Following earlobe repair surgery, which occurs as a minor office procedure performed by Dr. Horton under local anesthesia, some mild swelling, bruising and/or numbness can generally be expected in the treatment area.  These temporary side effects will subside within a few days.  Usually only oral acetaminophen (Tylenol) is required for postoperative discomfort, if any pain medication is required at all.

An antibiotic ointment will need to be applied two times a day for about a week to help keep the area clean and to prevent any risk of infection following earlobe repair.  Post-procedure downtime is typically minimal, with most individuals returning to work and/or normal daily routines the day after their procedure. That said, patients are advised to avoid strenuous activities and rigorous exercise for approximately one to two weeks in order to help ensure proper healing without undue swelling or throbbing of the area during recovery.

At the first follow-up visit with Dr. Horton – which occurs about seven to ten days after earlobe repair – any remaining suture ends are carefully removed (dissolvable stitches are used whenever possible), and the healing progress is assessed.

Dr. Horton then starts patients on a “scar therapy” regimen around three to four weeks after surgery, which consists of massaging the incision and applying a medical grade topical scar gel that includes SPF 30 sun protection to help avoid hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the scar with ambient sun exposure.  Learn more about scar therapy and optimizing post-surgery scars here.

Follow-up appointments then continue at regular intervals until healing is complete and all scars are mature, which takes approximately one year.

– Karen Horton, MD

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If you have any more questions about recovery from earlobe repair, or if you wish to schedule a consultation with Dr. Horton, please contact us today.