Is there a surgery that could help my stretched earlobes?

I have gotten my ears gauged while I was in college and now can see that a look like this is not going to work in the real world as I try and start my career. Is there a surgery that can help my gauged earlobes so I don't get double takes every time I walk by someone? Thanks.


F, 25, California

Tags:woman age 18-24 ears torn earlobe gauge

In high school I would just wear earrings but when I was in college I thought it would be really cool to gauge my ears. Working in retail, it didn't make a difference if my ears were gauged but since I've been applying for corporate jobs I need to try and get these holes closed up. I looked into getting earlobe reconstruction to reduce the size of the holes. There is a surgical procedure that can be done to reduce the size of ear holes, and I found a doctor who did a great job. It only took one session to get it done. I recovered in just a few days and I'm happy to report that I didn't have much scarring at all. Recovery also depends on the size of your holes and other factors such as your overall health.

I had earlobe gauges for many years. Unfortunately, I found that having stretched lobes limited my job opportunities and was going to restrict my advancement opportunities. Unfortunately, when I removed the earlobe gauges, there was still a big hole. Over time the holes got smaller on their own, but still remained an eyesore. I recently visited a board certified plastic surgeon to have ear surgery. I was surprised by how it only takes one doctor's visit to correct the problem. My earlobes were sealed completely when I left the office. There was some scarring, but they were so minor, I had to really look to see them. Most people won't notice the scars. After my procedure, I was pleasantly surprised to also notice that there was no evidence that I had ear gauges. I feel confident that I can seek job opportunities that would not get because of their looks.

I wore gauges in my late teens and got tired of that look when I was in college. I had severely stretched earlobes and knew that when I started looking for a full time job that this was going to be an issue. I looked online at before and afters for earlobe repair surgery and was pretty sure this is what I would need.

I had ear lobe surgery done to close the holes, and the results are outstanding! The operation was simple, I was administered local anesthesia so I was awake the entire time but felt no pain at all. It technically is plastic surgery, but it really is not a big deal at all. After the procedure I was ecstatic because I no longer had gauged ears and the recovery and healing went without a hiccup. I took small amounts of pain medication in the beginning and quickly switched to tylenol.

I now have slight scars on both of my ears. To give you an idea of how small my scars are: small diamond studs can conceal the scars. My scars are very faint, and they will continue to fade over time. The size of your holes will determine your outcome. I recommend that you see an experienced plastic surgeon and request before and after photos from previous patients. Good luck in your new career.

I had my earlobes stretched using gauges for years. However, I found a job and the only impediment to getting the job was the holes in my ears. I stopped wearing gauges for a number of months and the holes shrunk in size. However, the holes were still visible and I knew that if I needed to advance in my career and have people take me seriously I needed to get them sealed.

Thankfully, I found a doctor who performed the surgery to my satisfaction. So yes, there is surgery to have the earlobes sealed. The surgery is relatively simple and can be performed in just a single visit. Best of all, the small scars left behind will disappear with time. Unless someone comes up really close to you, he or she will never be able to tell whether you once had your ears gauged. I would definitely recommend that you get the surgery done. It is not painful and can be done over the weekend. By Monday morning, you will be able to report to work as the small scars heal.

Back when I was in college, I used gauges to stretch my earlobes. Unfortunately, it was a phase, and I grew out of it after a couple of years. I wanted my ears to look normal again, and I didn’t want to wait. When I took the gauges out, my ears looked awful, and people were giving me funny looks when I went to job interviews. I stopped wearing the gauges and noticed that the holes got a bit smaller, but they were still big enough to where I knew I had to do something. I was also worried about the possibility of a torn earlobe because of how thin the lobe had become. Gauged ear repair was the only option. I booked consultations with 4 doctors, and finally settled on one doctor who informed me that the surgery could be performed in one visit and would look close to my original ear, and no one would ever be able to tell I had my ears gauged in the past. I took Friday off and went in for surgery. They put me under local anesthesia and excised the hole and repaired the lobe tissues. The earlobes will look like normal earlobes once you heal, and it only takes a few days to recover. I went to work on Monday. I have an olive complexion, and I was concerned about scarring, but the small scars healed faster than I thought. You can’t really see anything unless you look up close, and even then, the scars are tiny. It was definitely worth it for me and I will not be taking part in anymore body modification ever again!

Earlobe gauge repair is a pretty straightforward procedure that can be done under local anesthesia in a plastic surgeon's office.  It essentially entails excising the large hole and repairing the lobe tissues in a manner that restores the earlobe contour.  Recovery time is just a couple of days.  Scarring is usually minimal, but may be more noticeable depending upon skin type and size of the hole being repaired.