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Earlobe Repair, La Jolla
Earlobe repair closes a torn or split lobe, rebuilds a lobe stretched by gauges or heavy earrings, or reduces an elongated lobe. At your La Jolla consultation, Tim Sayed MD examines the lobe and explains the repair options and when re-piercing may be possible.
The La Jolla consultation office is in University City, at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Consultations and follow-ups take place here. The repair is performed in an accredited operating room separate from both consultation offices, not at the University City office.
The La Jolla consultation office is in University City, at ---
Why patients choose Tim Sayed MD
Dr. Sayed is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and he has been recertified in both after ten years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Request an earlobe repair consultation in La Jolla · (858) 247-2933
Torn vs gauged
Earlobe repair is usually performed under local anesthesia. The tissue is freshened and closed with fine sutures, and a small dressing is applied. Both ears can often be repaired in the same session.
The repair is performed in an accredited operating room, not at either consultation office; ask for the facility address when you schedule.
| Consideration | How they differ |
|---|---|
| Cause | Torn: a split from trauma or heavy earrings. Gauged: a hole stretched by plugs or gauges over time. |
| Tissue | Torn: the edges are near-normal thickness and close directly. Gauged: the skin is stretched and thinned, so it is trimmed and rebuilt. |
| Procedure | Both are done in-office under local anesthesia; a gauge repair takes a little longer because the lobe is reshaped. |
| Re-piercing | Both can usually be re-pierced once healed, about six weeks, placed away from the repair scar. |
| Downtime | Both are minimal: a small dressing, and stitches out in about a week. |
Many patients have one torn ear and one stretched, or want a reduction at the same time. A consultation settles the plan for each ear.
Compare earlobe repair options
Consultation
Bring a list of medications and supplements and any history of keloids or thick scars. Note how the tear or stretch happened and whether either ear has been repaired before.
Ask which repair technique fits your lobe, whether both ears can be treated together, what anesthesia is planned, and when you may re-pierce or wear earrings.
Practice pricing information for La Jolla patients · Financing information for La Jolla patients
Compare earlobe repair with otoplasty
The procedure
A partial split or fully torn lobe can usually be closed by removing the stretched lining of the tear and repairing the tissue in layers. A lobe stretched by a gauge or plug has thinned skin that needs to be trimmed and reshaped. An elongated lobe may be reduced.
Once healed, many patients can re-pierce, often in a slightly different spot away from the scar. A history of keloids needs to be discussed before surgery because scars can thicken.
Related options include otoplasty in La Jolla and facial plastic surgery in La Jolla.
Risks include bleeding, infection, visible or thickened scars, keloid formation, a notch at the edge of the lobe, asymmetry, and re-tearing if heavy earrings are worn. Further repair is sometimes needed.
Report increasing redness, warmth, drainage, or fever promptly.
Before and after
Ask to see before-and-after photographs relevant to your concerns. The same practice gallery is used for both offices; these are not location-specific results. Photographs do not guarantee your outcome. Practice photo gallery information for La Jolla patients
Photographs are examples of real outcomes and are not a guarantee. Individual results depend on anatomy, healing, and the specific plan. All photos are shared with patient consent.
Cost and financing
The current published guide for earlobe repair is about $500–$1,500 per ear, depending on whether the concern is a simple tear or a stretched gauge and whether a reduction is added. The same guide applies at both consultation offices; it is not a La Jolla-specific market price.
Request a written quote for your proposed plan. Ask which fees it includes, such as the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility fees, and what could add to the cost. Earlobe repair is generally considered cosmetic; check with your insurer if the repair follows an injury.
Ask about earlobe repair financing
Recovery
Many people return to light daily activities soon afterward; ask what applies to your repair. A small dressing covers the lobe, and nonabsorbable sutures are typically removed in about a week or so. Keep the area clean as directed.
Ask when you may re-pierce and wear earrings; waiting until the repair is well healed protects it. Heavy earrings can tear the lobe again.
Ask about earlobe repair recovery
Your surgeon
Dr. Sayed is certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and he has been recertified in both after ten years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He earned his medical degree at the UCSF School of Medicine, completed general surgery training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, and returned to UCSF for his plastic surgery fellowship.
Ask about earlobe repairs similar to yours, how keloid risk is handled, and what happens if the repair needs revision.
Read the practice biography before your La Jolla consultation
American Board of Plastic Surgery
Board certified and recertified
American Board of Surgery
Board certified and recertified
UCSF School of Medicine
MD and plastic surgery residency
Harvard, Mass General
General surgery training
Kellogg School of Management
Executive MBA, Northwestern
Alpha Omega Alpha
National medical honor society
Office
For your La Jolla earlobe repair consultation and follow-ups, use the University City office's San Diego postal address shown below.
Tim Sayed MD — La Jolla / University City consultation office 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210 San Diego, CA 92121 Shared practice phone: (858) 247-2933
Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. On Mondays, this office opens at 9:00 AM, half an hour later than the Newport Beach office.
Choose the office you can return to for follow-ups, not just the first visit. Follow-up visits take place at your consultation office, so settle that choice before you schedule.
Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
Before surgery, ask the team for the operating facility's address, arrival time, and discharge instructions. Do not use the University City consultation address as your surgery destination. Arrange a ride from the accredited operating room, and plan your return trips to this office. If you will recover outside the area, ask how long to stay nearby and when you must come back; no fixed stay applies to everyone.
Tim Sayed MD, La Jolla / University City
Address
4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121
Phone
(858) 247-2933
Hours
Mon 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tue–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM PT; Sat–Sun closed
Surgery
Accredited operating rooms only, separate from both consultation offices
Approved copy
For your La Jolla earlobe repair consultation and follow-ups, use the University City office's San Diego postal address shown below.
Tim Sayed MD — La Jolla / University City consultation office 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210 San Diego, CA 92121 Shared practice phone: (858) 247-2933
Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. On Mondays, this office opens at 9:00 AM, half an hour later than the Newport Beach office.
Choose the office you can return to for follow-ups, not just the first visit. Follow-up visits take place at your consultation office, so settle that choice before you schedule.
Consultation details for La Jolla · Compare the Newport Beach consultation office
Before surgery, ask the team for the operating facility's address, arrival time, and discharge instructions. Do not use the University City consultation address as your surgery destination. Arrange a ride from the accredited operating room, and plan your return trips to this office. If you will recover outside the area, ask how long to stay nearby and when you must come back; no fixed stay applies to everyone.
The current published guide for earlobe repair is about $500–$1,500 per ear, depending on whether the concern is a simple tear or a stretched gauge and whether a reduction is added. The same guide applies at both consultation offices; it is not a La Jolla-specific market price.
Request a written quote for your proposed plan. Ask which fees it includes, such as the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility fees, and what could add to the cost. Earlobe repair is generally considered cosmetic; check with your insurer if the repair follows an injury.
Practice pricing information for La Jolla patients · Financing information for La Jolla patients
Many people return to light daily activities soon afterward; ask what applies to your repair. A small dressing covers the lobe, and nonabsorbable sutures are typically removed in about a week or so. Keep the area clean as directed.
Ask when you may re-pierce and wear earrings; waiting until the repair is well healed protects it. Heavy earrings can tear the lobe again.
Your follow-ups are at the same University City office where you had your La Jolla consultation. Ask when each check is needed and how to reach the team with concerns outside office hours. The office hours above are not an emergency-care schedule.
A partial split or fully torn lobe can usually be closed by removing the stretched lining of the tear and repairing the tissue in layers. A lobe stretched by a gauge or plug has thinned skin that needs to be trimmed and reshaped. An elongated lobe may be reduced.
Once healed, many patients can re-pierce, often in a slightly different spot away from the scar. A history of keloids needs to be discussed before surgery because scars can thicken.
FAQ
Earlobe repair closes a torn or split lobe, rebuilds a lobe stretched by gauges, or reduces an elongated lobe, using fine sutures under local anesthesia.
Often, yes. The thinned skin around the gauge hole is trimmed and the lobe is reshaped. The approach depends on the size of the stretch.
The current published guide is about $500–$1,500 per ear, depending on the type of repair. The same guide applies at both offices; request a written quote for your plan.
There will be a scar. It usually fades over time, but some people form thick or raised scars, especially those with a keloid history.
Many patients can re-pierce once the repair has healed, often in a slightly different spot. Ask your surgeon when that is appropriate.
The area is numbed with local anesthesia. Mild soreness afterward is common and usually manageable.
Timing depends on the type of repair and whether one or both ears are treated. Ask your team when you schedule.
Nonabsorbable sutures are typically removed in about a week or so. Full scar maturation takes longer; ask when you may wear earrings again.
The repair itself is durable, but heavy earrings or trauma can tear the lobe again.
Often, yes. Both lobes can often be treated in the same session.
Earlobe repair is generally considered cosmetic. If it follows an injury, check with your insurer.
Risks include infection, bleeding, visible or thickened scars, keloid formation, notching, asymmetry, and re-tearing.
Earlobe keloids can be treated, but they can recur, and treatment may involve more than excision. Discuss your history during the consultation.
Most healthy people with a torn, split, stretched, or elongated lobe are candidates. A keloid history needs special discussion.
The office is in University City at 4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92121. Monday hours are 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Tuesday–Friday hours are 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, Pacific Time. It is closed Saturday and Sunday. Confirm your appointment time when scheduling. Call (858) 247-2933.
Your follow-ups are at the same University City office as your consultation. Surgery is performed only in accredited operating rooms separate from both consultation offices. Get the operating facility's address before arranging transportation. If you are traveling, ask how long to stay nearby and when to return for follow-up.
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