Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Earlobe Repair in Santa Monica
804 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403 · Near Montana Avenue · (310) 998-5533
Torn, split, stretched, and elongated earlobe repair — same-day appointments, local anesthesia, results visible immediately — by UCLA-trained board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica
Call (310) 998-5533 Request an Appointment
UCLASchool of Medicine Graduate
Same DayEarlobe Repair Appointments
LocalAnesthesia — No IV Required
ScarExpert — Minimal Visible Closure
Re-PierceAfter 6–8 Weeks
Earlobe Repair Santa Monica
A Torn Earlobe Repaired Today. Wear Earrings Again in 6 Weeks.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Graduate, UCLA School of Medicine · Earlobe Repair · Scar Expert · Same-Day Appointments · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
A torn earlobe happens in an instant — a snag on a sweater, a child’s accidental tug, a heavy earring that slowly stretched the piercing over years until it split through the bottom, or the overstretched lobe of a former gauge wearer who now wants their earlobe back. The common denominator in every presentation is that the earlobe looks wrong, feels uneven, and has made wearing earrings uncomfortable or impossible — a daily reminder of an injury that has an entirely straightforward surgical fix.
At Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue, UCLA School of Medicine graduate and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS repairs torn, split, stretched, and elongated earlobes as a same-day, in-office procedure under local anesthesia. The repair takes 20–45 minutes, results are visible immediately, and patients can re-pierce their earlobes after 6–8 weeks of complete healing. His nationally recognized scar expertise — applied to earlobe repair — produces the finest, most natural-healing closure in the Los Angeles area.
20–45Minutes per earlobe — in-office procedure
Same DayAppointments available at Kare
5–7dSuture removal — then healed appearance
6–8 wksWait before re-piercing after repair
Earlobe Repair Services at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica
- Torn / split earlobe repair — complete through-and-through splits
- Partially torn earlobe repair — elongated or thinned piercings
- Stretched earlobe repair — heavy earring elongation
- Gauge / plug earlobe reconstruction — stretched lobe closure
- Bilateral earlobe repair in single session
- Earlobe keloid management — post-repair keloid prevention protocol
- Post-repair scar management — silicone and Vbeam protocol
- Re-piercing guidance after full healing — 6–8 weeks
Kare Plastic Surgery · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Torn or stretched earlobe? Schedule a same-day repair appointment today.
Patient Result — Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica · Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
Earlobe Repair — Before & Immediate After
Actual patient of Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian · Split earlobe repair under local anesthesia · Individual results may vary
Before — Torn Earlobe
After — Immediate Repair
Presentation Complete through-and-through split earlobe — piercing torn through inferior margin
Technique Local anesthesia · Fresh tissue debridement · Fine multi-stitch layered closure
Before: Complete through-and-through split at the inferior pole of the earlobe with active bleeding at the torn margins — a fresh laceration through a previously pierced hole. After: Immediate post-repair showing precise multi-stitch fine suture closure restoring the natural curved inferior earlobe contour — anatomy fully reconstructed, bleeding controlled, natural shape preserved. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
All Earlobe Presentations Treated
Every Type of Earlobe Damage — One Expert Surgeon
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Torn / Split Earlobe
A piercing that has torn completely through the inferior earlobe margin — the most acute presentation. Usually the result of a sudden snag or pull on an earring. The two earlobe halves are separated, earrings are impossible to wear, and the split is visible at conversational distance. Repaired the same day.
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Stretched / Elongated Piercing
Years of wearing heavy earrings progressively elongates the piercing hole downward — the earring drops, sits lower than normal, and the tissue between the hole and the inferior earlobe edge becomes dangerously thin before ultimately tearing through. Repaired before or after the split occurs.
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Gauge / Plug Earlobe
Earlobes stretched by progressively larger gauge plugs — producing a significantly enlarged central opening and thinned, drooping lobe tissue. Repair involves excision of the stretched channel, tissue rearrangement, and layered reconstruction to restore natural earlobe architecture.
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Age-Related Elongation
The normal aging process causes gradual earlobe elongation as collagen and elastin decrease and the weight of years of earring wear accumulates. Earlobe reduction and reshaping restores the proportionate, rounded earlobe contour of a younger ear without visible external scarring.
The Earlobe Repair Procedure at Kare Plastic Surgery
Local Anesthesia — Quick & Comfortable
The earlobe is numbed with a small local anesthetic injection — the only discomfort of the entire procedure. After approximately 30 seconds, the earlobe is completely numb. Patients remain awake throughout, experience no pain from the repair itself, and go home the same day. No IV, no sedation, no anesthesiologist required.
Fresh Edge Preparation — The Key to Optimal Healing
The edges of the torn or stretched earlobe are freshened — a narrow sliver of epithelialized scar tissue removed to expose fresh dermal tissue that will unite during healing. A zig-zag or notched excision pattern is used for chronic splits to prevent the straight-line scar notching that can occur when a linear closure heals under tension at the inferior earlobe margin.
Fine Multi-Layer Suture Closure
The repaired earlobe is closed in anatomical layers — deep absorbable sutures to re-approximate the dermis before epidermal closure, eliminating tension from the skin surface — with fine non-absorbable sutures on the skin that are removed at 5–7 days. The result is a natural, smooth, curved inferior earlobe contour that is visible immediately after repair, as demonstrated in the clinical photograph above.
Post-Repair Scar Management & Re-Piercing
Medical-grade silicone gel is applied to the repair site from week 2. Post-repair Vbeam laser is available at 4–6 weeks for any residual redness at the closure site. Ears can be safely re-pierced at 6–8 weeks after suture removal — with Dr. Karamanoukian’s recommendation to pierce through the repaired earlobe in a new position at least 3–4mm away from the original repair site to avoid tearing through the repair.
“Earlobe repair is one of the most satisfying procedures I perform — because the result is visible the moment I place the last suture. The patient can see, right in the mirror, that their earlobe is whole again. That immediate gratification, from a 30-minute in-office procedure, makes this one of the highest-value treatments in the practice for the patient experience it provides.”
— Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian · Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica
Keloid history? Patients with a personal or family history of keloid scarring — particularly those with darker skin tones or prior keloid formation at piercing sites — should disclose this history at their earlobe repair consultation. Dr. Karamanoukian incorporates a post-repair keloid prevention protocol (intralesional corticosteroid injection at closure + post-operative injection series + silicone compression) for all high-risk patients to prevent keloid formation at the repair site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get earlobe repair in Santa Monica?
Kare Plastic Surgery at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue offers same-day earlobe repair by UCLA-trained board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian. Torn, split, stretched, and elongated earlobes repaired under local anesthesia with results visible immediately. Ears can be re-pierced after 6–8 weeks. Call (310) 998-5533. We serve patients from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and all of Los Angeles.
Can I re-pierce my ears after earlobe repair?
Ears can be safely re-pierced after earlobe repair after a minimum of 6–8 weeks of complete healing. Dr. Karamanoukian recommends piercing through the repaired earlobe at a new position at least 3–4mm away from the original split line to avoid placing the new piercing through the repair site itself — which carries higher risk of re-tearing through the repair zone. He provides specific re-piercing guidance at the post-operative follow-up appointment based on how the repair has healed.
Does insurance cover earlobe repair in Santa Monica?
Earlobe repair is typically considered a cosmetic procedure and is not covered by most insurance plans. The cost of earlobe repair at Kare Plastic Surgery varies based on the type of repair required — single vs. bilateral, simple split vs. gauge reconstruction — and is provided at the consultation. Given the simplicity of the procedure and the elimination of hospital and anesthesia fees by performing it in-office under local anesthesia, earlobe repair at Kare is very accessible. Call (310) 998-5533 for a specific cost estimate.
Related Resources at Kare Plastic Surgery
Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center · Santa Monica · Near Montana Avenue
Schedule an Earlobe Repair Appointment
Schedule a same-day earlobe repair appointment with Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, UCLA School of Medicine graduate and board-certified plastic surgeon — torn, split, stretched, and elongated earlobe repair under local anesthesia with results visible immediately in Santa Monica and Los Angeles.