Repair of Gauge Earring Defects

Gauge earrings have become a popular fad among the punk rock-alternative-fashionista-rebel crowd. As they say in this post-modern era, there is nothing new under the sun. The stretched earlobe body piercing is a style that has been around for millennia as well as across different cultures. The look is typically created by slowly exchanging progressively larger plugs or using cone-shaped taper jewelry to stretch the opening increasingly. The process must be gradual to avoid a “blowout” of the earlobe, where the thin rim splits open due to excessive strain.

But what happens when your big earlobe holes are no longer congruent with your lifestyle? Work situations change; social situations change. While those monster lobes may have looked cool when working at a tattoo parlor, they probably won’t cut it working at a bank. Removal of the over-sized jewelry will allow some shrinking of the earlobe. However, gauged earlobes over 10 mm in size are not likely going to return back to normal without plastic surgery.

The patient shown used to wear 1-inch diameter gauge earrings, but he had them out for the last 5-6 years. The earlobe hole managed to shrunk to 3/4-inch diameter. The stretched lobe was repaired by freshening the edges and performing a double opposing closure: the lateral surface was closed horizontally, while the medial surface was closed vertically. Techniques vary depending on the size of the defect and require careful examination and planning for the best results.