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David L. Cangello, MD, FACS Plastic Surgery New York
Dr. David Cangello is one of the top board-certified plastic surgeons in all of New York City. His approach to treating plastic surgery with an artistic eye has successfully shaped his practice. Dr. Cangello cares about the result of the surgery as much as the patient does. Read more to learn why you should choose Dr. Cangello for your next procedure.
Schedule a ConsultationDr. Cangello performs ear surgery at his Manhattan office, conveniently located off Park Avenue, offering personalized treatments and outstanding aesthetic results.
How Earlobe Repair Surgery is Performed
Earlobe repair is an outpatient procedure performed using a variety of techniques,2 depending on the patient’s needs:- Repairing an Earlobe Tear or Laceration: Earlobe lacerations and split earlobes can occur from physical trauma, such as an accident or inadvertently pulling on an ear piercing. They can also occur with the regular wearing of heavy earrings, which may result in an elongated piercing over time. In some cases, the elongated piercing may completely tear through the lower border of the earlobe. During the repair, the skin lining the piercing is excised, creating fresh surgical edges that can be sutured together. A local anesthetic is used with this procedure, and it generally takes no more than 30 minutes to complete.
- Reversing Gauged Earlobes: It’s often the case that, when plug earrings are removed, the earlobe hangs down because the skin can no longer retain its original shape. For this reason, many patients choose to undergo earlobe reconstruction. During this procedure, the skin and soft tissue are reshaped and sutured together to restore a natural shape. This minor procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Depending on the complexity, it can usually be completed in 30 minutes to an hour.
- Reducing Enlarged Earlobes: For patients with naturally large earlobes or earlobes that have elongated due to aging, a reduction can be performed to create a more proportionate size and balanced ear. Dr. Cangello removes excess skin and soft tissue from the lobule during this procedure, usually from the bottom of the earlobe. The result is a smaller-sized lobe and a more balanced appearance to the entire ear. Earlobe reduction can be performed in about 30 minutes to an hour using local anesthesia.
- Earlobe Rejuvenation: The soft tissue of the earlobes tends to thin with age, while some patients simply have naturally thin earlobes. In either case, Dr. Cangello offers earlobe rejuvenation to restore volume and strengthen the earlobes. This is performed using dermal fillers like Restylane® or Juvéderm® and takes just minutes to complete. The results can last up to a year or longer. Earlobes may also enlarge and sag with age. In these cases, Dr. Cangello performs earlobe reduction surgery—a minor procedure done under local anesthesia—to reshape and restore a more youthful appearance.
Patient Experiences
“Dr. Cangello and his staff are amazing, their level of professionalism is superb and their bedside manner is terrific. I will definitely be referring everyone I know here.”
—J.R.
Ideal Candidates for Earlobe Repair
- Repair a torn earlobe due to heavy earrings or injury
- Stop wearing plug earrings and close elongated piercing holes
- Reduce naturally large earlobes
- Rejuvenate thin earlobes
See Real Patient Results
Our Before and After Photo Gallery highlights the real results of the many procedures performed by Dr. David Cangello.
View GalleryResults and Recovery
Most of the above-mentioned procedures are minor, so recovery and downtime are minimal. For surgical earlobe repair, patients can expect mild swelling and sometimes mild bruising for a few days. These temporary symptoms resolve on their own within a few days to one week. You may be prescribed an OTC pain medication or advised to use antibiotic ointment to support healing. Dr. Cangello will provide detailed care instructions to help reduce swelling and optimize healing.
Patients can resume their routine immediately afterward, but exercise and vigorous physical activity should be avoided for about two weeks. Patients should not sleep or put pressure on their ear(s) for four weeks after the repair. The sutures are left in for six days, and patients are asked not to get the ear(s) wet during this time. After suture removal in Dr. Cangello’s office, patients may get their ears wet in the shower only.
For patients undergoing earlobe rejuvenation with dermal fillers, there may be some light redness, bruising, or swelling for 24 to 48 hours.
Results from surgical earlobe repair are permanent unless the patient sustains another earlobe laceration or stretches their ears with piercings. Earlobe rejuvenation with dermal fillers may need to be repeated every year or so to maintain the results.
FAQs About Earlobe Repair
Patients considering re-piercing after the earlobe repair procedure must wait three months to do so.3 To ensure optimal results, Dr. Cangello offers this service to his patients. Four weeks after the repair, patients may wear clip-on earrings only. Prior to four weeks, they should not wear any ear accessories.
Scars are very light and imperceptible in most cases. For laceration repair and reversing gauged piercing holes, there will typically be a fine linear scar along the earlobe.
If you’re searching for expert earlobe repair in New York City, Dr. David Cangello can help. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Cangello performs earlobe repair procedures to treat stretched, torn, or damaged earlobes with natural-looking results. If you’re located in Manhattan or the surrounding areas of New York and are interested in rejuvenating the appearance of your earlobes, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Schedule a Consultation for Earlobe Repair in NYC
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Cangello invites patients to schedule a personal consultation for earlobe repair. This simple but rewarding procedure can fully repair torn earlobes and allow patients to wear earrings again. Dr. Cangello can also address cosmetic irregularities of the earlobes and reconstruct lobes that have been stretched due to large gauge piercings. Contact Dr. Cangello’s office at (646) 733-4696 to schedule a consultation in NYC.
1 American Society of Plastic Surgeons. What is earlobe repair? https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/what-is-earlobe-repair. Accessed April 10, 2025.
2 Facial Plastic Surgery. Repair of the Torn Earlobe. https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2004-822957. Accessed April 10, 2025.
3 Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. Torn Earlobe Repair. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0030666503001026. Accessed April 10, 2025.