14 DAY TRIAL // The latest in accessory trends has it that no matter what piece we pick up, the bigger, the better. Naturally, since this is something that we see not only on fashion runways but also on our friends and frenemies, it’s only understandable that we buy the largest pieces of accessories that come our way. However, the price we’re paying for them could be higher than we might think, doctors warn, since, for instance, oversized earrings are very damaging for the lobes.
Because of their weight and length, and also because our ears are not made to support this kind of “furniture,” the lobes can stretch and, with them, the piercings in them, leaving very unsightly scars that may require surgery to fix. Doctors, and especially plastic surgeons, also warn that there are cases when the lobe can simply split in two, because the piercing is stretched to the maximum and gives way. In such a case, surgery is the only option of restoring the lobe to its previous, pre-earring glory, they say.
Of course, if the latest fashion craze is a must for us, then there’s also the possibility of having preemptive surgery to strengthen the lobes so that we’re not forced to fix them later. As a matter of fact, doctors maintain that more and more women are resorting to it, as a means of making sure that the soft flesh of the lobe is not damaged by wearing oversized earrings on a daily basis. This is done with Restylane (usually known as a lip filler), which lasts for a year, after which time it will have to be injected again. A possible future solution will involve the use of cartilage to strengthen the lobe.
“Women are being damaged by fashion earrings. Usually we can refreshen the edges and put them back together and repair the ear front and back. It is not just splitting. The lobes swell and they have lumps the size of a marble that look like dumb bells on either side of the lobe.” James McDiarmid, a consultant plastic surgeon based in Plymouth and Cheltenham, tells the Daily Mail.