The physical problem
Prominent ears are an inherited problem affecting 1-2% of the population (although the diagnosis is somewhat subjective and this figure depends on what is considered to be a prominent ear). It may be unilateral or bilateral and arises as a result of lack (or malformation) of cartilage during primitive ear development in intrauterine life. The external ear anatomy is intricate, with thin skin and resilient cartilage. The ear subsequently has abnormal helical folds or grows laterally. Occasionally, folds seen at birth resolve spontaneously.
Prominent ears do not tend to improve and about 30% of babies who have prominent ears are born with normal-looking ears with the problem only arising in the first three months of life. This may be exacerbated when the soft cartilage is repeatedly bent over, particularly during breastfeeding. There are no functional problems associated with prominent ears.
The psychological problem
The psychological distress caused by prominent ears can be considerable. The main clinical significance of prominent ears is the aesthetic problems, which can lead to a reduced quality of life, reduced self-esteem, social avoidance behaviour and poor performance in school. Teasing at school causes both short-term unhappiness and a potential long-term impact on perception of self-image and self-worth. Children and adults alike with ears that stick out may experience a damaged psyche secondary to outside ridicule and self-criticism.
Conservative management
Prior to 6 months of age, the ear cartilage is very soft and may be amenable to moulding and splinting. Bandaging and taping have been used in the past but now sophisticated splints have been designed to correct problems more specifically.
Ear splintage can be a very effective technique for treatment of neonates with deformational auricular anomalies. After 6 months, surgical correction is the only option.
There is still uncertainty about the spontaneous course of prominent ears as well as at what age to start using ear splints, how long to continue them and how effective they are in the long term. As the risks are so minimal, ear splints are often recommended for a trial in infants.
My Solution?
This Amazing Product! I have always had ears that stuck out and I was teased mercilessly as a kid for it. This is a great solution for those that don't want to go through surgery or can't because of financial issues, work conflicts etc.
The trick is to minimise touching the sticky part with your fingers as you put them on, and place them where a natural fold in your ears would be. This is dependent on the person - each person will need place them in a different place on their head to achieve the desired effect, not just at the top of the ear, as is shown in the picture. For me, if I place them about 1/3 of the way down from the top of my ear I find that I get a better-looking result.
For those that had the problem with sticking - make sure the area is clean and COMPLETELY DRY before putting them on. I had that problem the first set I tried to put on - I had cleaned the area but it wasn't quite dry yet. Also, try not to touch the sticky part too much as you put them on.
They don't completely stick the ear flat against your head (I have a feeling some people expected this to happen). It provides a little bit of a gap between your ear and your scalp, which is more natural looking and allows people who wear glasses to be able to use them too.
I would recommend getting 2 of them the first time you order them so that you have a box that you can experiment with to see what works for you. After that, they'll stay on from 4-8 days per set. I have a very active lifestyle (a physically demanding job, and I work out 5 days a week), and they'll stay on for 5-7 days average. I do trim the edges before I put them on just because they stick out a bit and I don't want them to be visible. But overall a great product I'm definitely going to continue to use them :)
written by Chris Price
