Prominent ears can quietly affect a person for decades. A simple, well-performed otoplasty corrects the issue with long-lasting results — usually in around an hour.

Opening

Otoplasty — the surgical correction of prominent or protruding ears — is one of the most rewarding procedures in facial aesthetics. Many adult patients have lived with self-consciousness about their ears since childhood, choosing hairstyles, hats, and photo angles to hide them. Many parents bring their children before this self-consciousness develops.

I am Op. Dr. Aytaç Kılıç, an ENT and facial aesthetic surgeon based in Antalya, with international surgical experience gained at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Otolaryngology. As an ENT specialist, ear anatomy is part of my core training rather than a secondary focus. The result of a well-done otoplasty should be ears that look completely natural — not pinned, not flattened, simply proportional.

What Otoplasty Corrects

Prominent ears are typically the result of one of two anatomical features — sometimes both. The first is an underdeveloped antihelical fold, the natural curve in the upper part of the ear that should bring it closer to the head. The second is an overly large or deep concha, the bowl-shaped part of the ear that pushes it outward. Otoplasty addresses one or both, depending on the case.

The procedure does not change the size or shape of the ear in a way that makes it look different. It simply repositions the ear closer to the head and refines the natural curves.

Who Is a Candidate

Adults

Most adult patients seeking otoplasty have wanted the surgery for years before pursuing it. The most common reasons we hear are: avoiding photographs, choosing hairstyles primarily to hide ears, discomfort wearing certain hats or earphones, or simply a long-standing self-consciousness that they want to put behind them. There is no upper age limit.

Children

We perform otoplasty on children from age 5 onwards. By age 5, ear cartilage has reached approximately 90% of its adult size, and the surgery can be performed safely with lasting results. Many parents choose this age range deliberately — before school-age teasing can establish self-consciousness in the child.

For child cases, we conduct an in-person family consultation. We do not perform otoplasty on a child whose family is forcing the decision; the child must want it too.

The Procedure

Otoplasty is performed under local anaesthesia with light sedation in adults, and under general anaesthesia for children. The operation typically takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour total for both ears.

The incision is made behind the ear, completely hidden in the natural fold where the ear meets the head. Through this incision, the surgeon reshapes the cartilage to recreate the natural antihelical fold and, if needed, reduces the conchal depth. The ear is then secured in its new position with non-absorbable internal sutures.

Recovery

On the first day after surgery, the head wrap is removed and replaced with a soft headband. This headband is worn day and night for the first two weeks, then only at night while sleeping for an additional two weeks. At the end of the first month, the headband is discontinued entirely.

Most patients return to work or school within 7 to 10 days. Contact sports and water activities are resumed once the headband phase is complete.

With careful protection during healing and ongoing care afterwards, results are expected to be long-lasting. The corrected position should be preserved over time, provided the ear is not subjected to trauma or repeatedly folded forwards (for example, by sleeping heavily on one side without protection in the early weeks).

How we follow you through recovery

Across this recovery, we ask every patient to send weekly photos and videos in the first month, then transition to a structured longer-term schedule that continues until we tell you it is no longer needed. Based on what we see, we adjust your guidance — including how the headband should be worn, when to resume specific activities, and any care recommendations your healing requires. Patient compliance with this follow-up is part of the surgery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be visible scars?

The incision is placed behind the ear, completely hidden in the natural fold.

Is otoplasty permanent?

Results are expected to be long-lasting. The internal sutures and natural healing process hold the corrected shape over time, provided the ear is protected during recovery and not subjected to trauma or repeated forward folding afterwards.

What is the minimum age for child otoplasty?

Age 5, when ear cartilage has reached most of its adult size.

Will my ears look pinned or unnatural?

Not when performed correctly. The goal of modern otoplasty is to recreate natural curves and proportions, not to flatten the ear against the head.

Will my ears be perfectly symmetric afterwards?

No two ears are perfectly symmetric — not even in people who have never had surgery. The goal of otoplasty is a balanced, natural appearance where both ears look proportional to each other and to the face. Each ear is planned individually, and the final result is close to symmetric rather than identically matched.

Call to Action

Otoplasty is one of the simpler procedures we perform — but for the patient living with the issue, the impact is rarely small. Many of our adult patients describe the surgery as something they wish they had done years earlier.