Nonsurgical Technique for Incomplete Earlobe Cleft Repair

BACKGROUND: Earlobe cleft is a common problem caused by the wearing of jewelry or decorative objects. Incomplete earlobe clefts are usually bilateral and are often converted to complete clefts as part of the surgical repair procedure. OBJECTIVE: We present a nonsurgical procedure for incomplete earlobe cleft repair using trichloroacetic acid 90%. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We assessed 32 patients with a total of 53 earlobes to be noninvasively repaired. RESULTS: Complete treatment varied from 2 to 50 days, an average of 15 days between the first and last application of trichloroacetic acid 90%. No recurrences were observed during 1 year of follow-up. All of the clefts were totally repaired, and all of the patients were satisfied with the aesthetic results. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the surgical limitations, the noninvasive procedure described here may be considered to be a good option for incomplete earlobe cleft repair because of its good functional and cosmetic results, low cost, minimum risk, and easy application.