Earlobe Repair & Piercing IN LA JOLLA AND NEWPORT BEACH | TIM SAYED MD
Properly fitting earrings are part of everyday beauty for many patients.
Special events call for bringing out your finest set, and even a small stud can add character to your look. However, with chronic use of earrings, especially hoops and large, heavy settings, earlobes can get stretched and pulled. In some cases, a pierce hole can pull all the way through and make the ear look like it has a cleft. This can make it impossible to actually fit an earring (other than a clip-on), limiting a patient’s wardrobe choices and even causing significant embarrassment. In addition, some patients want a first or an additional piercing, or have had modifications to the earlobe that they want reversed. Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS can help you improve the appearance of your earlobes in many ways.
Learn more about the best earlobe surgery in Newport Beach and La Jolla, CA by reading on or scheduling a consultation with Dr. Sayed today. Dr. Sayed has offices in both La Jolla and Newport Beach, and he proudly serves patients coming from all over Orange County, San Diego County, and Southern California.
Earlobe Repair & Piercing 101
Earlobe procedures are usually done under local anesthesia with sterile technique. Dr. Sayed uses a special method to repair torn earlobes that can prevent you from having to be re-pierced, by preserving just the right amount of your original pierce hole. Some surgeons just sew up the tear and have you come back for another piercing; while there is nothing wrong with that approach, Dr. Sayed feels a slight modification can avoid the second procedure and make for even happier patients.
Some of the options available for improvement and correction of earlobes include:
- Reducing a large hanging earlobe
- Repairing a partial or complete tear of the pierce hole
- Piercing (first, second or multiple piercings)
- Repair of modified earlobes (hoop earlobes, etc.)
- Removal of cysts or lumps in the earlobe
- Correction of a pixie ear deformity after prior facelift
How do I know if I am a candidate for earlobe surgery in Newport Beach?
Some of our selection criteria to include you or your child as an earlobe procedure candidate include:
- A torn earlobe, large earlobe, pixie ear after facelift, hoop ear, excess or inadequate piercings, desire for first piercing
- General good health
- Nonsmoker or willing to commit to NO NICOTINE IN ANY FORM for at least 3 weeks preop and for the duration of your recovery (obviously this is not applicable to most school-aged kids)
- Willingness to follow instructions strictly in order to optimize healing
How can I prepare for my (or my child’s) earlobe surgery in San Diego?
There are many ways you can prepare for the procedure:
- Have a reasonable expectation of what the procedure can accomplish
- Look at before and after photos and understand what kinds of techniques may be employed
- Don’t expose the patient to smoke or nicotine in any form for at least 3 weeks and ideally longer before (and after) surgery
- Stay well rested and well hydrated and eat a nutritious diet balanced with plenty of protein
- Obtain sterilizable earrings prior to your one week postop visit if you had a pierce hole repair
- Plan on staying out of sports for 10-14 days
Meet Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS
Double board-certified plastic surgeon | Breast Explant Expert
Dr. Tim Sayed and his staff believe that the commitment to undergoing cosmetic treatment is a momentous decision that needs to be approached with kindness and compassion, and this starts by offering a comprehensive, detailed consultation process with an emphasis on educating the patient about plastic surgery procedures and options. Dr. Sayed uses sophisticated drawing tools, the patient’s images, and anatomic education tools that he helped develop himself to inform the patient of every aspect of the procedure. Dr Sayed’s signature procedures include breast implant removal, breast lift and tummy tuck.
What is recovery from earlobe surgery like?
Most otoplasties are performed under local anesthesia in the office. We may ask you to bring in stud earrings in one week after your repair, which we will sterilize and then place into the pierce hole. New piercings can usually wear the new stud for 6 weeks and then change it out for other earrings of choice. Modified earlobes, pixie ear repairs and earlobe reductions may require a couple of weeks of healing. Dr. Sayed gives a 24 hour phone number to all patients who can reach him for urgent questions, and we also issue access to a patient engagement application that allows the patient or companion/caregiver to send SMS messages, photos, video and other content to our team in a secure, private digital format. This keeps us mutually informed on your recovery and allows us to update your instructions while requiring a respectful number of face-to-face visits in the office.
Early postop recovery findings can include ear bruising and swelling, mild discomfort, a small amount of drainage, dryness, and some mental adjustment to the process of healing which most patients undergo. Usually the majority of swelling subsides within a couple of days and bruising is either resolved or easily concealed within 7-10 days. If you have Dr. Sayed’s stent technique for repair of a torn earlobe, you will be asked to wear a special device in the pierce hole for a week. This will be replaced with a stud earring that you obtain which we can place with sterile technique.
We ask that the patient abstain from exercise for 2 weeks and then return to light fitness routines after that. Dr. Sayed and his team provide close postop care in the office and with our remote engagement tools. You will be asked to take some supplement medications to aid in your recovery, which may include medications of pain, bruising, swelling, and dietary optimization.
How long do San Diego earlobe surgery results usually last?
Motivated patients who follow instructions usually have a nice result with a well-shaped earlobe that has durable piercings (depending on the procedure performed), which may be permanent improvements. Patients at risk for recurring problems with the earlobes include smokers, patients with healing and immune system compromise, those who wear very heavy earrings routinely, and those with tissues thinned out from multiple procedures.
Schedule Your earlobe surgery Consultation Today
Double board-certified plastic surgeon, Tim Sayed, MD, MBA,FACS, has helped countless women achieve the results and confidence they desire. Dr. Sayed and his expert team are committed to providing the best results and experience possible. To start your earlobe surgery journey in Newport Beach or San Diego, CA please call us at (858) 247-2933 or complete our online form.
Newport Beach Earlobe Repair & Piercing FAQs
Each earlobe can be repaired in about 20 minutes including the time it takes to numb the ear. Piercings take only a few minutes. Reduction of a large earlobe or correction of a pixie ear may take 20-30 minutes or so per ear.
We don’t like to publish pricing as it is subject to market changes and dependent on the types of procedures you consider. Review our Pricing page to build a “wishlist” and get estimated pricing on earlobe surgery or a combination of procedures. We also have a fee schedule available in the office after your consultation. Feel free to contact our San Diego office for a pre-consultation and we are happy to provide more information. There is a range of pricing depending on whether you are seeking a simple piercing, repair of a prior piercehole tear, or a more involved procedure like an earlobe reduction or pixie ear correction.
