Stretching or gauging of the earlobe has been around for a long, long time.
Would you believe this type of body modification has been traced back to at least 5300 years ago?
Yes, that is absolutely true.
A mummified individual discovered in 1991 high in the Alps near the Austrian-Italian border, dating back to 3300 BC, had stretched earlobes.
Now that is a really old hipster or counter-culture dude!
For millennium since then, many societies throughout the world have been known to engage in this same earlobe modification. This was a well-known cultural phenomenon in ancient Egypt and is well illustrated by King Tutankhamun (King Tut) who lived around 1330 B.C. It was also a cultural phenomenon with the Greeks and populations in Asia and Africa. Buddha, from India, is depicted with stretched earlobes, sometimes with jewelry in them. In the western hemisphere, the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs all sported gauges and stretched earlobes.
Earlobe gauging along with body piercings made a more notable appearance in the United States in the 1960s as a sign of rebellion and the counterculture movement. Its prevalence waned subsequently only to have a resurgence again in the 1990s that has not only persisted but has become somewhat popular and not far off from mainstream.
Many well-known entertainers and even some sport figures today flaunt, or at least have, gauged earlobes.
Adam Lambert, Lil’ Wayne, Kehlani, Travis Barker and Melanie Martinez are just a few examples.
That being said, I can’t name any CEOs of major companies who have gauged earlobes.
And definitively, there are absolutely no Presidents who have had gauges.
So…
The Decision to Close Your Gauged Earlobes
You likely are not aiming to be the President of the United States or are actively pursuing a CEO position at one of the Fortune 500 companies. Maybe you are working at a Starbucks or a local dispensary where having gauged earlobes is almost a requirement for employment.
However, you are now pursuing getting them closed and having your earlobes look relatively normal. The reasons for this may be one of the following:
- You’ve matured: Been there, done that. You’ve grown up and for whatever reason that you had gauges done, it no longer is appropriate or relevant.
- Financial: In general, jobs that will offer you superior financial opportunities will be more likely to frown up those seeking a position who have gauged earlobes. Yes, it may be less than in the past but it is still a thing.
- Wanting to enlist in the military or become a police officer: A specific requirement of enlisting in the military is that you are not allowed to have enlarged earlobe openings through which light can traverse. So, if your lobes are gauged, they must be fixed. Many police departments have the same requirement.
- Your significant other/spouse does not approve: Gauged earlobes are perfectly fine for Egyptian Pharaohs, Buddha and other royalty but not for you according to your fiancé, wife or girlfriend. You are not likely to win this argument if you are a guy. Forget about resisting! Just get them fixed. However, if you are a guy and want to have your girlfriend or wife have her gauged earlobes fixed, you may want to think twice about this! You are also likely to lose this discussion/battle.
- You want to be a good role model for your children: Perhaps you have come to the realization that having gauges may not be consistent with the look that you want to have being a role model for your children. Nowadays, this is likely not high on the list for reasons to have your earlobes repaired.
Of course, there may be another reason that you have decided to have surgical treatment of your gauged earlobes.
The Procedure of Surgical Addressing Your Gauged Earlobes
The surgical treatment of gauged earlobes is performed under local anesthesia in the office. It involves excision of the stretched opening and healed tissues and reconstructing the earlobe by reconfiguring it to appear as normal as possible. The same applies even if the earlobe is completely torn. Sutures are placed for the repair and are removed at around ten days to two weeks later.
Generally, this is a painless procedure with the local anesthesia. Afterwards, discomfort for most patients is minimal. At most, Tylenol is taken briefly. There is essentially no down time afterwards.
Scar gel is started at around 3 weeks. Full maturation will take up to a year though the more long term results are largely seen by around 6 months.
Patient Example
This is a 27 year old female who has had gauges in her ears for 12 years and now want them out permanently and her earlobes repaired (photos A and C). The openings are 1.5 cm (around 5/8 inch).
A.) Right ear – Before
B.) Right ear – 6 months after
C.) Left ear – Before
D.) Left ear – 6 months after
The repair was done in the office with local anesthesia and without discomfort. Results seen at 6 months (photos B and D).
Your Consultation for the Treatment of Gauged Earlobes
If you are now ready, for whatever reason, to have your gauged earlobes surgically treated and move on, we would be very happy to make this a pleasant reality. To do so, you can contact the Arizona Center for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery to schedule your complimentary consultation either by calling us at (480) 451-3000 or by sending an email.
Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona