Cosmetic Surgeons London




earFold™ – minimally invasive prominent ear correction

Protruding ears can be a source of embarrassment for many people (adults and children). Children can get teased at school for ears that are prominent ('stick out') and this may be a significant cause of distress for the child. It is essential that it is the child and not the parent that wants their prominent ears corrected. Cosmetic Surgeons London can reshape your or your child's ears and help achieve a more natural look restoring your facial balance and symmetry. Prominent ear correction can improve your quality of life and make you less self-conscious.

What is earFold™?

earFold™ reshapes your ears in a simple procedure lasting a few minutes under local anaesthetic. The earFold™ implant is introduced under the skin of the ear through a small incision. Once in place, earFold™ grips the cartilage of the ear and immediately adopts a pre-set shape thereby creating an anti-helical fold. This reduces the prominence of your ear. earFold™ is a thin, curved, metal strip made of Nitinol. Nitinol is an alloy that is made from two metals, titanium and nickel, and is widely used in medicine. It is the same material that is used for coronary artery stents (for patients with heart disease due to a blockage of their arteries) and also for unbreakable spectacle frames. The earFold™ implant has been plated with 24-carat gold to reduce its visibility. The earFold™ implant has undergone extensive laboratory and human clinical testing over a period of several years.

The earFold™ implants have been designed to be completely biocompatible and are left in place permanently.

Am I suitable for the innovative earFold™ implant procedure?

  • My ears 'stick out'
  • My ears are different on each side

If this is you and you feel that your ears are out of proportion to your other facial features then Cosmetic Surgeons London can help.

You (the Patient's) Journey

Before the operation


The operation

For the first time in cosmetic surgery, earFold™ will provide you with a unique opportunity to select the precise amount of correction that you want rather than leaving it to the discretion of the surgeon. At your first visit to the surgeon, you will be able to decide how much of a correction you want. To do this, the surgeon will use earFold™ sizers which are placed onto the outside of your ear to help determine the optimum location for the implant. The sizers are also made of Nitinol and are the same size and shape as the actual earFold™ implant. To achieve the desired correction, one or two earFold™ implants are used in each ear.

Your surgeon will inject local anaesthetic and adrenaline around your ear. This improves your postoperative comfort. Cosmetic Surgeons London always puts your comfort first. The operation itself will take less than 10 minutes in total. A small incision is made in the ear to insert the earFold™ implant. 1 or 2 stitches are used on the skin that will dissolve to maximise comfort for you. You will be free to leave the hospital as soon as the operation is done.


You will experience some degree of bruising, swelling, and discomfort around your ears. No heavy lifting, straining or strenuous exercise for 3 weeks. No swimming for 3 weeks. The ears can remain sensitive for up to 3 months

Safety and potential complications?


Scarring on the whole is not problematic. A scar will always exist and certain individuals e.g. Afro-Caribbean races and red haired individuals are at a higher risk of forming excess scar tissue (keloid or hypertrophic scars). Should these scars develop, excellent advice and treatment will be provided by your surgeon.


Rarely a collection of blood (haematoma) can occur. No permanent side effects will occur.


This is a rare problem in earFold™ surgery. Oral antibiotics are given as a precaution.


There can be a degree of visibility of the underlying implant depending on the thickness of the skin. The implant has been gold plated to reduce this occurrence.


This is a rare occurrence.

Cosmetic Surgeons London can improve the appearance of your ears in relation to the rest of your facial features and carries a high satisfaction rate.

Further information


Operation Time 5-10 minutes
Anaesthetic Local Anaesthesia
Nights in hospital 0
How much time off work? 0

Cosmetic Surgeons London always puts your comfort and safety first!

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