How Heavy Earrings Can Age You

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Model at Dimitri by Dimitrios Panagiotopoulos fashion show during Berlin Fashion Week on July 7, 2010. Photo: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images


I love gold hoop earrings, but my obsession with wearing big baubles have often placed me in painful and embarrassing situations such as getting caught in scarves and being pulled into my MacBook's magnet screen. Yet, I've never considered my ears when detecting signs of early aging.

According to Dr. Edward Miranda, board certified San Francisco-based plastic surgeon, there are three major risks tied to wearing heavy earrings:

1. Generally occurring shortly after initial piercing, infection may be mild and self-limited.
2. Earrings worn at the earlobe add weight across a thin strip of skin. Over time, just as in any area of the body, wear and tear from gravity will stretch the earlobe piercing from a round hole to an oval. The earlobe elongates and thins from the weight and ultimately can rupture, splitting the earlobe.
3. Large, hoop and dangling earrings can get caught on objects or tugged by children and pets, and can cause the earring to be ripped off the ear producing a laceration and earlobe rupture.

Saggy earlobes are gaining attention among surgeons focused on anti-aging as women flock to their offices for a "lobe lift." The procedure includes two styles: one is for an earlobe where the piercing has become elongated, and the second is for earlobes that have simply become thinner and longer with age.

"If the piercing is part of the problem, the surgeon can reduce or eliminate the piercing and use the available skin to lift and plump up the earlobe with minimal scarring," said Dr. Miranda. "Stitches are generally in place for five to seven days and stud earrings can be worn after healing. However, if the piercing is not part of the problem, and elongation of the lobe itself is the issue, a small incision can be made behind the ear and the earlobe can be lifted. Earrings can be worn after healing is completed. Costs for both procedures are in the $1500 to $3000 range."

Dermal fillers such as Juvederm or Restylane are alternatives to plump the earlobes for an effective and somewhat temporary (about nine months to one year) fix. However, Dr. Miranda warns that these treatments do not make the earlobe stronger.

He adds, "The earlobe is an unusual body structure as it has skin on two sides. This makes it prone to water loss and sun exposure. Consequently daily moisturizers and sunblock with SPF 15 or higher will likely delay the aging process."

Are you a fan of large earrings? Would you consider giving your lobes a lift?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments section and check out how to maintain healthy, beautiful skin in your 20s and 30s.

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07:10 PM on 12/10/2011
I've been wearing Lobe Wonder for years and it has carried even the heaviest of my earrings. It's fantastic!
http://lobewonder.com/ check it out!
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sunnydawn95
01:48 PM on 12/10/2011
Old women who wear big earrings look absolutely gross with their long, droopy lobes and half inch long holes. I see plenty of them so they must have needed someone to tell them what they shouldn't have done long ago.
12:57 PM on 12/10/2011
This is such a waste of an article and I'm ashamed I came here. Seriously, anyone who has ever worn earrings in her life or spoken to someone wearing earrings would have already known any of this.
11:19 AM on 12/10/2011
"Lobe Lift"...now I have heard everything. Well I guess that would be easier and cheaper than getting lifts for other parts of the body. I quit wearing those shoulder grazing earrings several years ago - only dot ones now.
10:37 AM on 12/10/2011
My ears were pierced at 8 weeks old. When I was a bit older (still a baby), my earring got caught on the blanket and when I was picked up by an adult, it ripped the hole and stretched it, ouch. It also made my earring on that ear lower than the other, which bothers me to this day. I wish HuffPost would reveal "Dr. Miranda's" full name as I would like to have this corrected.
11:21 AM on 12/10/2011
"My ears were pierced at 8 weeks old."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sorry about getting caught on the blanket. It always bothers me to see little babies with pierced ears when they are too young to give permission or even know what is going on.
12:53 AM on 12/13/2011
I never have thought about the risks of having a babie's ears pierced. Thank you for sharing your story!
08:24 AM on 12/10/2011
I sell all sorts of different sized earrings at various show on the west coast. To say the least I have seen some strange looking ear lobes due to wearing heavy earrings both post type and loop. I suggest, ( and I am a man ) that when you wear the heavy earrings, due it only for an occasion, then take them off and wear something that will not cause any damage.

Seriously, I have seen some damaged ears, sagging with huge holes. They do look terrible. But of all of the earrings I sell. 50% percent are what I would consider very large and heavy. They do look great, but are not for everyday where.
06:54 AM on 12/10/2011
I think clip on earrings are the way to go when it comes to giant earrings; you can go back to your regular pierced ones after the occassion is over. I saw the lady's ears on this UK national press article and got really put of by how saggy they'd become: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health-news/2011/09/08/can-you-really-take-years-off-your-ears-115875-23403911/
06:50 AM on 12/10/2011
I do belive there are bigger things to worry about in life than saggy ear lobes, what a waste of a story.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
anitafeeney
no matter where you go there you are
03:04 AM on 12/10/2011
i work in the medical profession doing patient care in my job large or dangely earings are discuoraged because a combative patient can yank on them and tear your earlobe to pieces i have seen it happen new hire goes into a residents room said resident has dementia and fights her ends up yanking her earings and wham split earlobe
03:00 AM on 12/10/2011
They stretch out the earlobes and look really creepy. They're not worth it. I know when Kara was on American Idol I always noticed her saggy earlobes. It's not attractive.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Margaret Penny Wood
02:19 AM on 12/10/2011
If it is too heavy to be comfortable you should not be wearing it. Your ears are trying to tell you something!
01:52 AM on 12/10/2011
I had and aunt with pierced ears and I never remember seeing her without large, dangling earrings. By the time she was in her 40's (in the 1960's), she had holes in her ears that you could put your finger through. Of course by that time, she HAD to wear large hoopy earrings because nothing else would stay in those inch-long earlobes. *not attractive*
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
anitafeeney
no matter where you go there you are
03:06 AM on 12/10/2011
and to think there are kids now adays who stretch their earlobes deliberately
01:24 AM on 12/10/2011
I was told by one of my wealthy executive students that all (or I suspect nearly all) baby girls born in Mexico in a hospital get their ears pierced in the hospital as newborns. I am only reporting what I was honestly told. My own mother was against pierced ears, so my sister and I and her boyfriend went out and got our ears pierced one Christmas Eve when I was 16 and she was 18. I have strong ear lobes, but large hoops annoy me, but I think they look fantastic, I just feel uncomfortable in them. They sort of hurt, in a way. i llike ear rings, they good so nice. I have never had a problem with stretching or tearing because I have the free rounded type of lobes. I like to take my ear rings out at night, it feels good to get them out and off. i think if you have attached and snall ear lobes you must be at a higher risk of ripping and tearing. With my long hair, I don't really think anyone can even see my ear rings, but I like wearing them, even if they are somewhat annoying.
02:23 AM on 12/10/2011
I was born in San Bernardino, California but my parents are originally from Mexico and my mother had my ears pierced when I was a baby. I'm not sure if they do it in the hospitals in Mexico but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this was true since piercing a baby girl's ears seems to be the rule rather than the exception in Mexico (from my personal experiences, I can't speak for anyone else).
12:14 AM on 12/10/2011
not good idea about two O rings on lady eyes and makeup chair
01:26 AM on 12/10/2011
Huh?
12:13 AM on 12/10/2011
HA, fear-mongering much? Geez, kind of a pointless article...

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