Earlobe reduction surgery is the newest plastic surgery trend

The answer to saggy earlobes

A plastic surgery procedure is increasing in popularity - and it involves a body part often overlooked.

The procedure is earlobe reduction surgery - and judging by a recent Keeping up with the Kardashians episode in which Kris Jenner admits her earlobes make her self-conscious - and all she really wants are “cute ears,” the surgery is quite simple.

Performed by a plastic surgeon, the surgery consists of injecting the earlobe with a local anaesthesia before cutting a wedge of the earlobe out. Then the remaining lobe is reattached to the head - resulting in a smaller, more youthful ear.

Although the Kardashians are no strangers to plastic surgery - the earlobe reduction surgery seems bizarre even by Kardashian standards.

But it turns out the procedure is actually common - and was highly requested long before Kris Jenner announced her decision to undergo the surgery after insisting “I can’t afford for my diamonds to get any bigger!”

Often the procedure is requested after a lifetime of wearing heavy earrings - which can stretch earlobes over time, as is the case with Kris Jenner. People who have used gauges to stretch earring holes are also popular candidates for the procedure.

But other patients undergo earlobe reduction simply because they are self-conscious about the size of their earlobes.

The procedure involves cutting a wedge out of the earlobe

We reached out to plastic surgeon Dr Jeffrey Rockmore - who confirmed the popularity of the procedure.

According to Dr Rockmore, earlobe reduction surgery is commonly requested because “Torn earlobes is a problem we often see, primarily in women."

This is because of jewellery - according to Dr Rockmore: "Torn or stretched earlobes or earring holes usually happen when women wear heavy earrings over the course of several years or decades. As the hole gets enlarged, studs fall through them which can be very noticeable."

The outpatient procedure was featured on Keeping up with the Kardashians

In addition, "as we age, our earlobes continue to grow and this can contribute to an older look for some men and women. In some cases, they deflate as well. This can be improved by grafting fat into the lobes to make them more full and youthful looking," said Dr Rockmore.

But the good news is earlobe reduction surgery, which according to Dr Rockmore "usually takes about 20 minutes," is an outpatient procedure - meaning you can leave immediately after. And for most cases, the reduction typically costs anywhere from $500 to $900.

So if your earlobes don’t look as youthful as you’d like, earlobe reduction could be the answer.