A quick in-office procedure that repairs an earlobe torn by an earring, closes a stretched piercing or a gauge, or reduces an earlobe that has lengthened with age. Local anesthesia, about thirty minutes per ear, and the lobe can be re-pierced after it heals.
Also called: split earlobe repair, torn earlobe repair, stretched earlobe repair, gauge repair, earlobe reduction
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Earlobe repair is one of the smallest procedures in cosmetic surgery and one of the most satisfying to have done. A lobe torn by a heavy earring or a caught hoop, a piercing that has stretched into a slot, a gauge from years ago, or lobes that have thinned and lengthened with age: all of them are fixed in about thirty minutes under local anesthesia, and the result is an ear that looks like nothing happened.
What it repairs
A split or torn lobe heals with skin lining both edges of the tear, so it never closes on its own. A stretched piercing has elongated into a slot that earrings sit low in or fall through. A gauge leaves a hole and a ring of stretched tissue that does not contract. An aged lobe has thinned, lengthened, and often creased, and can be reduced and reshaped. Each is a variation on the same repair: remove the healed skin lining the defect, reshape the tissue, and close the fresh edges so they heal together.
What to expect
Local anesthesia numbs the lobe, the repair takes fifteen to thirty minutes per ear, and fine sutures come out at about a week. The lobe is tender for a few days and the line fades over months to a faint mark along the lobe’s edge or crease. Re-piercing is possible at six to eight weeks, slightly to one side of the repair. For gauges and reductions the reshaping is more involved and the scar is longer but placed where the lobe’s natural contour hides it.
Volume for thin lobes
Earlobes lose fat and flatten with age, and a thin, creased lobe makes earrings droop. A small amount of filler plumps the lobe for a year or more and is often done alongside a repair or on its own; it is a two-minute add-on many patients do not know exists.
What it costs
Typically $400 to $1,200 per ear, with simple splits at the lower end and gauge closures or reductions at the higher. Done in the office under local anesthesia, and not covered by insurance unless the tear was a documented injury.
Choosing a provider
Plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, and dermatologic surgeons all perform earlobe repair. Ask how many they do, to see healed results, and how they handle gauges if that is your case. Ask about re-piercing timing and about filler if your lobes are thin.
Browse the providers below and compare earlobe repair pricing by city.
Why people choose Earlobe Repair
Restores a normal, intact earlobe in one short visit
Closes gauges and stretched piercings that will not shrink on their own
Can reduce an elongated lobe at the same time
Re-piercing possible once healed
Are you a good candidate?
Anyone with a split, torn, or stretched earlobe, a piercing that has elongated, a healed gauge they want closed, or earlobes that have thinned and lengthened with age
By location
Find Earlobe Repair near you
633 practices across 223 cities list Earlobe Repair on ClinicCompass. 442 of them (70%) say on their own websites that they offer financing or payment plans;
ask about approval and interest before you book.
A complete tear will not; the skin edges heal separately and leave a split. A stretched piercing that has elongated into a slot will not shrink back either. Both are repaired by removing the healed skin lining the split or slot and closing the fresh edges so they knit together, which is a short procedure with a reliable result.
Can I get my ear re-pierced after repair?
Yes, once the repair has fully healed, usually six to eight weeks, and ideally slightly to one side of the old site rather than through the scar. Heavy earrings are worth avoiding afterward, since they caused the problem in the first place.
Can gauges be closed?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons for earlobe repair. The surgeon removes the ring of stretched skin around the hole and reshapes the lobe into a natural contour. Large gauges require more reshaping and a longer scar, hidden along the lobe's edge, but the result is a normal-looking ear.
What does it cost?
Typically $400 to $1,200 per ear depending on the complexity, with gauge closure and lobe reduction at the higher end. It is done under local anesthesia in the office, and not covered by insurance unless the injury is documented as traumatic.
