How Long to Wear Headband After an Otoplasty That Involved Cartilage Excision?

How long and often a headband should be worn after a patient has undergone an Otoplasty is a very specific question that should be answered by your surgeon.  In my practice, the patient has a soft cotton and elastic dressing that is worn the first night after surgery.  It is removed the next day and this when I instruct the patient to wear an athletic headband or a wide hairband used to keep the hair off the face when washing all the time for the first week. They are allowed to take it off only for bathing.  After the first week, they are only required to wear it at night for a month.  The softer and wider the head band the better, and it is to cover the ears, not be placed behind them.
Hope you found this answer helpful.  All the best!

You are a good patient!  It is wonderful that you are following post op instructions as otoplasty is a very delicate surgery. I advice that my patients wear a headband for 1 week straight 24/7 and then at night for 3 more weeks. It is always wise to follow your physician's advice. 

Each surgeon's recommendations regarding post-operative care after Otoplasty are going to vary. My patients are instructed to wear the headband as much as possible for 2 weeks after surgery, day and night, and then switch to wearing it as-needed during the day and every night for the next two weeks (up until the one month point after surgery). At that point, patients are instructed to use the headband as needed or if they feel like they need additional support.
All the best,

The vast majority of otoplasty
patients recover quickly and experience minimal disruption to their day to day
lives.  Patients typically wear a
large head dressing for the first 2 to 5 days after surgery.  Patients are then switched to a
compressive head band which is worn around the clock for three weeks.  At this point, they are required to
wear the head band for an additional three weeks at night.  This helps avoid trauma to the ear from
abnormal folding which can occur while the ear is still numb.  This approach is associated with high
success rates and a low incidence of recurrence.

Use of head band following otoplasty
Although different surgeons have different recommendations my personal preference is to use a head band for the first 6 weeks when you are in your home and at night to take tension off your internal repair as it heals and also for protection. Ask your plastic surgeon about his preference especially in light of the fact that he will know best specific to your individual surgery