Ear

1. Ears should protrude no more than forty five degrees from the side of the head at the base.
2. The crease inside of the ear should form two branches.  This crease keeps the upper portion of the ear tilted back.
3. Earring holes should be small.

COMMENT: Some people find protruding ears more bothersome than others.  In some cases they are easily hidden by a hair style. The "lop ear" or "telephone deformity" is the case in which the ear is missing the upper portion of the inner fold and the ear is then cupped. Earring holes that are too large are easily closed.

SELF-EVALUATION:

1. Check the angle of your ears from the side of your head.
2. Are your ears symmetric?
3. Push against the outer edge of the ear in the middle.  Is your ear position satisfactory now?
4. Are your earring holes stretched?

HOW MUCH CAN BE IMPROVED?

1. By removing the bowl of cartilage at the base, the ear can usually be brought in about twenty to thirty degrees.  Just about where you push it to.
2. If the upper crease is missing, it can be recreated.
3. Earring holes can be completely repaired. They should not be re-pierced in the same scar.

1. Prominent Ear Surgery

2. Otoplasty

Deformities of the ears can occur at birth, and may be corrected in infancy.  The most common problem that surgeons deal with is, of course, protruding ears.  Many patients like to wear their hair up or in the case of men, wear it short.  For instance, people going into the military, suddenly find that their ears are sticking out after their head is shaved.  Children may receive a great deal of ridicule if their ears protrude.

EAR COMPLICATIONS

1. PERSISTENT PROTRUSION-They still stick out too far.  More can usually be removed from the base.
2. ASYMMETRY-Were they asymmetric to begin with?  They will probably not match exactly afterwards anyway.  It is very hard for an average observer to check both of your ears at the same time, so don't worry about small differences.
3. NUMBNESS
4. INFECTION OF THE CARTILAGE (CHONDRITIS)-Rare.  May require high dose antibiotics.
5. DISTORTION OF FOLDS-Particularly when dealing with the upper portion (helix), creating a natural curve may be difficult.  Usually it's an acceptable approximation that keeps the ear turned in.  Sometimes a revision is worthwhile.