Are super-size earrings ruining your earlobes?

I used to wear clip on earrings. Like, every day for a few years. 

I suffered through the horrible pinching of some of them, so much so that it gave me headaches. My earlobes also reacted badly to some of the vintage metal clips at the back of the earring. But I kept wearing them. Until I visited a doctor for a Swimmer's Ear related issue. He inspected my ear, and told me to stop wearing clip-ons immediately. "Your earlobe is very delicate," he preached. 

After that I stopped wearing them. Flat as a pancake lobes did not scream "healthy" to me. 

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So I converted to wearing heavier, dangling earlobe friends. But the friendship didn't blossom, unfortunately. My 'delicate' lobe kept sagging, a bit more each time, until I actually realised the hole was stretched. I contemplated getting another piecing higher up, just so I could wear my favourite pieces. 

Who was I without earrings?!

Then, upon a visit to my new doctor, again for a Swimmer's Ear issue (apparently I have a very rare condition where my ear channel is super-duper narrow), she convinced me that I was playing with fire wearing danglers. She said once it's broken, once it tears, an earlobe can be extremely difficult to repair. 

One of my biggest fears has been getting an earring ripped off, a sudden jerk or movement by you or someone in the club or just in your vicinity and your gold hoop can chop your lobe clean off. 

Like this literally horrifies me...

Image: Giphy

Local dermatologist, Dr. Nomphelo Gantsho warns that "Heavy earrings worn at the earlobe add weight across a thin strip of skin, 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."

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Self.com reports that several dematologists advise against wearing heavy earrings daily, that is for those with both thinner and thicker lobes. And avoid wearing any earrings when sleeping and exercising. Give your earlobes a break as often as you can. 

Local ear, nose and throat doc, Dr. S. Williams says "Complications of ear piercing include infection of the ear lobe, contact dermatitis, as well as keloid formation. Ear lobe injuries may be as a result of a sudden pulling on the earring, which can result in a torn earlobe, or more gradual enlargement of the piercing hole and tearing of the ear lobe, i.e. as a result of prolonged traction from heavy or reasonably heavy dangling earrings. This type of injury can also can be caused by repetitive physical activities like running with heavy dangling earrings or even constant playing with the ear lobe or earring.  

"The typical end result injury seen from these types of earring related injuries is called a cleft ear lobe, which is rather unsightly, leaving the earlobe as two dangling pieces."

What are the treatment options?

Treatment involves a surgical procedure to repair to reattach the two pieces. This could mean a reduction of the size of the lobe which may have become long and distended. 

"Piercing of the repaired ear lobe should only be done a few months after the surgical repair to allow for healing and it must be borne in mind that repaired ear lobe will be more susceptible to the same type of injury, so the use of long, dangly and or heavy earrings should be avoided," advises Dr. Williams. 

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