People with symmetrical and proportional facial features look most attractive. Protruding ears are one of the most common congenital deformities in the craniofacial region. This defect is observed in approximately 5% of the population. Some people have ears that are not proportional to the rest of the face; in others, they stick out strongly. Protruding ears do not cause any physical problems, such as ear loss. But this defect can cause not only discomfort, but also have a psychological and emotional impact on a person.
Causes
Deformation of the auricles is the most common anomaly of ear development in children. The defect occurs due to excess cartilage, an abnormal location, or due to improper folding of the ear cartilage during organ formation. The auricles may also appear asymmetrical as a result of a large deviation relative to the head, giving an unattractive appearance. The normal angle between the head and ear ranges from 10 to 25 degrees. The article presents an example of protruding ears in the photo.
Ear deformation is one-sided and two-sided. Ears may become deformed or protrude from birth, or they may lose their shape as a result of injury. Such a defect can be observed in both children and adults. There are no statistical data that completely determine the occurrence of such an anomaly.
Sometimes parents blame themselves because of the protruding ears of the child, because they allegedly bent during sleep. Some try to apply different types of patches in an attempt to bring their ears closer to the head. Of course, such attempts always fail. Sticking ears are a congenital deformity and cannot become worse or better, regardless of their position during sleep.
It is believed that 90% of the growth and development of the ears ends in the first 6 years of life, and the remaining 10% of growth occurs in a later period. Therefore, the correction of protruding ears, or otoplasty, can be done in the sixth year of a child's life. In older people, you can often notice disproportionately large ears that appear during the aging process. This is due to weakening and lengthening of the ear cartilage, loss of elasticity of the skin of the earlobe.
The best period for correcting protruding ears is preschool age. At this time, the child is not yet subjected to bullying and ridicule by peers. Consequently, the risk of psychological trauma and the development of an inferiority complex is minimal.
Surgical treatment
Large protruding ears are relatively common. There are several ways to correct ear strain. One of them is surgery. Otoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that is designed to change the size, location or proportion of the ears. The result of the operation will vary depending on what kind of ears were originally, and what the patient wants to get in the end.
The minimum age for ear reconstruction surgery is 5-6 years. Indications for surgical intervention are:
- oversize or small auricle size;
- large earlobes;
- disproportionality;
- improper location;
- protruding ears;
- a change in the shape and position of the ears due to injury.
Otoplasty is performed under general anesthesia. During surgery, the doctor corrects the cartilage so that the ears are bent in the correct position. The new form is fixed by a number of internal seams. As a rule, incisions after surgery are invisible, since they are made on the back surface in a natural fold. The stitches that create a new shape of the ear do not dissolve and remain under the skin. The whole procedure usually takes from 45 to 50 minutes in each ear.
When considering an option for surgical treatment, some facts should be remembered. Otoplasty is a purely cosmetic procedure. The operation is designed to change the shape, size and location of the ear. Otoplasty is not intended to improve hearing ability. Risks during surgery are minimal, physiological and psychological benefits prevail significantly.
Postoperative period
Some features of recovery after otoplasty:
- After the procedure, the patient is prescribed intramuscular injections of analgesics to reduce pain.
- Bruises under the ears and mild swelling of the eyelids resulting from an elastic bandage may be most noticeable 2-4 days after the procedure and usually go away after 7-10 days.
- The patient should sleep on his back with a slightly raised pillow.
- In the first 2 days, a slight increase in temperature is possible, which is a variant of the norm.
- Removing the elastic bandage is carried out after 2 days.
- After removing the bandage, it is recommended to wash your ears with baby soap, and also apply a topical antibiotic spray.
- Sutures are removed on the seventh day after surgery.
- The patient should wear an elastic bandage on his head for three months. This is necessary for additional fixation of the correct shape of the ears.
- It is not recommended to wear heavy glasses or jump headlong into the water.
- It is necessary to avoid playing sports with the ball, as well as gross physical manipulations with the ears for at least 4 weeks.
- Most patients experience temporary numbness or decreased sensitivity in the upper half of the ear. These symptoms disappear within a few months.
Complications
Aesthetic complications of ear correction are very rare. Possible complications include:
- infection attachment;
- hematoma formation;
- bleeding;
- hypertrophic scars, or keloids;
- recurrence of ear deformity (1-2% of cases) or apparent asymmetry.
Non-surgical treatments
Sticking ears (or one ear) is a fairly common imperfection, which can cause a lot of complexes and unpleasant remarks from other people, especially among children. If deformation of the ear is noticeable from the first days of life, the abnormal shape and projection of the ear can be corrected without surgery using ear shaping techniques. In order for the correction to be successful, treatment must be started in the first 2 weeks of life. When correction of a defect is not possible due to severe deformation or late diagnosis, surgical intervention may be required. If you notice that the baby’s ear is bulging out soon after birth, there is the least invasive tool that can help correct this anomaly. To do this, use a special silicone device that fits on your ear. With the help of this device, the correct shape of the auricle is formed within 3 weeks. The best time to start ear correction is the first month of life.
Physiognomy
Paying attention to some features and structural features of the face, you can find out various things about a person’s personality, his future and state of health. Face reading is an ancient Chinese science. Physiognomy is the practice of reading facial features in order to understand the actual behavior of a person and his fate, for which they are intended.
For example, when analyzing the structure, shape and size of the ears, you can determine the nature of the person. If the ears stick out, it means that the person is a non-conformist, and his judgments are independent of the opinions of others. He is smart, smart, and also stubborn.
Hairstyles
In addition to surgical treatment, various haircuts and hairstyles for protruding ears will help mask the deformation. To do this, you must first turn to a qualified hairdresser so that the end result does not disappoint.
Proper hairstyles are sometimes all that is needed to hide physical imperfection. They can be varied. Regardless of the specific situation, the choice of hairstyles to mask the defect comes down to the need to create volume. This helps balance facial proportions. In this case, protruding ears will not stand out so much. Many hide an ear defect behind long hair. If nature has not gifted you with thick hair, do not be upset. In this case, unusual haircuts for protruding ears may suit you.
Pixie with bangs
The hairstyle has multilayer edges, elongated bangs. This is a great way to create a shorter hairstyle that subtly and naturally covers your ears. The bangs go into longer locks around the ears to frame the face and draw attention to the eyes and cheekbones.
Asymmetric bean
A short and fashionable hairstyle of medium length that combines soft elegance. This haircut is suitable for women with straight, wavy, thin or thick hair. Depending on the shape of the face, the asymmetry may vary in one direction or another.
Inverted bob
This haircut is not suitable for every girl. Hair is longer in front and shorter in back, often with graded layers. The hairstyle is quite versatile and is a great way to mask your ears with long strands of face.
Classic bob
Classic bean is ideal for ladies with short hair. The hairstyle is suitable for almost everyone, regardless of hair type, face shape or personal style.
Haircuts for men
Protruding ears are often a source of low self-esteem and depression. While some do operations, others prefer to hide the deformation in various ways, for example, with hats. In addition to caps, hats or hats, protruding ears can also be masked with various hairstyles and haircuts. Men's haircuts for protruding ears are presented in the photo in this article.
The presence of bulging ears was not a problem in those days when men wore long hair. But shaved heads and ultra-short hairstyles came into fashion. Oblique bangs, asymmetric locks, volume and negligence - all this will help to correct the flaw.
It is worth noting that a beautiful and well-groomed beard or whiskers can also distract from deformation of the ears.