“Earlobe repair sounds simple, but technique decides whether the result holds for life or pulls open again at the next earring. As a double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon trained at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, and through an AAFPRS fellowship in Beverly Hills, I close every layer of the lobe — not just the skin — so the repair is durable enough to be re-pierced and elegant enough that the scar reads as the natural edge of the ear. Every earlobe repair I perform is done by me personally, at True Surgical Center, in a single short visit.”
What earlobe repair can do for you
Earlobe repair corrects stretched, split, or elongated lobes from years of heavy earrings, traumatic tears, or gauge piercings. Dr. Truesdale closes every layer of the lobe in a single short visit at True Surgical Center under local anesthesia — producing a smooth, intact lobe that is ready to be re-pierced six weeks later.
- A clean, intact lobe — no more split, slit, or pulled-through hole drawing the eye.
- Re-piercing in six weeks — once the repair has healed, the lobe is ready for earrings again.
- A lasting repair — torn tissue cannot reattach on its own; a surgical repair restores the lobe, though heavy earrings can stretch or tear it again.
- One short visit — under an hour, local anesthesia only, at True Surgical Center; no general anesthesia, no labs and no medical clearance.
- A discreet, fading scar — the incision lies along the natural edge of the lobe and softens to near-invisibility over the year that follows.
Understanding the earlobe repair
What the earlobe repair is
Earlobe repair corrects stretched, split, or elongated lobes from years of heavy earrings or traumatic tears. It is done at True Surgical Center under local anesthesia only, takes under an hour and restores a smooth, intact lobe ready to be re-pierced. An earlobe reduction makes a long or large lobe smaller, the same way.
Who the earlobe repair is for
If any of the following describes you, the earlobe repair may be worth exploring:
What makes Dr. Truesdale’s approach different
Dr. Truesdale’s approach to every procedure reflects a consistent set of principles — the same standards that inform every consultation, every surgical plan, and every post-operative follow-up.
Restraint, Not Over-Correction
The most over-done procedures in facial aesthetics are over-done because someone kept going past the right stopping point. Dr. Truesdale's rule: when the result is right, stop — even if more could technically be done. For earlobe repair, that means restoring the lobe’s natural curve — not over-resection that leaves a thin or pinched lobe.
The Artist's Eye
Before becoming a surgeon, Dr. Truesdale was a trained portrait artist. That lens shapes every decision — proportion, light, shadow, the relationship between every feature — in a way purely clinical training alone does not. For earlobe work, that lens reads the lobe’s geometry so the final scar follows the natural shadow line.
Personal, Start to Finish
Every consultation, every surgical plan, every procedure — performed personally by Dr. Truesdale. No delegation to coordinators, PAs, or residents. Dr. Truesdale is personally involved every step of the way. Every earlobe repair is performed by Dr. Truesdale — small procedure, but the scar position determines the result.
Natural Is Non-Negotiable
The only acceptable outcome is one that no one can identify as a procedure — a result that reads as a better version of you. No pulled look, no frozen expression, no obvious work. The earlobe-repair goal: a lobe that simply looks intact, with a scar most people never notice.
“A small operation with a large return — confidence back in earrings, back in photographs.”
— Dr. Carl Truesdale, MD
From first consultation to final reveal
We always tell our patients to ‘trust the process.’ You are in good hands on every step of the journey to your unique masterpiece.
Consultation
Evaluate the damage and plan the reconstruction with Dr. Truesdale personally.
Procedure Day
Repair or reduction at True Surgical Center under local anesthesia only. Both earlobes are typically treated in the same session.
Healing
Sutures come out at Day 7 — or, if they’re dissolvable, there’s nothing to remove. Sleep on your back or the other side for the first week, so nothing presses on the lobe.
Re-Piercing
Ears can be re-pierced at 6 weeks, usually in our office as part of your procedure — or by a local piercer if you’re home by then. Wear your favorite earrings again.
Individual timelines vary. Dr. Truesdale sets realistic, patient-specific expectations during your consultation — not exaggerated claims.
Meet Your Surgeon
Dr. Truesdale on technique, philosophy, and patient stories — from his self-produced Beyond the Surface docuseries and his educational content library.
Making a long or large earlobe smaller
An earlobe reduction makes a long or large earlobe smaller, by removing a small wedge of the lobe and closing it in layers so the scar sits along a natural edge of the ear. After a repair or a reduction, our practice can pierce your ears 6 weeks later.
It is done the same way as a repair: under local anesthesia only, at True Surgical Center, with the same aftercare below, and it can be done together with a repair. After a reduction, the consent notes that the lobe may end up smaller or larger than planned, or a different shape, and a revision may be needed.
Recovery after earlobe repair or reduction
This comes from the written instructions our patients receive before surgery, so it changes only when those instructions change.
Done under local anesthesia only, your earlobe surgery needs no labs and no medical clearance. Take out all of your earrings before you arrive.
Mild swelling, tenderness and bruising of the earlobe for a few days. Sleep on your back, or on the other side, so nothing presses on the earlobe. Ice 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, for 5 days to a week. Starting Day 1, clean the incisions 2 to 3 times a day with soap and water or peroxide, then apply Aquaphor. Dissolvable sutures need no removal; others come out at your Day 7 visit.
No earrings in the treated ear until it is re-pierced. Re-piercing is at 6 weeks, usually in our office and included in your price; if you live out of town, you can have it done locally at home. A scar that becomes thick, raised or painful, or stays itchy after the first few weeks, can be an early keloid. Call us: a steroid injection given early prevents it.
The scar softens and fades over 3 to 6 months; wear SPF 50 on your ears and limit direct sun. Heavy or dangling earrings can stretch or tear the lobe again, so choose light ones.
Earlobe repair and reduction risks
Every operation carries risk. Dr. Truesdale goes through the risks that apply to your plan at your consultation, and each one is written in the consent you read and sign. For earlobe repair or reduction, the consent lists:
- Notch. A notch or irregularity of the earlobe edge is possible.
- Recurrence. The tear may come back, or a new piercing may stretch or tear the lobe again, especially with heavy earrings.
- Over- or Under-Reduction. After an earlobe reduction, the lobe may end up smaller or larger than planned, or a different shape, and a revision may be needed.
- Asymmetry. A difference between the two earlobes is possible.
- Visible Scar. A visible scar on the earlobe is possible.
- Keloid on the Earlobe. The earlobe is a common place for a keloid. Itching, thickening or a growth along the incision can be the first sign; let us know right away so it can be injected with a steroid to stop the keloid from forming.
- Re-piercing Too Early. Re-piercing waits until 6 weeks after surgery; piercing earlier can tear the lobe again.
Risks of any operation
- Bleeding. Bleeding during or after surgery is possible. A collection of blood under the skin (hematoma) may need drainage or a return to the operating room, and severe bleeding may need emergency treatment or a blood transfusion.
- Infection. Infection is possible and may need antibiotics, drainage or further surgery.
- Bruising and Swelling. Bruising and swelling are expected. They may last several weeks, and swelling or discoloration may persist longer.
- Scarring. Every incision or entry point leaves a permanent scar. A scar may be raised, widened, darker, lighter or more visible than expected, and takes at least 3 months to mature.
- Keloid or Raised Scar. Itching, thickening, pain or a growth along any incision can be the first sign of a keloid (a thick, raised scar). Let us know right away so it can be injected with a steroid to stop the keloid from forming. A keloid is more likely if you have had one before and may need further injections or treatment.
- Change in Skin Sensation. Numbness, tingling or a change in skin sensation around the treated areas is possible; it may be temporary or permanent.
- Delayed Healing. Delayed healing or separation of an incision is possible and much more likely with nicotine in any form.
- Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions to tape, sutures, skin cleansers, latex or medications are possible.
- Blood Clots. Blood clots in the legs or lungs (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) are possible and more likely with longer surgery; your surgical team uses the clot-prevention plan chosen for you.
- Anesthesia. Risks of anesthesia and sedation are possible; the anesthesia provider reviews them with you separately.
- Pain. Pain after surgery is expected and should settle over several days; pain that lasts longer is possible.
- Result and Revision. A result that does not meet your expectations is possible: healing differs between people, no result is guaranteed, and a revision may be advised, with the fees described in your patient policy.
- Serious Complications. Serious complications, including death, are possible with any surgery or anesthesia.
- Heart and Lung Problems. Heart or lung problems, such as pneumonia or an irregular heartbeat, are possible after surgery and anesthesia.
- Medication Side Effects. Side effects of the medications used during and after surgery, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness or trouble urinating, are possible.
- Injury to Deeper Structures. Injury to deeper structures, such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles or glands, is possible.
- Persistent Sutures. A deeper stitch may work its way to the surface and need to be removed.
Earlobe Repair FAQs
Bring your own questions to consultation — Dr. Truesdale personally answers every one. Below are the questions patients ask most often about earlobe repair.
The strongest candidates have stretched, split, or torn earlobes from heavy earrings, trauma, or years of gauging. Dr. Truesdale evaluates you personally in consultation and only recommends the procedure when it will genuinely help. If a different approach would serve you better, he’ll tell you that too.
The lobe can be re-pierced by our practice 6 weeks after a repair or reduction. It’s usually done in our office and included in the price of your procedure; if you’re home by then, a local piercer can do it instead. Re-piercing is ideally placed to avoid the original scar line, and Dr. Truesdale’s team can guide you on timing and placement at follow-up.
Most patients describe the discomfort as mild to moderate. The procedure is performed at True Surgical Center under local anesthesia only. Dr. Truesdale’s team is available throughout recovery — you are not managing discomfort on your own.
Local anesthesia only. Earlobe repair and earlobe reduction are done at True Surgical Center with the lobe numbed, so they need no labs and no medical clearance.
Yes. An earlobe reduction makes a long or large earlobe smaller, under local anesthesia at True Surgical Center, with the same aftercare as a repair; it can be done together with a repair. See earlobe reduction.
The consent you read and sign lists these possible complications: a notch or irregularity of the earlobe edge; the tear coming back, or a new piercing stretching or tearing the lobe again, especially with heavy earrings; after a reduction, a lobe smaller or larger than planned, or a different shape; a difference between the two earlobes; a visible scar on the earlobe; a keloid, since the earlobe is a common place for one (itching, thickening or a growth along the incision means call us right away for a steroid injection); and tearing the lobe again by re-piercing before 6 weeks. It also lists the risks of any operation, including bleeding, infection and allergic reactions. Dr. Truesdale reviews each one with you. See earlobe repair and reduction risks.
Plan on 1–3 days off work of social downtime. Your sutures may be dissolvable, with nothing to remove; otherwise they come out at your Day 7 visit. Mild swelling, tenderness and bruising settle within a few days. Most patients resume normal activity within 48 hours. Your follow-up appointments along the way are conducted by Dr. Truesdale and our physician assistant, with Dr. Truesdale seeing you personally at the key milestones.
That’s the entire standard Dr. Truesdale designs for. The repair should be so subtle that no one notices — including you. Every patient is evaluated in a seated, relaxed state beforehand so the target is based on your real anatomy — never on an idealized template.
The repair is meant to last, but the consent notes that the tear may come back, or a new piercing may stretch or tear the lobe again, especially with heavy earrings. Choose light earrings, and wait until 6 weeks after surgery to re-pierce.
Yes. A significant portion of Dr. Truesdale’s patients travel from across the United States and internationally. The process begins with a virtual consultation with Dr. Truesdale himself (not a coordinator), followed by in-person pre-procedure evaluation. Our patient-care coordinators help arrange travel, accommodations, and local transportation, and Dr. Truesdale’s team conducts virtual follow-ups after you return home.
Request a consultation through the form at the bottom of this page, email contact@doctortruesdale.com, or call (424) 363-4112. Our team responds within one business day to schedule either an in-person consultation at 150 S. Rodeo Drive, Suite 360, Beverly Hills, or a virtual consultation worldwide. Every consultation is conducted personally by Dr. Truesdale.
Earlobe repair can be performed at any age. Most patients pursue it in their 40s through 60s, after decades of heavy earrings have gradually elongated the piercing channel or torn the earlobe entirely.
The cost of earlobe repair can vary based on the patient’s situation, including if it is a revision surgery and if this surgery will be combined with other surgeries or treatments. The total cost may include the surgeon’s fee, operating room fees, and anesthesia fees. At Truesdale Facial Plastic Surgery, we believe the surgeon’s philosophy and experience, and your comfort with him, are just as important as the final cost of the surgery. We can provide an approximate range for this procedure over the phone, and your patient care coordinator (PCC) will confirm the pricing for you after your consultation with Dr. Truesdale.
Schedule your earlobe repair consultation
Every consultation is conducted personally by Dr. Truesdale. We respond same-day, Monday-Friday. International patients: WhatsApp (424) 363-4112.
Book a Surgical Discovery Call online
After clicking the booking link, select “new patient” under Schedule Your Appointment and fill out the form to see our current availability for a Surgical Discovery Call with a Patient Care Coordinator and book immediately. Call us (424) 363-4112 for additional appointment times and information.All times are based on Los Angeles, Pacific Time (PT).
Book Discovery Call →