4 months post otoplasty, when can I sleep on my side and put pressure on my ears again?

Question

I had otoplasty done 4 months ago and was just curious if I should still be sleeping on my back or using something like a sidesleeper that has an ear cut out in it didnt know if it would matter much or not at 4 months out, could use some advice or recommendations, thanks!

Marco Carmona, MD · Answer

Hi. All scars on any part of the body reach their maximum tension after 2 months. This means you can sleep how you like now without compromising the otoplasty results. I would recommend to use a hair band at nigth for the first 2 months.

Hope this was helpful.

Hope this was helpful.

Thomas J. Walker, MD, FACS · Answer

You should discuss this with you surgeon. That said, I generally ask my patient to sleep on their back for at least 2 weeks, preferably 4 weeks. I also recommend wearing a headband 24/7 for the 1st week after surgery, followed by wearing the headband at night only for another 6 weeks. After 4 months, it should be safe to sleep in any position without the headband although you can still wear the headband at night. Best wishes!

4 months post otoplasty, when can I sleep on my side and put pressure on my ears again?

Answers (2)