Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

Question

Noticed my five year old kid's ears are sticking out a little now and they weren't like that just two months ago. Also I noticed when he sleeps his ears usually are folded, doesnt seem to bother him...but I did see they get red from the other side in the morning. Does this mean if he continues to sleep this way they will stick out even more? Can ears at a five year old kid change that much? Can taping the ears or maybe wearing a headband when sleeping help?

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

Headband or taping the ears of a five year old will not make any lasting change in their ears. In addition, sleeping position is unlikely to cause ears to stick out further. Molding or casting the ears works in some immediately after birth but has no effect later in life. The best treatment for pinning and shaping the ear is otoplasty where the cartilage framework of the ear is reshaped through an incision behind the ear and the ear is also set back closed to the head if necessary. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Jeffrey B. Wise, MD, FACS · Answer

It is unusal for ears to start sticking out at the age of 5.  Ideal timing for otoplasty surgery is around age 5-6 years for psychological and physiological reasons.  Be sure to consult with a surgeon with extensive experience with this type of aesthetic surgery. Taping or ear molding at this age is completely ineffective.Best of luck to you and your child!

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD · Answer

It is unusual for a child's ears to relatively suddenly start sticking out. I doubt that taping or wearing a headband would permanently change the shape of your son's ears at this point.There are some separate conditions of the neck or areas behind the ears that can cause the ears to stick out more than normal. I would recommend that you have your son checked out by either his pediatrician or Ear, Nose, Throat doctor to make sure something else isn't going on.

Waldemar Merck, MD · Answer

I don’t know of any case where ears suddenly started sticking out on a 5-year old child. It cannot be predicted whether his ears will stick out further if he continues to sleep like that. Wearing a headband when sleeping will not have any significant effect and will just be annoying in the long run. However, it can be generally said that if the ears should stick out more in the coming years and that disturbs him, then they can only be pinned closer to the head with an otoplasty. Besides the traditional methods that involve cutting on the back of the ear and the working of the cartilage, there is also a minimally invasive otoplasty, the stitch method, where there is no longer any cutting nor working of the cartilage. With this method, the ears are brought into their new position with stitches alone.

Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

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Answer: Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

Answer: Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

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Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

Answers (4)

Answer: Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

Answer: Can ears on a five yr old kid start to stick out all of a sudden? Can taping the ears or wearing a headband when sleeping help?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

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