Learn why Earlobe Fillers are so popular

While many women love the look of their favorite earrings, years of wearing them combined with the effects of gravity can cause their earlobes to stretch out.

In order to combat this problem, some ladies are turning to ear fillers to solve the issue. Ear fillers plump the earlobes with hyaluronic acid filler, such as Restylane, to add volume to the area.

Dr. Melissa Doft, a plastic surgeon in New York City, says extra volume from fillers gives earring posts a greater amount of cushion. In turn, this helps earring studs stick out straighter while allowing diamonds on earrings to better catch the light.

Doft says she stumbled upon the idea of using fillers in the earlobe area by chance. She recently told The New York Post, “As I was filling in [my patients’] cheeks, I started saving a little bit of filler and filling out their earlobes.” The cost of having ear fillers depends on the amount of filler used but it normally runs anywhere from $600 to $800.

Doft is currently seeing 3 to 5 patients per week for the procedure. Patients like the treatment because there is no downtime after the injections.

Since droopy earlobes can prevent patients from buying new earrings that they love, or wearing earrings given to them as a special gift, female patients are eager to have the procedure in order to wear earrings they love.

Ideal Candidates for Earlobe Fillers

As people age, the loss of elasticity and collagen in our skin causes sagging and not just on the face. The earlobes can show signs of aging too and become droopy and wrinkly which makes a person look older or make it harder to hold in earrings. Earlobe rejuvenation (or a Lobe Lift) is a quick and easy fix that restores lost volume to aging, damaged earlobes so patients can wear heavy or dangling earrings again. 

A good candidate for this procedure is anyone who is unhappy with excessive lines and wrinkles on their ears or those who have stretched out earlobe holes. In general, women who are used to wearing larger earrings, or who have had significant sun exposure, and simply want to have less wrinkled lobes are all good candidates for this procedure. Prior to the procedure, patients need to go for an allergy test to be sure they aren't allergic to any of the substances used during the procedure.

How Earlobe Filler is performed

Earlobe filler is a relatively straightforward procedure. Just like any other injectable filler procedure, it begins with the application of a local anesthetic agent such as numbing creams to ensure the comfort of the patient. After the application of the anesthetic agent, the filler made of hyaluronic acid is injected to plump up the deflated earlobe and help support the weight of larger earrings while smoothing out the look of wrinkles. Small droplets of hyaluronic acid are applied around the perimeter of the earlobe with ultra-fine needles to increase its volume and make the ear stronger and younger-looking. This is performed as an in-office procedure so patients can carry on with their daily routine like nothing happened. The procedure itself takes about 30 minutes.

To make sure the earlobes don’t look unnaturally puffed up, the filler is placed only in areas where the skin has thinned and appears to be drooping. If the filler was injected all over the earlobe, the earlobes would end up looking swollen. The strategic placement also helps to strengthen the ears to prevent further stretching and drooping.

What to Expect after an Earlobe Filler Procedure

Like most injectable fillers procedures, earlobe filler requires little to no downtime after the treatment. Following the procedure, patients can expect some minor bruising, swelling and redness but all of these conditions will dissipate quickly. There are minor restrictions in regards to the activities patients can engage in post-procedure. It is advised that patients refrain from wearing heavy earrings for at least a week. To maintain the results of the procedure, follow-up treatments are required at least once every nine to twelve months. For those who are new to the procedure, it is recommended they undergo the treatment every six months for the first two years and then have it performed about once a year.

Earlobe Fillers and Earlobes that Hang Low

If the major concern of the patient is that their earlobes are so weak that they hang low, there is only so much the fillers can do in correcting this condition. In such cases, patients will need to go through earlobe reduction as a first step. Earlobe fillers aren’t a dramatic overhaul. They are more of a subtle tweak.  Earlobe reduction is a more drastic procedure to deal with lobes that are hanging low.

The procedure is also quite simple. Performed by a plastic surgeon, the surgery consists of injecting the earlobe with local anesthesia to ensure patient comfort before cutting a wedge of the earlobe out. The remaining earlobe is reattached to the head which results in a smaller, more youthful ear. The procedure requires minor time for recovery. Minor bruising, swelling, tingling and numbness can be expected following the procedure. These all dissipate with time.