Is There Any Way to Repair a Thin Section in a Stretched Earlobe?

Thanks for asking. Earlobes requiring repair can be from a variety of reasons. For example, a torn earlobe from a pulled earring, gauged earlobes that are now unwanted, facelift surgery causing pulled earlobes, or just simply elongated from older age. Because of the variety of different causes, earlobe repair may vary in complexity. Prices will vary accordingly. and also vary depending on the region of the country you are in and the surgeon's expertise. Typically to reduce an earlobe, a triangle wedge of earlobe is excised and then carefully sutured together. I have some special techniques that I employ to minimize scarring and notching that can be seen if not reconstructed properly. This repair can be performed comfortably under local anesthesia and earlobes can be re-pierced 6 weeks later if desired. Consult with an experienced board certified facial plastic / plastic surgeon in you area.

The best solution for the stretched earlobe piercings is to revise the hole and repierce the earlobe at a later period.  I perform these surgeries routinely in my plastic surgery practice. 

Depending on how thick the isthmus of skin, the thin parts of a stretched earlobe hole may have to be removed when the edges of an earlobe hole are trimmed and freshened during a repair.  The split or hole in the lobule has to be sutured to recreate the whole lobule anew.  Sometimes, the closure involves some tissue rearrangment to contour the lobule nicely.  Subsequently, you can repierce your ear after swelling decreases 2-3 months afterward. 

There are different ways to repair earlobes and only a full examination would allow a complete answer to this question.  Most often, removal of the tissue, often with the whole piercing, and re-piercing at a different time will lead to the best long term results.Garrett A. Wirth, MD, MS, FACSWirthplasticsurgery.com

The best way to fix a thinning earlobe is to excise the area, including the non-offending hole and repair it using lap joint flaps. Although you do perceive the piercing as a problem, repair will be complicated by leaving the hole as is. About eight weeks later, the ear can be repierced. In some circumstances, filler can be injected to plump up the earlobe.

There is a non-surgical technique for plumping up thin earlobes.  

Juvederm can be injected and will fill and plump up the thinned earlobe without need for stitches.  

Whole straight forward, a disadvantage of the Juvederm procedure is that it is temporary and last as long as the Juvederm which is 6 to 8 months.

Stretched earlobes and thinning skin can be repaired with Earlobe Plastic Surgery. With an earlobe hole that is moved lower from stretching, the best way to repair this is by excising and then closing it following this with another piercing.  Otherwise to move it upward will require some type of incising and closing.  Without fully closing it, you will need to do some flaps that could be more complicated than just closing it completely.  

Thanks for reading, Dr Young

This type of earlobe thinning can be addressed with a preocedure under local anesthesia, typically to remove or re-shape that portion of the earlobe.  It will probably require that a new piercing be placed adjacent (but not too close) to the prior piercing.

With a stretched earlobe, you can either remove the hole completely or simply reduce the size of hole enlargement. When the hole is closed completely you can then re-pierce it 6 weeks later. When you just reduce the size of the hole, the repair below the hole is much weaker for a longer period of time. Therefore, in earlobe hole reductions you will need to wait three months before you can resume wearing ear rings or piercings of any type.

You describe the stretched ear piercing to be almost split ear lobe. The only good way to treat is to cut the edges and close the partial split completely. Once healed you can repierce the ear lobe in a better position.