A complete break
The lobe is divided from below into two parts; the edges healed separately from each other.
CONDITION / EARS
A torn or stretched earlobe.
A torn earlobe is a tear through the earring hole: complete, when the lobe has split to the edge, or incomplete, when the hole has stretched into a slit. The lobe is also stretched by the tunnels, and with age it lengthens. It is restored by surgery, and the method is chosen according to the size and shape of the defect.
CONCEPTUAL VISUALIZATION- What it is
- The lobe has torn through the earring hole, the hole has stretched into a gap, or the lobe has elongated.
- Urgent?
- A long-standing breakup is no, it is a planned situation. A fresh break - see a doctor the same day.
- Is it coming back?
- In a series of 68 patients, the gap returned in 1.2% over 4–10 years of follow-up.
- Who treats it
- A fresh wound - a trauma center or a surgeon; lobe restoration — plastic surgeon.
01 / WHAT IS ITWhat is
What is
torn lobe.
The earlobe is the soft lower part of the ear without cartilage, in which piercings are made for earrings. A torn lobule is a common problem with which surgeons are referred. Tears and deformations of the earlobe often occur due to long-term wearing of earrings and injuries.
The rupture is complete: the earring cut through the earlobe to the lower edge, and it split into two parts. Sometimes it is incomplete: the opening has elongated into a gap, but the lower edge is intact. Incomplete tears usually occur in both ears.
A separate situation is stretching punctures, when tunnels or "gauges" of increasingly larger diameter are inserted into the lobe. They are usually done before the age of 30, and later some people want to return the nipple to its natural shape. Another reason is age: the ears get larger over the years, and this is most noticeable from the lobe, which is elongated and droops.
A long-standing tear does not require urgent care, but it interferes with wearing earrings and is visible from the side. A fresh tear is a wound that needs to be examined the same day.
This is general information. The doctor will tell you what will suit you after the examination.
02 / SIGNSHow does it look
How does it look
torn lobe.
How the lobe looks depends on how it will be restored: the size of the defect, the thickness and shape of the lobe.
Incomplete rupture
The hole for the earring has elongated into a gap, the earring hangs lower than it was, but the edge of the lobe is intact.
The opening after the tunnel
A large round hole or a thin, drooping lobe after stretching punctures.
Elongated lobe
With age, the lobe became longer and drooped, wrinkles appeared on it.
Lump on the lobe
A hard lump around the puncture that gradually grows — possibly a keloid.
Keloid of the auricleInflamed puncture
Around the puncture there is swelling, pain, the lobe is hot and red, blood or pus flows from the hole.
03 / REASONSWhy the lobe?
Why the lobe?
tearing and stretching.
The surgeon finds out the cause not only for the sake of the diagnosis: it depends on how to restore the earlobe and whether it is possible to wear earrings again afterwards.
Earrings
Long-term wearing of earrings, especially heavy ones, can gradually stretch the hole to the point of tearing the earlobe.
Injury
The earring was pulled - the earlobe can tear immediately, and then it is a fresh wound.
Tunnels
Stretch punctures leave a large opening; the larger the defect, the more difficult it is to restore.
age
Over the years, the ears increase in all dimensions, and the lobe lengthens and sags.
Complications of puncture
Infection, bleeding, an earring grown in the lobe, a keloid or a rough scar. The risk of infection and bleeding is increased by piercing without observing sterility and tissue trauma with a piercing gun.
Previous operations
Deformation of the earlobe can also be left by operations — for example, a facelift.
Complications after a facelift
04 / SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE
When to seek medical advice?
A torn or stretched earlobe does not require emergency care — it is a planned situation. If the lobe has just ruptured, press the wound with a clean napkin or bandage and see a doctor the same day.
103 or immediately to the reception department, if:
- bleeding does not stop, although the wound is pressed;
- the blood is gushing, bright red and hard to stop;
- the wound is large or deep.
Do not delay:
On the same day: to a trauma center or a surgeon, if the lobe has just ruptured - the wound will be treated, it will be decided whether to sew it up immediately, and protection against tetanus will be checked. On the same day - and if the puncture is inflamed: swelling, pain, the lobe is hot and red, blood or pus flows from the hole, you feel cold, hot or generally feel bad. Do not remove the earring until your doctor tells you to. Planned: old tear, stretched hole, lobe after tunnels, age-related elongation, sealing around the piercing - make an appointment for a consultation when it's convenient. If the bump on the lobe grows quickly, do not delay.
05 / DIAGNOSTICSHow to evaluate
How to evaluate
lobe
- Conversation
When and how did the lobe rupture, were there inflammations, keloids, previous operations; do you want to wear earrings again.
- Examination of both lobes
Complete or incomplete rupture, size of the opening, thickness and shape of the lobe, whether it is droopy.
- Skin assessment
Whether there is inflammation, scarring, or keloid-like formations — the terms and scope of the operation depend on this.
- Photo in standard angles
For planning and comparison.
06 / TREATMENTHow to restore
How to restore
earlobe
A fresh wound is treated first, and an old tear or sprain is repaired according to plan. There are many methods of lobe restoration; they are chosen based on the size of the defect, the shape of the earlobe, and whether the person wants to wear the earrings again.
01
A fresh breakup
The same day.
- First aid
- Apply pressure to the wound with a clean bandage or folded tissue until the bleeding stops.
- Processing and closing
- The wound is cleaned and closed with stitches, strips or special glue. If the wound is infected or there is a risk of infection, it may not be closed immediately.
- Tetanus and antibiotics
- The doctor decides whether a tetanus shot and antibiotics are needed.
02
A long-standing tear and sprain
Planned.
- A complete break
- The healed edges of the tear are excised and stitched. A review of 26 studies described six groups of techniques — from a straight suture to a Z-shaped suture and flaps; complications were relatively rare, the Z-shaped suture had the highest infection rate — 11.5%.
- Incomplete rupture
- During surgery, the tear is often converted to a complete tear and sutured. Non-surgical methods are also described.
- After the tunnels
- In a series of 53 patients, holes smaller than 15 mm in a non-prolapsed lobe were closed by removing the top layer of skin inside the hole and suturing it, and larger holes in prolapsed lobes by excision and tissue redistribution.
- Age extension
- Excess tissue at the lower end of the lobe is cut out and a new edge is formed. Less invasive operations, laser or filling of the lobe with own fat or hyaluronic acid are also possible.
03
Outcome and risks
- Repeated breakup
- In a series of 68 patients, the gap returned in 1.2% over 4–10 years of follow-up.
- Refinement
- In a series of 35 ears, two cases required reoperation due to a notch at the lower edge of the lobe. After lobe reconstruction from tunnels (53 patients), minor complications were 12.5% and 10.8%, depending on the technique, and a significant proportion of patients required minor corrections.
- The final look
- In a series of 20 patients after tunnels, the final appearance of the lobe was usually visible after about 6 months.
- Keloid
- If there is a keloid on the lobule, it is excised with additional treatment: in a review of 85 articles, excision together with hormone or radiation therapy resulted in a longer recurrence-free period than excision alone.
07 / AT THE VALIKHNOVSKYI INSTITUTE
How
How
we treat it.
At Dr. Valikhnovskyi's Institute of Surgery, the auricle is restored in the direction of "Growing an ear" - after injuries, bites and removal of tumors. Small defects are covered here with local tissues, and scars and keloids are treated in combination. How exactly to restore your lobe, the doctor will tell after the examination. A fresh tear is first treated in the trauma center or the reception department.
CLINIC SERVICE
We grow an ear
Auricle with microtia and anotia, after injuries, burns and removal of tumors, consequences of unsuccessful otoplasty.
View service
What we do for this condition
- Local patches — small defects of the auricle are covered with tissues near the defect.
- Restoration according to the shape of a healthy ear — the lost part is restored so that it corresponds to the healthy ear.
- Treatment of rough scars — silicone gel or plates, hormone injections into the scar.
- Keloid — are cut out only together with additional treatment, because it tends to return.
Rostislav Valikhnovskyi
Plastic surgeon, candidate of medical sciences, founder of Dr. Valikhnovskyi Institute of Surgery.
How treatment works with us
- Photo onlineSend a photo of both ears from the front and from the side - the doctor will first assess the situation.
- ConsultationExamination of the lobes, assessment of the size of the defect, skin and scars.
- PlanHow to restore the earlobe, whether to save the hole for the earring and when it will be possible to pierce it again.
- SurgeryThe technique is selected according to the defect - a tear, a stretched hole, the consequences of tunnels or elongation.
- RecoverySuture care and examinations until healing; the final appearance of the lobe takes several months.
08 / QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSCommon
Common
questions
Short answers. What is right for you, the doctor will tell you during the consultation.
The lobe just broke. Is it possible to sew immediately?
A fresh wound is cleaned and closed with stitches, strips or glue. If the wound is infected or there is a risk of infection, it may not be closed immediately. See a doctor the same day, and if the bleeding does not stop, call 103.
Can the earring hole be saved?
Some techniques preserve the opening during lobe restoration. But many authors advise to completely close the gap, and pierce the lobe later. What is better in your case is decided at the consultation.
When can you get your ear pierced again?
The term is determined by the surgeon after healing. A puncture directly in the scar can increase the risk that the hole will stretch again, so the place for a new puncture is chosen together with the doctor.
The opening has only stretched, the lobe is intact. Is surgery necessary?
If the gap bothers you, it can be fixed. During surgery, an incomplete tear is often converted into a complete one and sutured; non-surgical methods are also described. The doctor will tell you what will suit you after the examination.
Is it possible to restore the lobe after tunnels?
Yes. The technique is chosen according to the size of the hole: small holes are sutured, and large holes in drooping lobes require a more complicated operation. A significant number of patients then need minor corrections.
Can the lobe tear again?
Maybe, but in a series of 68 patients, it happened in 1.2% over 4–10 years. To reduce the risk, together with the doctor choose the place of the new piercing and earrings.
After the puncture, a lump grew on the lobe. What is it?
It could be a keloid—in a study of 94 children with lobe keloids, the most common cause was a puncture. Keloid tends to return: during a median follow-up of 2 years, it returned in 28.7% of children. Therefore, it is excised together with additional treatment.
The lobe lengthened with age. Is this being fixed?
Yes. The ears get larger over the years, and the earlobe lengthens and droops. Excess fabric can be cut out and form a new edge; less invasive methods are also possible.
Sources
17 sources · systematic reviews, meta-analyses, patient series and NHSshowCollapse
- Outcomes and complications of Traumatic ear lobe repair techniques: A systematic reviewJournal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022doi:10.1111/jocd.14223 ↗
- Earlobe Correction of the Pierced Ear: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Principles for Surgical ReconstructionFacial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine, 2023doi:10.1089/fpsam.2021.0269 ↗
- Esthetic and reconstructive options for earlobe deformitiesJournal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2025doi:10.25259/JCAS_122_2024 ↗
- Torn earlobe: a new approach to management with a review of 68 casesAnnals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 1994doi:10.1177/000348949410301109 ↗
- Repair of the torn earlobeFacial Plastic Surgery, 2004doi:10.1055/s-2004-822957 ↗
- Repair of Gauged Earlobes: Case Series and Review of Two Techniques According to SizeJournal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2021doi:10.4103/JCAS.JCAS_116_20 ↗
- Reconstructing the gauge earlobe defectJAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 2015doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2014.1249 ↗
- Use of a deep polypropylene suture during earlobe repair: a method to provide permanent reinforcement in the prevention of recurrent earlobe tract elongationDermatologic Surgery, 2005doi:10.2310/6350.2005.31212 ↗
- Laser earlobe revisionDermatologic Surgery, 2013doi:10.1111/dsu.12223 ↗
- Nonsurgical technique for incomplete earlobe cleft repairDermatologic Surgery, 2009doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2009.01075.x ↗
- Earlobe cleft reconstructive surgeryBrazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, 2006doi:10.1016/s1808-8694(15)30989-7 ↗
- Restoration of the Age Elongated Auricular LobeAesthetic Surgery Journal, 2020doi:10.1093/asj/sjz348 ↗
- Ear-piercing complications in children and adolescentsCanadian Family Physician, 2022doi:10.46747/cfp.6809661 ↗
- Pediatric earlobe keloids: Outcomes and patterns of recurrenceJournal of Pediatric Surgery, 2020doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.07.006 ↗
- Efficacy and Safety of Excision Combination Therapies for Earlobe Keloids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisAesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2024doi:10.1007/s00266-024-04092-0 ↗
- Cuts and grazesNHS, 2026nhs.uk/conditions/cuts-and-grazes ↗
- Infected piercingsNHS, 2023nhs.uk/conditions/infected-piercings ↗
The figures on the page are from these sources.
The lobe was torn
did you stretch?
Send a photo of the ears. The doctor will tell you how to restore the lobe and when you can wear earrings again.