Can you reshape the antihelix of the ear? (photos)

Question

The bottom of my antihelix is extremely prominent, and is causing my ears to protrude.. is it possible to have the bottom of the antihelix shaped? Or have a little part removed? Or shaved possibly? Just so that it’s not as prominent

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. You are asking if a little of the antihelix of your ear can be removed or reshaped, as it is protruding and causing your ear to look prominent.
I can certainly give you some guidance about your ears based just on your photo, even in the absence of a physical exam. I’m Dr. Amiya Prasad. I’m a Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon and Fellowship-trained Oculoplastic Surgeon. I’ve been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I perform all types of cosmetic ear procedures from bringing back prominent ears, ear reshaping, earlobe reduction, and even correcting pixie ear deformities due to facelifts.
The short answer to your question is yes, the antihelical fold can be reduced and reshaped to make it less prominent. While many surgeons attempt to treat prominent ears with sutures alone to pull the ears back, commonly known as the pinback procedure, removal and reshaping of the ear cartilage are important parts of otoplasty. Without removal of ear cartilage, also known as resection, as well as reshaping, cosmetic ear surgeries have a high chance of regression where the ears become prominent again. Ear cartilage has a “memory” of its original shape, so cartilage does need removal or weakening to hold its shape when prominence is reduced. The most common complaints about otoplasty regression come from people whose doctors didn’t do any cartilage manipulation or removal.
When meeting with doctors about possible otoplasty, it’s important to ask them about cartilage removal, reshaping, and resection. Going through the questions here on RealSelf, it’s apparent that many doctors who perform otoplasty don’t remove or reshape the cartilage. Otoplasty is not such a popular procedure that a surgeon can afford to focus their practice on it, but some doctors are more focused on the details than others. Ask your prospective doctors how they treat cartilage “memory” and prevent ear prominence from returning. If your doctor doesn’t regularly remove or weaken ear cartilage, I advise you seek another surgeon a little more experienced with otoplasty who can address this important aspect. I hope you found this information helpful. Thank you for your question.

M. Dalvi Humzah, MD · Answer

Reshaping the ante helix is a possibility  -  suture based techniques as well as open techniques are available .  It is best to discuss the options and outcomes with your surgeon in detail.

Waldemar Merck, MD · Answer

With the Dr Merck Stitch method, the prominence of the antihelix can be reduced with sutures, without any removal of cartilage.

Can you reshape the antihelix of the ear? (photos)

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Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

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Can you reshape the antihelix of the ear? (photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.