Repair a torn earlobe

A torn earlobe comes in two forms. With a partially torn earlobe the hole has stretched into a slit, but the bottom is still intact. With a fully torn earlobe the lobe is completely open at the bottom.

There are also earlobes that aren't torn, but are out of shape: a stretched hole, a large hole after wearing a tunnel, or an earlobe you feel is too large. Each of those situations has its own correction.

It's usually a matter of years. Heavy earrings pull on the hole a little every day, until it stretches or tears. The same happens with a tunnel that makes the hole bigger step by step.

Sometimes it happens in one go: an earring that catches on a jumper, a scarf or a child's hand. And even without earrings, an earlobe changes over the years.

Whatever the cause, the result is often the same. An earring no longer hangs neatly, or you stop wearing them altogether.

It all starts with a free consult. The surgeon assesses whether your earlobe is suitable for correction, explains how it works and discusses the result. If you like, you schedule a date straight away.

On the day itself the surgeon carefully marks your earlobe. Under local anaesthetic a small incision follows, often in a zigzag shape, after which the damaged tissue is removed and the earlobe is neatly stitched. That takes about 30 minutes.

Afterwards you recover calmly in our recovery room with a healthy juice, and you get a Soap bag with everything for your recovery. You go home the same day, but don't drive yourself.

The procedure and recovery are usually experienced as not very demanding. You pick up your daily activities almost immediately. Only swimming, sauna and contact sports are off for about a week.

The stitches stay in for about 14 days and are removed during a check up. After about six weeks you see the final result.

You can wear earrings again after that. Let your earlobe heal fully first and often wait a few months for a new hole, which the doctor usually places slightly differently from the old one.

An earlobe correction costs €499 for one ear and €699 for two ears. A tunnel correction and an earlobe reduction both cost €699 for one side and €999 for two.

An earlobe correction is almost always seen as a cosmetic procedure and is therefore not covered by health insurers.

All amounts are listed on the surgery prices. Our rates are the same at all our locations.

During a free consult the surgeon looks at your earlobe and honestly tells you what's possible. You're not committed to anything.

Want to know what else our surgeons do? Take a look at surgery.