Can Ears Actually Be Made Smaller with Plastic Surgery?

Question

I have larger ears that also stick out a little bit from my head. I'm a young woman who would love to feel comfortable with wearing my hair up whenever I'd like without feeling like everyone is staring at my ears. I've read that ear size can be reduced, but I've also talked to two doctors who perform Otoplasty and they have both told me that they cannot make my ears smaller. What is the honest answer? I mean I want to get the surgery very badly, but I want to get pretty close to what I want.

Jacob Sedgh, MD · Answer

"Prominent ear" or "big ear" are general terms that can be confusing when it comes to cosmetic ear surgery discussions. In cases where the problem is that the ears "stick out", meaning the angle form the scalp being too wide, a set back and remolding procedure can be performed which may give the illusion of the ears getting smaller indirectly by just making them less noticeable. In cases of long ear lobes, either born or secondary to age related pull by gravity, there are also multiple techniques to make the lobes smaller with minimally visible scars and keeping them look natural.

Andrew Miller, MD · Answer

Otoplasty is an excellent and safe procedure if you are looking to correct your protruding ears. When your ears are closer to the head, they will look smaller because they are not sticking out so much. The actual size is not made smaller because the cartilage is very specialized and any cutting into the cartilage has a risk of deformity. When the surgeon performs Otoplasty he will put permanent sutures in the cartilage to simply reshape the ear, leaving you with a more natural appearance. Overall patients are very happy with the result. I would make a consultation with an experienced board certified facial plastic or plastic surgeon to see if you are a candidate.

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

The actual size of the ears can be reduced. Their prominence may also be reduced. However, it is important to determine what exactly the issue is, since “large” can refer to the length/width of the ears and/or how much they protrude from the head.

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

Suture otoplasty is not meant to decrease the size of your ears from top to bottom. Rather, it is designed to restore pleasing architecture to your external ear, and to reposition outstanding ears closer to your head. Thank you. Dr Joseph

Matthew Richardson, MD · Answer

It is technically possible to make the ears smaller, but not without some trade-offs of the potential for scarring and deformity. For this reason, it is not something that I usually recommend. 
Most patients are extremely satisfied and do quite well with a traditional otoplasty to set the ears back and often re-shape some of the cartilaginous folds of the ears. Obviously, each patient is unique, so a consultation with a surgeon specializing in facial aesthetics can be very helpful to let them examine you in detail and offer recommendations regarding treatment options.
All the best,

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

It’s not unusual for patients to
request treatment of “Big Ears.” The vast majority of
these patients have normal sized prominent ears which require setback
otoplasty.  Occasionally, we see
patients who actually do have enlarged ears.  Although setback otoplasty will make these ears appear
smaller this may not be enough and additional surgery may be indicated.

Under these circumstances ear
reduction can be performed.  In
most cases, this involves shortening the vertical dimension of the ear.  This procedure involves removing a full
thickness wedge of ear which shortens the height of the ear.  The procedure is associated with
noticeable scarring which tends to improve with time.  For this reason, the procedure is utilized only when severe
elongation of the ear is present.

If you’re concerned about the size
of your ears consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is
appropriate.  This surgeon should
be able to formulate a plan that’s appropriate for you.

Jeffrey J. Roth, MD, FACS · Answer

Hard to determine without photos. You are actually asking for two different things. One is a more common "ear pinning" where the Otoplasty is done to have the ears angle back more towards the head. The other is a reduction in the size of the ear. This is more complicated and involves more scarring. Best to go to a surgeon who has experience doing this operation. Review his before/after photos. Bring photos of your own to show the doctor, at the same time please have reasonable expectations for what can be done given what you are starting with. Your surgeon will then determine what can be done and together you will make an appropriate decision.

Ryan Chastant, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Most patients achieve satisfactory results with otoplasty alone, which entails pinning protruding ears back to a more aesthetically-pleasing position on the sides of the head. Surgery can also be used to reduce the size or change the shape of the ears for patients that have this goal in mind. However, the procedure is more complex than simple ear pinning and can leave more visible scarring behind. If you decide you want to reduce the size of your ears, make sure you select a surgeon with extensive experience in both cosmetic surgery and otolaryngology to achieve the best possible result. Good luck to you!

Jeffrey Weinzweig, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes, your ears can be made smaller with surgery. When getting an ear reduction this tends to leave scarring. I would recommend looking at before and after photos and discussing your options with your surgeon.

Babak Larian, MD · Answer

Yes the ears can be made smaller.  But it does involve making incisions on the ear itself which results in a potential for scarring.

Can Ears Actually Be Made Smaller with Plastic Surgery?

Answers (14)