I had a patient consult with our office recently who inquired about ear lobe reduction/reshaping. This happens to be a niche procedure that not a lot of plastic surgeons actually perform on a regular basis. Given the fact that my practice focuses on facial plastic surgery here in San Diego, ear lobe reduction is something that I have done fairly consistently over the years. It is actually a variation of a limited otoplasty, or ear reshaping. Most patients present with a chief complaint that their ear lobes simply look too large. Others note that the ear lobe is too thick in appearance. In some instances, this can impact whether or not the patient can wear certain types of earrings. Most patients looking to have ear lobe reduction desire a smaller, thinner ear lobe that simply is not distracting to the eye. The photos below demonstrate a case of ear lobe reduction in one of my patients from La Jolla. As you can see from her preoperative photo, below left, she had fairly thick, wide ear lobes that were particularly distracting to her. Now some people looking at her would likely not notice anything abnormal. However, she was definitely bothered by their appearance and desired to have them reduced in size. We performed the limited otoplasty ear lobe reduction under straight local anesthesia in the office setting. Her incisions were hidden nicely to minimize any sign of me having been there. As you can see from her postoperative photo, below right, her new ear lobes now look smaller and thinner as well as more feminine. Yet, they still look natural. If you are considering ear lobe reduction surgery, simply contact my office today to schedule a consultation.
