Skin Rejuvenation: Tightening, Lightening, Lifting, Toning, Anti-Aging, Laser resurfacing
Existing practices:
The look of lady patients admitted in the hospital never ceases to amaze me. They would be in hospital gowns but still have their shaka, pala and loha along with IV lines in their forearms, SpO2 monitors vying for space with gold, pearl, ruby, coral finger rings, and then the nose rings and earrings. Many a time, we have used many ingenious techniques to remove jammed earrings. After one harrowing episode, I asked the lady, “When did you remove your earring last?” After some thought, she said,” It must have been during my nephew’s wedding three years back!”
Common Ear Problems:
Why am I shocked and dismayed? Two very common problems that Plastic Surgeons encounter is precisely because of this habit of our women. One is a torn ear lobe due to the constant pull of the heavy earring and the shape distortion and crush the ear suffers during tossing and turning during sleep.
The second is the development of a Keloid in the earlobe. This is a more serious problem and usually occurs after a new ear-piercing which women do to adorn their ears with more earrings along the outer border of the ear. A keloid formation is more likely, if the new earring is left in place throughout, causes some trauma to the ear followed by infection, a weeping ulcer that heals with an unhealthy scar and a keloid.
Management:
While for torn ear lobes, the treatment is surgery, keloids have the dubious distinction of recurring after surgery and needing far more long drawn, expensive treatments even radiation akin to that used in cancer.
If an earlobe tears, there is bound to be a big gap in wearing earrings again until repaired and re-pierced -maybe 3 to 6 months. And if a keloid develops, it is highly unlikely that an earring can be safely worn ever again!
Prevention is always better and cheaper:
All the women folk need to do to prevent these problems is to remove their earrings at night. I can cite so many advantages of inculcating this simple but important habit:
- A sound sleep without a prick and injury to the tender skin around the ear.
- Clean ears as they are washed thoroughly when not obstructed by earrings.
- Clean earrings that otherwise accumulate much muck when left on continuously.
- A chance to wear different earrings everyday matching your dress! (Oh, what a great way to wag so many tongues… “How does she find time?”, “What a show-off”)
- But most importantly allowing the hole in the ear to breathe, maintain its tone and dimension and so prevent a tear or a keloid.
Ladies do not lend me your ears. Keep them safe and sound with you and enjoy the perks (earrings) that culture has bestowed on us.