The most common benefit of ear pinning is that it improves the appearance of your ears and, as a result, boost your self-esteem.

As with all types of surgery, pinnaplasty has risks associated with the procedure including scarring, changes in skin sensation, problems with stitches and overcorrection of the pinning. Your Consultant will talk you through these and any risks associated with anaesthesia.

There’s not much you need to do to prepare for your ear pinning procedure, but – as with most operations - you should stop smoking or vaping several weeks before your surgery, which will help the wound heal. Your Consultant will advise whether you should stop any medication ahead of the procedure.

On the day of your surgery, you can shower and wash your hair as normal. But we would recommend avoiding any hair styling products, such as hairspray, mousse or gel.

It’s also worth thinking about what you’ll wear. Avoid anything which needs pulling over your head or which comes into contact with your ears.

Your surgery will be carried out under a local or general anaesthetic and will take between one and two hours.

Your Consultant will make a cut on the back of your ear and remove some skin from the cartilage. They may remove small pieces of cartilage to change the position of the ear, so it’s closer to your head. They can also correct any asymmetry at the same time.

Once over, they’ll close the wound with stitches. You’ll be left with a small scar behind each ear, which will fade with time.

We’d recommend that you make arrangements for someone to drive you home after your procedure, especially if you’ve had a general anaesthetic.

Your ears might be sore and bruised for a few days and you’ll need to wear a bandage. This means you won’t be able to wash your hair, go swimming or take part in any contact sports until the bandage is removed.

You may want to sleep upright to keep any weight off the ear or wear a headband to protect your ears.

As the stitches heal, you may experience some pain, numbness or tingling in the ears. You can relieve this with over-the-counter medication.

After ten days or so, your stitches will be removed. They’ll be able to advise when you can start swimming again or resume playing sports.