Do ears feel soft and natural after any sort of otoplasty?

Thank you for your question. You submitted a question without a photo, asking if the ears feel soft and natural after otoplasty, or if they feel hard after the procedure. I can certainly give you some perspective on how I counsel my patients concerned about prominent ears in my practice.
A little background: I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. I’ve been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. Otoplasty is a part of the practice I do in a fairly routine basis. I can go over the principles of otoplasty probably relevant to you, even though there is no photo, tell you what the assessment is like, and what one can expect afterwards.
In assessing prominent ears, you look at the ear from the point of view of the upper third, middle third, and lower third. We’re looking at an area called the antihelical fold, also the conchal bowl in the middle part, and then at the lower part at the earlobe or the pinna. The way we make this assessment is looking at the relative position of those 3 elements from the skull, or from the side where it looks like it’s protruding more than it should. There are procedures otoplasty that involve creating the antihelical fold. Everything is done through an incision from behind the ear. The conchal bowl, which is the part of the middle that pushes the ear out to make it more prominent, I typically resect to remove some of the cartilage, then place the ear back against what is called the temporal or the mastoid bone. I reposition it so the ear is in a more natural position. I then adjust the earlobe depending on how prominent it is, which is basically a skin procedure.
As far as the feel, let’s say you are looking at the upper third, the antihelical fold, if right now it’s not well defined, then it may feel a little soft and bendable. When an antihelical fold is created by these sutures from the inside, then that part can be a little stiff, but it does not feel any less natural - it’s what the normal, natural ear should feel like. The same thing applies to the middle part of the ear - even though it might feel one way before surgery, it’s not going to feel unusually different because it is in a better position. It may feel a little more stiff  than before surgery, but it’s not going to feel unnatural.
I think you need to meet with experienced cosmetic surgeons who do otoplasty, and learn about your options. There are a lot of variations of this operation. It is a really nice procedure for people who have been very self-conscious about prominent ears, makes a really nice impact, and is very satisfying for the surgeon.
Find a doctor you feel comfortable with, and you can feel safe knowing that in most circumstances, it should heal normally. Like with any surgery, you have to understand the risk, benefits, and potential issues like infections, scarring and other things associated with any surgery. Once you find a doctor you’re comfortable with, I think you should strongly consider this procedure. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your question

Yes, long-term (assuming a well performed procedure), ears do feel soft and natural after otoplasty surgery.  Best wishes.

It depends on what your concerns with the ears are. There are different procedures of otoplasty to fix different issues. Of course just in like any surgery the tissue will swell and be sensitive to touch initially. If scar tissue was to build, that may also change the feeling of the ear to the touch. Over time ears will settle and become softer post-surgery. I suggest consulting with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and during the consultation express your concerns so that they may be addressed. This will also make your doctor aware of what your specific concerns are. I do hope this was helpful and thank you for your question!