Just like the skin on the rest of our body, the earlobes change over time with aging and exposure to the sun.   As collagen and elasticity decrease, the earlobes can become elongated and thin, with fine wrinkling on the surface.  This can make it difficult to wear certain types of earrings such as small pearls or stones, which can fall downward due to lack of structural support around the post of the earring.  The piercing hole may also become weak and stretched out or prone to tearing.  Some scientists have even suggested you can tell the relative age of someone by the length of their earlobes. 


In our cosmetic culture, earlobe rejuvenation is not uncommon and there are several options.  If your earlobes are of a generally good size and shape but your earrings are starting to droop, a good option is to use an injectable filler such as Restylane or Juvederm to plump them up and add support.  This can be done on your lunch hour, and you can continue to wear earrings immediately after the procedure.

If your earlobes are overly elongated, you can have them surgically shortened with a simple outpatient procedure.  This is normally done under local anesthesia with sutures left in place for about a week.  Earlobes with excessive wrinkling can be improved with either fractional or ablative skin resurfacing.   The good news is, you don't ever have to retire your favorite pair of earrings.