If your own a home in Houston, you probably have a list of things you need to fix. That’s especially true after hurricane Harvey a few years back and after the near misses over and over again this summer.

Patients come to our Gessner Road offices for another repair issue, earlobe repair. Dr. Barrera, as a board-certified plastic surgeon, performs many surgeries on the ears.

What is earlobe repair?

A patient may need an earlobe surgically repaired for a variety of reasons. The goal is to return the earlobe to a more natural shape and size, or to repair a split. Just as every earlobe is unique, Dr. Barrera treats every earlobe repair as a unique situation.

The thing about the earlobes is that, while they seem as if they can be tugged upon to a great degree, things such as large gauge earrings or overly heavy earrings can do permanent damage that can only be repaired surgically. Once the skin has been stretched to a certain degree, it cannot return to its former tautness.

What are the reasons a person would need earlobe repair?

Here are a few of the reasons Dr. Barrera may be called upon to perform earlobe surgery:

• Split earlobe repair — When a person insists on continuing to wear very heavy earrings, the end result can be a torn earlobe where the weight eventually causes a split.

• Torn earlobe repair — Sometimes a person may be wearing a hoop earring and that earring catches on a bush or other obstacle, tearing the earring through the earlobe.

• Stretched earlobe repair — For some unknown reason, there has been a movement to insert larger and larger gauge-size earrings into the earlobes. While this fashion statement may seem like a good idea at the time, when that earring is eventually removed the earlobe will have a stretched-out hole that will not close without surgery.

• Earlobe shortening — If heavy earrings don’t tear the earlobe, they can stretch it downward. Surgery is used to shorten the earlobe, while at the same time making the end result look completely natural.

• Earlobe reduction — In some cases a person is born with an earlobe that is overly large and out of proportion. Dr. Barrera downsizes these earlobes.

• Keloid scar repair — Keloid scars form when the body continues to produce collagen long after a wound has healed. The result is a red, raised scar that is usually larger than the actual wound. These can happen on the earlobe after a tear occurs.

If you have an issue with your earlobe, call Dr. Barrera at (713) 468-5200.