Did Hair Transplant Surgery Change the Position of My Ears?

This question, addressed by Coalition hair restoration surgeon Dr. William Lindsey, was shared by a member of our [tag]Hair Loss[/tag] Social Community and Discussion Forums:

I got a [tag]follicular unit[/tag] [tag]hair transplant[/tag] (FUT) from a reputable [tag]hair restoration[/tag] physician in California. I got 1700 grafts and experienced post-op swelling of the forehead and ears. This subsided after a few days and within two weeks the sutures were removed and all swelling had vanished. The problem now is, three weeks post-op, it looks like my ears still stick out a little more than they used to. Is it possible that the process of extracting the grafts and applying and removing the sutures has pulled my skin in some way to cause my ears to protrude slightly? Is there precedence for this or am I just hyper-aware and self-conscious because I’ve been staring at my ears for too long? If anyone can shed some light on this I would appreciate it, Thanks.

First, being a facial plastic surgeon who has “tucked” about 74 sets of ears, I can tell you that anatomically it’s difficult to change the amount ears protrude from the head, even when that is the goal. It takes cartilage shaping suturing or cutting.

Second, I personally see everyone at day 7 (unless they fly out prior to that) and nobody in about 1600 patients has ever mentioned it to me, nor have I ever noticed it. Now I often point out how asymmetric people are pre-op and that includes showing how the ears stick out differently and maybe that has let people see that before the surgery and then not notice it to be different post-op.

Third, I ask everyone to come see me personally at 1 month for a scar check. Realistically, 30% of people do and so far nobody has ever commented on ear positioning.

I did have a nurse a few years back who was convinced that I completely removed her ears and reattached them at different levels after a facelift. Other than that I don’t hear much about ears changing from surgery unless it’s part of the plan.

Dr. William Lindsey – McLean, VA

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