Earlier this year, I underwent an arm lift and hand rejuvenation. Now, I have turned my attention to my ears. Once, people said a woman’s age could be read in her hands. Then the focus shifted to the neck, and later to the arms. Earlobes are another giveaway — except these days, they do not have to be.
We tend to pour our energy into our faces and bodies, while ears are barely considered. That is, until we suddenly spot them. It might be the sight of a pair of earrings hanging uneasily from stretched, thinning lobes that look flatter, longer and more creased than they once did. Then comes the inevitable mirror check, and the uncomfortable realisation that our own lobes may be going the same way.
If your earlobes no longer look as smooth, plump or youthful as they used to — and your favourite earrings seem to highlight the problem rather than hide it — there is now a solution. Welcome to the Ear Job.
Earlobes 101
Earlobe ageing may not be something you have spent much time worrying about. I have, but after almost four decades working as an aesthetic consultant, noticing these small but telling changes is part of the job.
The science is straightforward. Unlike most areas of the face, earlobes do not have muscle or bone underneath them. They are made up of skin, connective tissue and a modest pad of fat — and little else. That delicate structure is exactly what makes them so susceptible to time’s effects. The internal changes begin well before they are obvious on the surface.
Heavy earrings are often the first contributing factor. Worn regularly over many years, their weight gradually pulls the lobe downward, stretching it in a way nature never intended.
Cindy Jackson, who recently had a procedure called earlobe rejuvenation, or the Ear Job as she calls it
But downward-stretched ears are only the beginning. The real giveaway comes later. With time, the earlobe loses fat, along with the collagen and elastin that once gave it firmness – and the underlying support is gone. The poor lobe becomes a shadow of its former self. Even a smaller stud earring cannot sit correctly in place on an earlobe without support. Instead, it tilts forward, sits at an unintended angle, or slides toward the front of a lobe that has lost the structure required to hold it upright.
I monitor everything to do with anti-ageing, both in the industry and on my own face and body, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to keeping all my body parts looking roughly the same age. When I realised my earlobes were looking older than the rest of me, I wasted no time getting them done; they had thinned, flattened, lost volume and developed wrinkles. As you’d expect, my earrings, instead of sitting the way they used to, had begun to droop forward at an angle due to a lack of support.
My ears were starting to look old, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
How to fix it
The procedure is called earlobe rejuvenation – though I prefer Ear Job – and essentially involves hyaluronic acid filler being injected directly into the lobe.
This is the same compound used routinely in facial rejuvenation: hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body, which is precisely why it carries a low risk of reaction and why it has remained a trusted option in injectable treatments for years.
The filler performs two functions in a single sitting. First, it restores volume to the lobe, rebuilding the structure and cushioning required by earrings to sit correctly in their holes. The same applies to clip-ons, by the way, which arguably need even more cushioning for a firm enough grip. No one wants a clip-on dropping into their soup.
Second, filler smooths the wrinkling and creasing that forms on the lobe’s surface as it thins, giving a more youthful appearance.
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Cindy’s earlobe before the treatment. Thin and wrinkly, the earring listing forward under its own weight
The injection itself takes only minutes. Most practitioners apply a topical numbing cream beforehand, and the filler often contains lidocaine for additional comfort. I found it less painful than getting my ears pierced.
Ear enhancement requires no downtime. There may be temporary mild swelling, but there was none in my case. And it lasts.
Most fillers have a lifespan tied to how much the treated area moves. Lips and cheeks, for instance, are almost continuously in motion, and that constant activity brings richer blood flow to the area, which appears to speed up the natural enzymatic process by which the body breaks hyaluronic acid down.
Earlobes have a distinct advantage in this respect: they barely move at all. That lack of movement allows the filler to hold its shape considerably longer than it would elsewhere. It’s often well over a year before any touch-up is necessary, so fewer visits to the clinic. What’s not to love?
Are you a candidate?
If you’re over 30 and have worn heavy earrings regularly for a significant part of your adult life, there’s a reasonable chance the lobe-drooping process has already begun. If you’re over 50, even if you don’t wear earrings, age alone can cause volume loss and creases. Candidates for Ear Jobs are those who are noticing, for whatever reason, thinning, drooping, wrinkly earlobes – with or without stretched piercings, and with or without earrings that no longer sit as they once did. (I’m aware this sounds like the ultimate first-world problem.)
Cindy’s earlobe after the treatment. Full, properly supported, sitting as nature intended – 30 years ago
It’s also worth noting that Ear Jobs pair naturally with other procedures. Filler in the earlobes, alongside facial rejuvenation, tends to produce one coherent, harmonious result. No one wants a beautifully rejuvenated face with saggy old ears on either side of it, and vice versa. Consistency is key.
How much does it cost?
Depending on provider, location and the amount of filler required, it can vary quite widely – from £250 upwards.
This is a simple procedure, though simple should not be read as foolproof. As with any injectable treatment, the practitioner is as important as the product. Specific experience in treating earlobes is required, along with an understanding of the tissue involved, and a policy of natural results over volume.
For decades, I’ve been saying that anti-ageing procedures, when performed correctly, mean looking naturally younger, not ‘done’. They should also consider the overall picture. Earlobes are a prime example of how a small, easily overlooked detail can undermine everything else one has invested in. You can be otherwise beautifully presented, with well-maintained skin, a youthful face (naturally or otherwise), and an elegant wardrobe – only for a pair of droopy earlobes to let the side down.
By now I’m guessing everyone reading this has inspected their own earlobes. Take a look at my before-and-after images. Before: thin and wrinkly, the earring listing forward under its own weight. After: full, properly supported, sitting as nature intended – 30 years ago.
That comparison is the entire case for the procedure. No exaggeration required – simply tissue that has been given back the volume it had lost.
For information about Cindy Jackson and her consultancy, visit cindyjackson.com