Ears that protrude too far out from the sides of your head can decrease your self-confidence and emotional wellbeing. You might avoid posing for photographs and use hats, hairstyles, and other methods to cover your ears. Fortunately, at Kaniff Cosmetic Medical Center in Sacramento, CA, we can use a cosmetic procedure called an otoplasty to improve the appearance of your ears.
How Long Does Otoplasty Take?
An otoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that is used to bring your ears closer to the sides of your head. In addition to improving the appearance of protruding ears, we can use this procedure to address asymmetrical ears and large ears. Since the details of your procedure will depend on the specific issues that we are correcting, the length of your appointment will vary.
In general, improving your ears is usually a very quick process, and we will perform your procedure on an outpatient basis at our medical center in Sacramento. This procedure will probably take about two to three hours to complete. After your procedure is finished, you’ll be able to return to your home and rest.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Ear Repositioning Procedure?
If you are an adult who dislikes the appearance of your ears and doesn’t have any major health issues, you are likely to be a good candidate for an ear repositioning procedure. To determine whether you can safely receive this procedure, we will need to have an initial meeting with you. During this appointment, we will analyze your health and make sure that you understand how this procedure will improve your ears.
Talk About Your Health
When you arrive at our office, you should be prepared to tell us about your medical history, any ear procedures that you’ve had, and any other health conditions that could affect your reaction to this procedure. Although minor health issues probably will not affect your eligibility for this procedure, you might not be able to receive an otoplasty if you have a bleeding disorder, cancer, or another serious medical issue.
Have Realistic Goals
To achieve an optimal outcome, you’ll need to understand how this procedure will change your ears. For instance, it’s important to recognize that your ears should not be completely flat against your head. Allowing your ears to protrude a small amount will enable you to wear glasses and clean the skin at the back of your ears.
In addition, you must recognize that this procedure is unlikely to make your ears perfectly symmetrical. However, since most people do not have completely identical ears, you should not worry about small asymmetries in your ears.
How Should I Prepare for My Procedure?
During your initial meeting with us, we will explain the steps that you’ll need to follow before your next appointment. Following these steps will speed up your recovery and allow you to feel comfortable during the next couple of weeks.
Don’t Smoke
If you smoke cigarettes, we are likely to ask you to stop smoking for several weeks. Smoking can decrease your ability to heal in a quick, efficient fashion. If you quit smoking before your procedure, your health will improve and your ears will heal more quickly.
Adjust Your Medications
You might also need to temporarily adjust your medications and supplements. For example, certain blood-thinning medications can change your body’s reaction to the incisions and other techniques that we will use to reposition your ears. Accordingly, we might tell you not to take these medications for a few days.
Bring a Friend
Since you’ll receive anesthesia during your procedure, you will not be able to drive yourself home once we have repositioned your ears. As a result, you should ask a relative or friend to drive you to your home after your procedure is complete.
This person should also be prepared to stay with you for at least twenty-four hours. Since you will probably be very tired after your procedure, your friend or relative can attend to your household chores and prepare meals for you during this time.
What Should I Expect During My Ear Procedure?
To protect your comfort, you’ll receive anesthesia at the beginning of your procedure. Once this medication has taken effect, we will begin to improve your ears.
A Customized Procedure
The techniques that we use during your procedure will depend on the aesthetic issues that you want to address and the condition of your ears. For example, we might begin by making small incisions behind your ears. Putting these incisions in the back of your ears will prevent you from developing noticeable scars. Next, we may take away a small amount of skin or cartilage from your ears.
We may also place sutures into your tissues in order to move your ears closer to the sides of your head. Sutures are a special type of medical thread. Medical professionals commonly use sutures to close incisions and hold tissues in place.
Completing Your Procedure
Once we have finished correcting your ears, we will close up your incisions and gently place protective dressing around your head. This dressing will help your ears remain in their new position.
How Long Will It Take Me to Recover From This Ear Repositioning Procedure?
This ear repositioning procedure has a much shorter and easier recovery period than many other aesthetic procedures, and you are likely to be able to return to work after a couple of days. That said, to ensure that your ears stay in their new position, you will need to follow all of our instructions during your recovery period.
Protect Your Ears
We will ask you to wear a protective dressing over your ears for a while. Once you remove this dressing, we will instruct you to wear a special headband. You will initially have to wear this headband during all of your activities. After a while, you will be able to stop wearing your headband during the day.
In addition, we will probably advise you not to sleep on your side for a while. Sleeping on your back will prevent you from putting unnecessary pressure on your ears during the nighttime.
Take It Easy
In addition to wearing headbands, you’ll need to avoid engaging in taxing physical activities for the next couple of weeks. To help you feel comfortable while your ears are healing, we may also give you some medications to take during this time.
Visit Our Office
You’ll need to come in for a post-procedure appointment. During this meeting, we will look at your ears and analyze their response to your procedure. In addition, we may remove the sutures that we placed in your ears.
Pamper Your Ears
Although you’ll be able to stop wearing your headband within a couple of weeks, you’ll need to pamper your ears for the next several months. In particular, you should not expose your ears to extreme temperatures. For example, you should not let your ears get too hot while you are blow-drying your hair.
In addition to keeping your ears at a comfortable temperature, you’ll need to protect them from the sun for at least a year. To achieve this goal, you should wear a high-quality sunscreen on your ears and avoid going outside when the sun is very strong.
When Will I See the Final Result of This Repositioning Procedure?
Since your ears will take time to adjust to their new position, you will not see the final results of your otoplasty immediately. Although your ears will heal at a unique rate, it’s common for your ears to be almost fully healed after a few weeks. You will probably see the full effect of your repositioning procedure within two to three months.
Will This Procedure Create Visible Scars on My Ears?
Most of the techniques that we use during this procedure will affect the back of your ears. As a result, you will not have noticeable scars on your ears, and most people will not be able to tell that you used a cosmetic procedure to change your appearance.
Will This Procedure Change the Size of My Ears?
Many people with protruding ears believe that their ears are disproportionately large. However, very large ears are actually fairly uncommon, and many people will not benefit from changing the size of their ears.
When your ears stick out of the sides of your head, they will look very large and noticeable. Fortunately, moving your ears into a better position will make them appear to be smaller and more proportional. As a result, this procedure is usually able to improve your look without changing the size of your ears.
Minimizing Large Ears
If your ears are very disproportionate to the rest of your body, you can use cosmetic procedures to improve this issue. In particular, a specialized technique called a wedge resection can be used to make your ears smaller. During your initial consultation, we can talk about whether you would benefit from receiving this type of procedure.
Can This Procedure Be Used To Correct Asymmetrical Ears?
If one of your ears looks larger and more prominent than your other ear, don’t worry. Â During your procedure, we will use specialized techniques to correct this issue and improve the balance between your ears. Once you have recovered from your procedure, your asymmetrical ears will look more harmonious and attractive.
Although this technique will minimize differences between your ears, it’s important to understand that we cannot make your ears look identical. However, any remaining differences between your ears are unlikely to be noticeable or prominent.
Am I Too Old To Get an Ear Repositioning Procedure?
Children with protruding ears often deal with teasing and other issues that can damage their emotional wellbeing and self-esteem. Since the ears finish growing at an early age, this procedure is frequently used to improve the appearance of children’s ears. Children’s cartilage is very flexible, and children are likely to quickly recover from this procedure.
However, if you didn’t get this procedure as a child, don’t worry. It’s not too late to correct your ears. Since this procedure works on adults and children, you can use this method to correct your ears at a later stage in your life.
Will I Need To Receive Follow-Up Procedures?
Your ears will not return to their previous position after you receive this procedure. As a result, you will not need to receive follow-up procedures to maintain your new look.
Improve Your Ears
We all want to look our best, and shapely ears that fit your features can be a big part of that. Fortunately, you can easily improve large, asymmetrical, or protruding ears with an otoplasty. This cosmetic procedure has a very high satisfaction rate, and your recovery period won’t last for very long. To learn how this procedure can improve your ears, contact us today at Kaniff Cosmetic Medical Center in Sacramento, CA.
