What Is the Best Age to Consider Ear Surgery?
Unfortunately, many children are born with overly large and protruding ears. Despite the ears not being the typical central focal point of the face, protruding ears can be detrimental to the self-esteem and confidence levels of many children. Teasing about large ears is common among this age range and can have lasting ramifications.
To spare children of the potential adverse effects of teasing and mocking, many parents are turning to ear surgery (also known as otoplasty) to help their children.
Ear surgery successfully reshapes, resizes, and repositions overly large ears and can be performed on patients of virtually any age. Since this is the only form of cosmetic surgery that can be done on children, there may be many questions about the requirements of this procedure.
What Is the Most Common Age for Ear Surgery?
Ear surgery can be safely and successfully performed on any ear that is fully matured. Traditionally, this occurs around 5 years of age; however, Dr. Doezie recommends that patients wait until they are at least 7 years old to undergo surgery. This way, you can assure that your child’s ears are fully matured and grown.
The most common ages for this surgery are children who are between 7 and 14 years old. Even though age is a major factor in determining the right time for ear surgery, it is far from the only, or even the most important, requirement. Cosmetic ear surgery is still surgery, and it is vital that your child wants to undergo the operation and understands what the procedure entails.
Benefits of Ear Surgery on Younger Children
There are several benefits to performing ear surgery on younger children. Your ears age with you into your adult years and the cartilage in an adult’s ear is not as easily malleable as a child’s. The earlier a child has this surgery, the less of a chance there is for others to make fun of their ears. It is a sad but true fact that young kids can be mean and merciless during their early years, and no child should have to endure that kind of torment.
If you or your child have experienced emotional stress due to oversized or protruding ears, contact Dr. Doezie at Mission Plastic Surgery today by calling (949) 304-5858.