What to Do If You Have Large Ears

Did you know that 78% of millennials feel insecure about their appearance? Sometimes having large ears plays a role in their self-conscious feelings. Fortunately, there's a cosmetic surgery called otoplasty or "ear pinning" that can help. Of course, the thought of ear surgery or consulting a cosmetic surgeon might seem daunting.

The following guide will explain everything you need to know about the process and how it works to reduce ear size.

What Is Otoplasty?
Setback otoplasty surgeries aim to fix ears that protrude from the skull. An otoplasty specialist can do the procedure as soon as a person's ears have fully grown, which is around 5 to 6 years old.

They usually perform the procedure by making an incision behind the patient's protruding ears. Then, they reshape the cartilage to form an antihelix-shaped fold. The fold keeps the ear in its new position that sits closer to the patient's head. Occasionally, the surgeon uses extra sutures on the backside of the conchal to pull the whole ear toward the side of the patient's head.

After the procedure, they use postoperative dressings to help hold the patient's ears in position. The dressing usually must stay in place for about 1 or 2 weeks before removal. Patients can leave and go home on the same day as their otoplasty surgery. Keep in mind that patients do need a general anesthetic even though it's an outpatient operation.

Otoplasty Preparation
First, a surgeon goes over your medical history, prior procedures, and the present surgical options. They also ask you about your goals and wishes for your ear surgery. A doctor will thoroughly describe how the surgery works and explain details about the recovery process. If you both decide that otoplasty is the proper surgery for your unique needs, the doctor creates a special surgery plan.

After creating a plan, they can tell you the exact cost of the otoplasty surgery. Then, a patient coordinator goes over your payment options such as financing for healthcare.

Recovery Time
Typically, it takes patients about 1 to 2 weeks to recover from their otoplasty surgery. In the beginning, patients might feel a subtle discomfort, but they'll be sent home with suitable pain medications to help.

Patients may experience swelling or bruising, but it will decrease over the next few weeks. Sometimes doctors issue a headband to help a patient's ears heal after surgery. Patients often feel recovered enough to go back to work or school in about a week.

Non-Surgical Methods
The main way to avoid surgery for a protruding ear is to identify it in the first weeks after a child is born. A simple ear molding can correct this issue and bypass the need for surgery in some cases. It's important to note that infants have soft and flexible ears. This is what makes them eligible for a non-surgical ear molding device.

Say Goodbye to Large Ears
You now know that there's an outpatient operation that can fix large ears for good. The surgery doesn't take long, there are financing options, and it only takes a few weeks to recover from.

Check out the rest of our site for more great ways to build confidence in your appearance.