The Latest Beauty Craze—Youthful Earlobes!

Ears, they’re so hot right now—and not just because the statement earring dominated the spring runway. After all, with the recent resurgence of casual updos and oversized earrings, 2018 may very well be the year of the ear.

Marlene Dietrich allegedly had her molars removed to emphasize the hollows of her cheekbones, and Marilyn Monroe was said to have undergone painful electrolysis procedures to remove her widow’s peak: People have been coming up with new and creative ways to “fix” everything they perceive wrong with their appearances for a long, long time.

With a recent survey finding that 7 out of 10 Americans have considered cosmetic procedures at one point or another, it’s unsurprising that small, non-invasive tweaks are increasingly popular — they’re the gateway drug of plastic surgery, a way to dip a toe in without going under the knife.

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According to top aesthetic doctors, earlobe fillers are another growing trend within the cosmetic surgery industry as an anti-ageing problem solver. And while it may be shocking, it also kind of makes sense as the face and décolletage aren’t the only areas to show signs of ageing. That’s nature, after all.

“As we age, the loss of elasticity and collagen in our skin can cause sagging which makes earlobes droop, wrinkle and harder to hold in earrings” explains Dr Kenneth Lee, medical director of SW1 Clinic.

This has resulted in many of Dr Lee’s patients seeking treatments to replace the lost volume in their earlobes. “Many of my patients’ initial complaint is that their earrings do not sit well” he says. That’s why he performs a non-surgical procedure using innovative soft hyaluronic acid fillers called “Lobe Lift” to restore earlobe volume and help to keep earrings in place.

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WHAT: Yes, that’s right, injecting your ears with Restylane or other hyaluronic acid fillers is a thing—and it’s becoming increasingly popular across the country as a quick way to plump up the area and lift slack lobes. According to Dr Lee, you only need a drop or two strategically injected around the pierced hole. The injections prevent delicate lobes from ripping and provide extra cushioning for heavy jewelry. A five-minute, virtually painless procedure that will make a new pair of gorgeous-but-hefty Marni earrings sit up straight and provide ears with the stamina to wear them all night long? No wonder socialites have been flocking to have their ‘ear fix’ before their next red carpet event.

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WHY: The ears, like the tops of hands, can reveal signs of age due to elongated holes, brown spots, and sagging. Dr Low Chai Ling agrees that ears have been much neglected, adding “Any treatment I do to the face, I repeat on the ears,” mentioning that the surface’s tough skin can handle anything from Fraxel lasers, to retinol, to peels. And the same goes for your sunscreen and hyaluronic acid serum; Dr Low recommends extending your application, morning and evening, onto the entire ear.

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HOW MUCH: Of course, happiness has a price: Fillers averages around USD$600-700 (depending on how much fillers you need), and requires touch-ups once a year. Lasers and Peels are small add-ons which starts from around USD$100 are effortless solution to a particularly irritating problem.