Next available appointment
for earlobe repair (must have pre-procedure consultation first) Wed, Feb 08 10:40AM
Click here to book it! find other appointments here or call us 610.525.5250
Click here to book it! find other appointments here or call us 610.525.5250
Next available appointment
for earlobe repair pre-procedure consultation Wed, Feb 08 10:40AM
Click here to book it! find other appointments here or call us 610.525.5250
Click here to book it! find other appointments here or call us 610.525.5250
Earlobe repair before and after
Earlobe repair - After
Torn earlobe repair is one of most common procedures we perform. Our patients often present with a stretched earlobe or a complete tear of an earlobe that is caused by
- an acute accidental pull on an earring,
- a chronic pull by wearing earrings overnight,
- wearing heavy earrings, or by
- an ear piercing placed too close to the earlobe rim.
Less frequently, the stretch occurs intentionally due to gauges.
Ear lobes repair surgery is the art of repair of an earlobe to reestablish the proper appearance of the lobe with only a fine linear scar. During the procedure, the surgeon applies local anesthesia and removes a minute amount of tissue together with the scarred skin around the tear. This provides an even surface for re-approximation of the earlobe tissue. The wound edges are held together by several very fine stitches. A dressing is placed for about 24 hours and thereafter a thin wound covering remains. Stitches are taken out after one week.
Expected results:
- While a simple tear will leave a fine linear scar, a more complex repair of a gauged lobe results in a fine Y or X shaped scar.
- The new fine scar gains its full strength after about 4 weeks;
- The repaired site will not have the strength of normal skin. Therefore, repiercing within the new scar is not recommended.
- However, in most cases, repiercing may be performed at a slight distance to the new fine scar about 4 weeks after surgery.
Earlobe repair cost
The surgery cost is $375 for the simple earlobe repair and $600 for a gauge repair. Pre-procedure consultation is required. While the consultation is usually covered by insurance plans the surgery itself is not.
We also offer a professional repiercing for additional $25.
60 Responses to “Torn Earlobes”
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Ringpfeil Advanced Dermatology | 569 W. Lancaster Avenue | Haverford, PA 19041 | rad@ringpfeildermatology.com | 610.525.5250
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I live in NY. If I travel out of state will my insurance still cover the visit? My ear lobes are slightly stretched from normal wear of heavy earrings but not torn – Thank goodness. In my research your fee is reasonable compared to here in NY. Thing is it would be pretty difficult to travel PA two times: once for the consultation then the surgery. Can I send a photo instead to gauge the damage?
It is possible to make it a one-time visit in which we conduct consultation and repair both earlobes. Under these circumstances we ask for deposit of one site repair (currently). If for any reason, you do not want to go ahead with the surgery, we will charge the consultation to your insurance (if we participate with it) and the deposit will be used to cover the time blocked for surgery. If you go ahead with the surgery, we charge your insurance for consultation (if we participate with it) and the deposit will be applied to the total fee.
Please check with your insurance as coverage is not always guaranteed across state borders.
Will insurance company’s cover the ear torn/split procedure due to heavy earrings, or has to be a natural problem that caused the ear lobe to spilt?
Earlobe repair is considered a cosmetic service and is not typically an insurance covered service regardless of the cause of the tear.
I have an strected out ear lobe that isn’t torn completely… is the cost still $375 since it isnt torn its almost but not yet. Are there payment plans for the fee and I do have Aetna insurance
The fee for a fully torn piercing site is the same as for a partial tear. In fact, it takes slightly longer to repair a partially torn lobe. We do not currently offer a payment plan on this fee, however, your consultation will be submitted to the insurance and we agree to their fee schedule for the consultation. You are only responsible for any copayment, coinsurance or deductible.
I have my ears stretched to inch gauges, and was wondering what would be the price, in total, of both repairs? Is it any extra for the anesthesiologist, or any other fees required? Thanks in advance.
The fee for each gauged ear repair is currently $600. This makes it $1200 for both sides. There are no other costs or hidden fees for the repair or subsequent suture removal; the procedure is performed under local anesthesia and therefore there is no cost for an anesthesiologist. However consultation prior to procedure is required to check feasibility of repair. This consultation is submitted to insurance and requires copays, co-insurances or deductibles you may have. If you do not have insurance the consultation is $115.00.
My ears have been stretched for years and are currently at 1 1/2″. I am wondering how effective an ear lobe repair will be since the size of my plugs is on the larger side. I would also like to know how long the procedure takes, what the standard healing time is, and how much I should expect to pay for the procedure on both ears? I am also curious to know if you have any type of payment plans available, or if it is necessary to pay in full. Thank you!
Most earlobes can be reconstructed if gauges are no longer desired. While reconstruction is effective, it cannot completely restore the appearance of your earlobe prior to gauging. The repair of one side takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes and is carried out under local anesthesia. Stitches are removed after 7-8 days and healing is typically complete by 3-4 weeks. Current cost is $600 per site ($1200 for reconstruction of both lobes). We do not offer a payment plan for this amount.
I have a 5 yr old daughter.some one at school accidentally pulled her ear and she gor her left earlobe strectched.her earing came though and she bleeded. Now her injury is healed but her hole in the ear lobe has been stretched but not cut all the way. IS it too early to repair.If i can how much would it cost and is the procedure painful.what is the procedure? do u have to cut the cut all the way down and then repair or can u just put a sticht to the hole. Thanks a lot in advance
Healing is different in young children compared to adults. If the injury was very recently, there is a chance that the tear may still shrink over time provided that no earring is worn in the pierced hole. If the injury was more than one year ago, the small tear is unlikely to shrink further. Regardless of age, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia. The numbing medicine stings for just a few seconds and there will be no pain after that, even when the numbing medicine wears off. The stretched hole is then taken out with a skinny margin and depending on the size, one or a few stitches are placed. The stitches are removed after one week. Our fee for earlobe repair is currently $375 and includes suture removal one week later.
Repiercing is possible as early as 4 weeks after the surgery but must be 3 mm away from the scar. We also offer the repiercing service for $25.
I had my ear gauged to 00 size, one healed nicely but the other still has yet to close. I am interested in correcting that ear and getting it back to normal. It is not torn, the whole is larger than I would like it to be. I am curious of how much this surgery would cost? (one ear)
Thank you
If I understand correctly, you had your ear piercings gauged to 00, have taken the gauges out and one earlobe returned to normal while the other one did not and is still somewhat stretched. The earlobe that did not spring back to “normal” can be surgically corrected but I am unsure if repiercing is a possibility. An evaluation should tell. The cost for repair of one gauged site on the earlobe is $600.
Hi there. I’ve both of my ears stretched till 2 inches. And two months ago, my right earlobe got ripped into half by wearing heavy metal plug and using steriods due to me having some infections on my right lobe. My questions will be – Could i re – pierce and re strech my right ear lobe after having ear reconstruction?? If so, do i need to refrain from wearing stainless steel or heavy metal plug etc?? Please reply, thanks.
The strength of any scar is only about 70% compared to normal skin. It is very likely that a scar after surgical repair tears when strain is applied.
Therefore, I cannot recommend wearing any plugs. It does not really matter whether plastic, metal glass or any other materials are in contact with our skin unless you are allergic to nickel or other metals and these metals were the cause for your ear lobe rash. Most dermatologists can test you for nickel allergy and I believe that there is even a home test available (please search online). If you are allergic to nickel, you must avoid silver due to its high nickel content. Some very allergic individuals may even have to avoid gold. Platinum and titanium as well as pewter and stainless steel are usually okay to wear.
I have my earlobes stretched to 1 1/2″ and at the bottom of my right lobe, a section of it is paper thin. My question is- what is the best thing I can do to thicken my lobe? Should I get a filler injected into it or can you cut out the thin and stitch it back so I can keep my plugs in?
Injection of hyaluronic acid fillers (Juvederm or Restylane) may be the best option to strengthen this area. They are well tolerated, last about 12 months if injected into earlobes and can safely be renewed. Cutting and restitching the paper thin rim will weaken the skin by 30% and very likely will cause a tear within the scar in a short period of time. I do not recommend the latter if you want to keep the plugs.
my earlobe is split and I have no insurance and was wondering was there any other way I can repair my ear without surgery?
I am not aware of another way.
I stretched my ears to 50mm and have blowout If I was to get surgery would I be able to stretch my ears again or would this be a problem? Thanks
If I understand correctly your stretched earlobe tore in one spot and you would like that tear repaired? The repair can probably be done but the scar has only 70-80% of the strength of your normal skin. Therefore, any further stretching is likely to result in an additional tear at the site of the repair scar.
Hi there,
My earlobe split my sophomore year in high school and I received surgery to repair it. Here I am, a senior in college and the same earlobe split again! Is it still repairable? I am worried that it will look drastically different than my other earlobe.
Unfortunately, it is too difficult to answer this question without seeing you. However, we were able to help several of our patients with similar scenarios. In their cases, the newly pierced site after repair had been placed too close to the repair scar and they tore the repaired site.
Repiercing after one had several repairs can be difficult but we will be able to let you know what your options are before embarking on repair.
I have had my earlobes repaired from a spit for about 2 years now. I want them repierced but read about keloids. Although I have not ever had keloids what are the chances I can get them if I repierce my ears.
Chances are extremely minimal to develop keloids if you previously had ear piercings without keloid formation and had ear lobe repair surgery without keloid formation.
Thanks. I am considering getting my ears repierced at your facility since your practice is familiar with split and repaired ear lobes. With that said , which method do you use to repierce ears: a needle or some type of gun ?
Thanks in advance and have a great weekend .
We use an ear piercing gun after careful selection of the site, That way, anesthesia is unnecessary.
I have had several surgeries on both of my earlobes due to a keloid scar. My last surgery removed most of my right ear lobule. I went through radiation therapy after my surgeries which stopped the production of the keloid. I do not have keloids on my ears anymore (about 6-7 years now) and the rest of my body is not prone to keloids. I’ve had a piercing on my nose and belly button which did not form keloids.
I was wondering if it was possible to reconstruct my right ear lobule so that I may wear earrings again one day.
Thank you.
Please reply back to my email if possible.
Reconstruction of an earlobe may be possible, however, evaluation is necessary to determine your odds. I recommend you schedule a consultation with an “ears nose and throat specialist” who performs reconstructions or a “facial reconstructive surgeon“.
I have a torn earlobe and a stretched, almost torn earlobe, both on the same ear. Is it possible to have them both repaired at the same time? When surgery is being performed, is the ear area numbed? Will I feel pain afterwards? Can I go about my daily activities as normal? How much is a consultation if I don’t have insurance?
Two sites on one are lobe can often be repaired at the same time.
However, when they are too close together that simultaneous repair would compromise the final appearance. This can be determined during initial consultation. The earlobe is numbed for repair locally so that there is no pain during surgery and there is typically no pain or discomfort after the procedure. All our patients resume their daily activity immediately after the procedure. Consultation for earlobe repair is $115 and repair of each tear is $375.
Several years ago, I had earlobe repaired. My insurance took care of the entire procedure. The doctor called and sumitted a precertication to the insurance company. Within a week my ears were repaired. Are you not participating with any insurance companies? My problem is that I can not locate the Company or physician who gave me the procedure. They relocated.
We do participate with most insurance companies. Most of them exclude the revision of a self-inflicted body modification, such as removal of ear piercing or a scar associated with tear of the pierced site, tattoo removal etc. If you would like to try your insurance, we can submit to the insurance at the time of the procedure. If they pay in full, you will receive a refund on your full down-payment. Please be advised that our fee does not provide for the added effort of obtaining a prior certification.
I have a torn ear lobe and a keloid on the same ear, can this be fixed and about how much would it cost?
This is a very difficult question to answer. It is very possible for a keloid to occur at an earlobe repair site in someone who already has a keloid, be it in the same area or elsewhere on the body. If you definitely wanted to repair the tear, it would be important to treat the existing keloid first. If it is responsive to steroid injections, surgery to the torn earlobe may be followed by steroid injections to suppress a keloid from forming at the surgical site. You are certainly taking a risk and should consider very carefully.
Both of my earlobes are stretched from wearing earrings to bed, talking on the phone while wearing earrings, and from wearing heavy earrings. Can my stretch earlobes be repaired so that my earrings fit properly? If so, what are the chances of them stretching again? Is the cost to repair stretched earlobes $275.00 each? Do you know of any dermotogist in the Washington, DC area who specialize in stretch repairs? Most that I have found only do torn earlobes. Thanks
Stretched lobes cannot be repaired by making them shorter or by tightening them. They would likely tear or stretch soon after the procedure. Most of the time, stretched ear piercing sites can be fully excised and closed up with a fine scar. You may have your earlobes repierced 3 mm away from the repair site as early as 4 weeks after the repair.
my husband had his ears gauged up to and inch when they ripped out completly, we did not have the money to get it professionaly reatached so he cut himself back open and stiched it back together himself. I know it was not the smartest choice for him to make, but is there anything in particular we should do to prevent infection and about how long should he leave the homemade stiches in…makes me queezy thinking about it.
Please understand that a blog does not serve to provide “how to do it yourself” medical advice. For those who cannot afford healthcare, there are a few free clinics that would help with infections. They are operated by the health department in Philadelphia.
my 25 year old daughter had her ears pierced at age 10; one of the original earrings pulled down (was not attended to properly) and left a scar on her earlobe; she still wears pierced earrings. I feel responsible for not caring for her ears better! Could surgery remove the scar?
Thanks!
If I understand correctly, your daughter has a partially torn earlobe. This can be repaired. The repair will leave a hardly visible, flat scar. The earlobe can be repierced in close proximity to the original site 3-4 weeks after the repair.
Hi Doctor – I took out my earrings over 7 years ago yet you can still see the piercing holes, which I want to go away. I heard that you can have the scar tissue removed, so that the holes will heal further. Do you perform that procedure? Is there scarring? How much does that cost? Thanks!
A pierced site/hole is a scar and does not usually close by itself even if earrings are not worn for several years. The patent hole can only be removed by cutting it out and reattaching the fresh skin edges. This will leave a small linear scar that is slightly longer than the original pierced site.
The cost is the same as for a split lobe repair, $275 per pierced site.
My earlobe was split because of gauges may I send you a picture of it because of that it is not your average split it looks something like a claw and I was just wondering if it is possible to repair at the above said price or not. I also live in Delaware and was wondering if the consultation costs are covered by their Medicaid and if not what are the consult costs. thank you for your time
The standard earlobe repair refers to split earlobes. The repair of gauged lobes is possible and is called earlobe plasty. It requires a longer operating time and therefore a higher charge. The charge per lobe is $400.
The consultation is an insurance covered service for most insurances.
However we do not participate with any Medicaid programs.
hello
my earlobe split and i was wondering do you take insurance if so which one?
The consultation for torn earlobes is covered by all insurances. However the actual repair is not an insurance covered service.
I came across website while researching various options for Torn Earlobe surgery.
My mother has a torn earlobe which needs to be closed. It is not completely torn.
Is it possible to sew the earlobe leaving a small hole open so we do not have to re-pierce her ear?
Also how do I find out if her insurance company covers it? Can you give me the codes that you use to bill to the insurance company? I spoke to a rep, they asked me to find out what the diagnosis codes are. Based on that they will tell me if it is covered or not.
Thank you for your help…
MS
Incompletely torn earlobes must be repaired completely. The original piercing can unfortunately not be maintained because the scar tissue below is not strong enough to support an earring. It could only be kept for looks but not for use. With proper repair, the earlobe can be re-pierced by someone experienced with the requirements after surgical repair.
In our experience, the procedure is not an insurance covered service. We charge $275 per tear. Codes will be provided during consultation.
Franziska Ringpfeil, MD
I have gauged ears. They are jewelry free for anout 4 years now and down to a 2 gauge but will not shrink any further. Is this procedure good for this as well?
An earlobe plasty is needed to repair gauged ears. This differs form a simple earlobe repair after a tear in that the earlobe has to be reconstructed to appear similar to a non-gauged lobe. Considering the persistent gauge size 2, the cost is likely higher. An evaluation in person is needed to assess the stretch of the surrounding skin and the expected results after surgery.
I will like to know the fee for the first consultation.
The initial consultation for torn earlobes is usually covered by your insurance. If no insurance is available, our fee is $115.
I have a torn earlobe, but there is a negligible piece of skin still holding the two halves together. I would like to have it repaired and want to find out how to go about doing that.
It really does not matter if the earlobe is completely torn or a small piece of skin preserves the contour of the lobe. The repair is performed by excising the entire scar caused by the tear and then repairing the defect. Most of the time, the remaining skin at the bottom of the lobe of an incomplete tear can be preserved. The procedure leaves a very fine, barely noticeable scar behind. If desired, repiercing of the same lobe can be performed as early as 3 weeks after the repair. Unfortunately, it is impossible to re-pierce the original hole as it would likely result in a tear within the surgical scar. We also offer repiercing after careful selection of the site for best cosmetic and functional results.
I have a torn earlobe and am wondering about the approximate price for the procedure.
We charge $275 to revise and repair each tear.
Does the procedure require anesthesia and is that included in the $275 cost?
Ear lobe repair requires only local anesthesia. Most of the time we use lidocaine, a well tolerated anesthetic, which works rapidly, and wears off relatively quickly, too. There is no discomfort even after the anesthesia wears off about an hour after the procedure. A local anesthetic assures that there is no downtime and that you can return to work or any other non-strenuous activity immediately after the procedure. The fee for local anesthesia is included in the earlobe repair fee.