Can Wearing a Tighter Headband Following Otoplasty (Ear Pinning) Affect Cosmetic Results?

Question

I've been wearing a soft, wide headband as instructed following otoplasty procedure (having had dressings removed). I was told it needn't be too tight and was just supposed to gently hold the ears down. I noticed that my ears seem further back when I first take it off and they seem to move forward a bit after say 20-30 minutes (removed to shower/wash hair). Would a tighter headband help keep the ears back more and affect the final results, or would it not really have bearing? Thank you!

S. Larry Schlesinger, MD, FACS · Answer

Wow. This is a great question. To some extent, it depends on how the otoplasty was done in the first place. If a Mustarde stitch was placed, a tight headband could injure the cartilage and cause the stitch to fail. If the Stenstrum otobrasion was done, a tight headband again could decrease the fold of the ear. If Furnas stitches were applied, it might help things. Sorry for the doctor words in the previous couple of sentences, but what I am saying here is that overall, the answer depends on what your surgeon did, and your surgeon is the right one to ask the question, "should I wear the headband tighter or not?".

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Headbands serve several purposes after otoplasty.  These include:

	
		Protect ears from outside trauma
	
		Encourage healing in a proper position
	
		Counteract postauricular edema which can serve to protrude ears forward


	 

	An ideal headband would be sufficiently tight to hold ears in place without placing too much tension on the ears.

Can Wearing a Tighter Headband Following Otoplasty (Ear Pinning) Affect Cosmetic Results?

Answers (2)