Prominent ears, those which protrude noticeably from the head, can be addressed with ear pinning surgery. This involves making a cut behind the ear and removing some of the skin and cartilage, so your ear is permanently positioned closer to your head.
The surgery is relatively straight-forward and in some cases, only a local anaesthetic will be required.
Pinnaplasty can be used to reduce the prominence of your ears as well as the shape. And it’s a treatment that can be used to correct ears which may be of different sizes and shapes.
Some people worry that their pinnaplasty results will not last. If their ears are particularly prominent, patients worry that they will ‘pop’ back to their old position over time.
We would like to reassure you that this does not happen if the surgery has been carried out correctly. Because the skin and cartilage is removed and reshaped, the results of pinnaplasty are lifelong. Whilst your ears may continue to change shape as you age, they will not return to their former prominent position, so you can opt to go ahead with pinnaplasty surgery safe in the knowledge that you are solving the problem once and for all.
This is important because we appreciate the impact prominent ears can have on your self-confidence. Whilst some people have pinnaplasty when they are young, it’s generally advised to wait for surgery until you are an adult and have finished growing. This means many patients who come to us have been self-conscious about their appearance for a long time. It is, therefore, understandable that you will be anxious to make a long-term change.
The first step is an initial consultation with one of our experienced plastic surgeons. At this meeting, they will assess your ears and seek to understand what results you’d like to achieve from surgery. This shared vision of the end results will help you decide if surgery is right for you. If you wish to go ahead, you’ll know you and your surgeon are ‘on the same page’. We’ll also go through the procedure in more detail - the consultation is your opportunity to ask questions about any aspect of the treatment, from anaesthetic to preparation and recovery.
It's important to us to arm you with the information you need to make an informed decision about whether ear corrective surgery is right for you. If it is, we look forward to being part of your transformational journey.
