An unusual beauty treatment is emerging for the earlobe-conscious and earring-obsessed. No longer reserved for cheeks and lips, the earlobe is the latest area where filler can be used to plump and lift.
Earlobe fillers were recently thrust into the spotlight when The Real Housewives Of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak-Biermann revealed she’d had the procedure.
Kim’s daughter Brielle revealed the news on twitter. “My mom gets filler in her ears because her diamond earrings are too heavy..... #richpeopleproblems,” she tweeted. Kim then confirmed the procedure. “Just my right ear that I use to talk on the phone (my lobe is pulled down slightly) so rather than have surgery to fix it, a couple years ago Dr Ourian put a tad of filler in the lobe and my earring stays straight up instead of facing downward," she wrote.
What is it?
Filler is a quick solution to help plump up and lift the earlobe. It only requires a few injections of hyaluronic acid filler, so it’s an easier option than ear surgery. However, it can be a little pricey and does require touch-ups.
Why do people get it?
Dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD, spoke to Refinery29 about why more people are getting the procedure. "These are really young, fashionable women who are wearing large statement earrings that can be quite heavy. With time, that starts to pull on the piercing site [which then] starts to stretch and stretch and stretch, and become elongated. Eventually, it might even tear through the ear,” she said. But Dr. Henry explains that ageing is also a factor: "As we get older, our collagen starts to deteriorate. When that happens, the ears start to deflate, sag, and become floppy.”
