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Getting ears pinned back?

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Original post by Solid.Snake
Thanks :smile:


No problem :smile:

Original post by mangoh
I can't seem to find a price out.

I'm just over 18 and not in education/employment/training

Any ideas how much it would cost?

Source?


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Not sure, I didn't pay, mine wasn't a straightforward otoplasty. You'll be looking at a few grand though probably.
My bf got his done a couple years back, and they feel just like normal ears now. He's got 2 very faded little scars behind his ears that you can only see if you really look. Cost about £2400 at the time. I didn't even know him when he got it done, but I've seen photos of him before and he does look way more attractive since.
Reply 42
My ears have always been big and their angle on my head makes them stick out. I thought about getting them pinned back, but I didn't want to have to go through surgery and risk scarring etc. In the end I just learnt how to control the muscles behind my ears by flexing my ears and now after years of it I can keep them pinned back all day long without even thinking about it. Took a while but I'm glad I found a way around surgery.
Original post by Rish7
My ears have always been big and their angle on my head makes them stick out. I thought about getting them pinned back, but I didn't want to have to go through surgery and risk scarring etc. In the end I just learnt how to control the muscles behind my ears by flexing my ears and now after years of it I can keep them pinned back all day long without even thinking about it. Took a while but I'm glad I found a way around surgery.


This has got to be a joke surely?
Reply 44
Original post by Wilfred Little
This has got to be a joke surely?


I'm serious haha! I'm so used to pulling them back that I can keep them there all day! It used to ache at first but now it's fine! :colondollar:
I had the otoplasty done on the NHS almost 2yrs ago now.
Genuinely it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I went to my GP who had a look, asked how it was affecting me etc, asked what I wanted to do, told me about the otoplasty risks etc. then he referred me to a plastic surgeon who had another look, asked some routine questions like if I'd been bullied how it was affecting me etc etc. I think for me the main tipping point was the lifestyle impact, I cut my long hair short so I would have to tie it up for pe, I was always repositioning my goggles when swimming etc. They'll determine from this consultation whether or not you're eligible. If you want it done though then get to the gp asap because I'm not sure if they'll still cover you when you're 17/18.

The recovery was very uncomfortable, 1 week with a bandage on and 1 week with a protective headcap thing on. You can't wash your hair till the stitches come out 2wks after the operation so it's pretty gross but honestly it was so worth it, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Genuinely my confidence went so much higher, I've finally regrown my hair and will happily tie it up, I no longer worry if my ears are sticking out or if the wind is showing them. I think it's one of those things where you have to have it yourself to fully understand how frustrating and upsetting it can be. It's all too easy for people to say you're just being silly and noone notices and I know lots of people don't, but it can literally just take 1 person to draw attention to them and your confidence just sinks.

After the op my ears at the top were really numb, it gradually subsides though, I think some people won't ever get back to 100% feeling there, but it's not really much of a problem, I think I have maybe 85% of feeling back which is fine by me. Also afterwards you can get little sharp shooting pains in your ears as the nerves start to regain function.

If you want to do it, then just do it. There's no harm in asking your GP about it but if you want to try for it on the nhs then you really need to do it soon.

Also in terms of timescales, I'm pretty sure I went for my first GP consultation in the summer (could have been more like easter though i'm unsure), I was scheduled to have the op in jan but ended up getting it in november because someone else rescheduled. So like 6-9months from gp consultation to operation for me if anyone was wondering :smile:)
Original post by PointyElbow
I had the otoplasty done on the NHS almost 2yrs ago now.
Genuinely it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I went to my GP who had a look, asked how it was affecting me etc, asked what I wanted to do, told me about the otoplasty risks etc. then he referred me to a plastic surgeon who had another look, asked some routine questions like if I'd been bullied how it was affecting me etc etc. I think for me the main tipping point was the lifestyle impact, I cut my long hair short so I would have to tie it up for pe, I was always repositioning my goggles when swimming etc. They'll determine from this consultation whether or not you're eligible. If you want it done though then get to the gp asap because I'm not sure if they'll still cover you when you're 17/18.

The recovery was very uncomfortable, 1 week with a bandage on and 1 week with a protective headcap thing on. You can't wash your hair till the stitches come out 2wks after the operation so it's pretty gross but honestly it was so worth it, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Genuinely my confidence went so much higher, I've finally regrown my hair and will happily tie it up, I no longer worry if my ears are sticking out or if the wind is showing them. I think it's one of those things where you have to have it yourself to fully understand how frustrating and upsetting it can be. It's all too easy for people to say you're just being silly and noone notices and I know lots of people don't, but it can literally just take 1 person to draw attention to them and your confidence just sinks.

After the op my ears at the top were really numb, it gradually subsides though, I think some people won't ever get back to 100% feeling there, but it's not really much of a problem, I think I have maybe 85% of feeling back which is fine by me. Also afterwards you can get little sharp shooting pains in your ears as the nerves start to regain function.

If you want to do it, then just do it. There's no harm in asking your GP about it but if you want to try for it on the nhs then you really need to do it soon.

Also in terms of timescales, I'm pretty sure I went for my first GP consultation in the summer (could have been more like easter though i'm unsure), I was scheduled to have the op in jan but ended up getting it in november because someone else rescheduled. So like 6-9months from gp consultation to operation for me if anyone was wondering :smile:)


Good post. It's orgasmic when you do wash your hair though, you feel so happy.

I'm glad you mentioned the numbness as well, my left ear at the top is still pretty numb and it's nearly a year after I had the op.
Hmm, I've been thinking about it for a while now, I kind of want to, but is there really much point? It doesn't affect hearing and at least then you'll know who likes you for what you originally looked like... Will it look better of I get them done?
Haha they don't look as bad in a picture - they stick out - they're just really small haha
Haha i look tired because I took this just before going to sleep
Reply 50
Original post by physicshelpme
Ok so for as long as I can remember my ears have stuck out a lot more than I would like which has affected my confidence greatly. Today I got a haircut and realized it was so short that it kind of exaggerated my ears. I've been thinking about it ever since and even decided not to go out tonight because of it.

So I decided to look up surgery that would 'pin back' my ears and I found 'otoplasty'. It looks fairly quick (1 week recovery time) and I do not care about the pain that would come with it. I've also heard that you can get it done on the NHS for free if it is causing psychological pain however if I can't get it done on the NHS I have no problem with getting a job and saving up.

The only problems I have is that I don't know how to tell my parents about it as I have never spoke about anything like this before. I think it will be really embarrassing and I'm not sure how they react.

So my questions to you are 1/ how should I go about telling my parents? 2/ How would I go about arranging the actual surgery?

Thank you and sorry for the long post



DO not get it on the NHS! You need to pay for it yourself as its cosmetic, I feel the same about mine but at the end of the day,they're only ears
Reply 51
At least we know the NHS is being used for such important things as this...
Reply 52
Original post by scotttb
At least we know the NHS is being used for such important things as this...


Give it a rest, MATE.
UPTO the age of 18 most places it's free if you pull the it's affecting my mental health card
[QUOTE=scotttb;41014296]At least we know the NHS is being used for such important things as this...

Appearance is important for some actually as people get bullied over stuff like that, it's already a thing so give it a rest
I was worried to tell my parents because I thought they'd just dismiss it as being not that bad and I'd just have to carry on. My mum actually brought it up to me before I could ask, she'd heard of other dancers having their ears pinned back and since mine stick out a lot she asked if it was something I'd be interested in.

Long story short, we're going private, surgery is this Thursday. My parents were much more receptive than I thought they would be, so I think as long as you explain to your parents how much psychological distress it causes you, they should want to help.

One thing though, even though my parents keep saying I should have told them when I was younger I'm really happy I waited until now (I'm 18) because even with the bullying I've managed to work on how I feel about myself. I think if I'd had it done when I was younger and really insecure I would've regretted not learning to love myself first. Of course I know this is difficult so do what's right for you x
So I wrote up my experience of the actual surgery just in case anyone wanted more info about that.

Surgery:

First they applied some sort of numbing cream which felt weird but I didn’t think it actually did much, then I was taken to theatre. I lay down on the table under those big surgical light things so it looked like some kind of sci fi horror. There were quite a few people in the room, a few of them gathering equipment, some talking to me about random stuff. The radio was on playing some cool music.

After a while the surgeon arrived, he wiped the cream stuff off my ears and drew lines where he was gonna cut. I started shaking really badly at this point even though I didn’t feel particularly nervous, they gave me a blanket to make me feel better, kept saying I was just cold. My surgeon asked me to tilt my head so he could inject the anesthesia. A nurse came over and held my hand during this. It was the most painful part, you couldn’t feel the needle going in but it felt like they were injecting me with acid or something, but it was relatively quick, three injections on each side.

There was a little wait, maybe five minutes then with people talking to me as we waited for it to set in. Then they place a wet flannel over my eyes, they said it was because of the lights but it was more likely so I wouldn’t see any blood, it was actually quite calming.

They put a sheet over my body and a towel beneath my head. My surgeon actually held my head and made me turn it this time to make sure it was straight. he jabbed me with a needle twice behind the ear to see if I could feel it before beginning.It was reassuring because I didn’t feel anything. I was still shaking really hard at this point.

The surgeon told me he was going to start. I didn’t actually feel anything happening straight away and I soon realised that they had my ear open, at this point I started to stop shaking. I then started to hear what I believe was cutting through tissue. To comfort myself I created the idea that I was a robot and they were cutting wires and stuff and if you can imagine that then that’s exactly what it sounded like. Next there was a sound like a blowtorch, I didn’t feel it but I think they were like burning the nerve endings or something.

Soon enough they started doing the stitches, the surgeon said it would sound like rope, and I guess it did. It was the sound of when you’re threading a shoelace and you have to pull it through. At one point one of the nurses touched the thread and it sounded like a guitar string vibrating in my ear. Throughout all of this it felt like they were stuffing cotton into my ear hole, which was weird cause I know they were at the back of my ear. But I think this was to do with the numbing, for some reason the whole of my left ear was numb front and back whereas my right ear was only numb at the back, but it was fine both sides, I actually preferred my right ear because it felt less trapped.

The other side was pretty much the same, beforehand one of the nurses told me that the second ear takes longer because they have to make sure it’s the same, but it didn’t seem any longer. In fact both ears seemed really quick. He cleaned around my ears afterwards, to get rid of the blood, he was actually kinda rough at this point but it didn’t hurt.

After this they briefly allowed me to sit up and showed me what my ears looked like. It was weird, it was like your family crowding around you to see how you react to your birthday presents like suddenly everyone was there just watching. I liked the look of them though so they seemed pleased with my reaction. They got me to lie back down and started with the dressing. The surgeon showed me some cotton wool with jelly on it and told me he was putting it in the front of my ear, I guess to keep the shape. They he placed things on each ear and asked a nurse to hold them there as he wrapped up my head with bandages. This was difficult because I had to hold my head up and it was like a prolonged crunch, I think the nurse was meant to be supporting my neck but I didn’t trust her not to drop me. He taped at the sides and then I was good to go.

I had to go back to my room in a wheelchair, but after an hour they said I could leave.

Everyone was so nice to me, and trying to keep me calm through out. I think the worst part was the injections and the fact that I got pins and needles in my legs from lying still for too long.

After surgery:

I didn’t feel anything for a while afterwards but it was a struggle to adjust to the bandages. I couldn’t turn my head properly and the shape of them was awkward. I went to sleep as soon as I got home finding sleeping on my back surprisingly easy.

When I woke up, about four hours later, there was some pain. My surgeon said the anesthesia would take eight hours and I suppose that was pretty much accurate since the surgery was two, there was an hour wait before I could leave and then I got home an hour later. The pain was like an ache, in fact I thought it could just be the bandages pressing my ears so tightly. I was given paracetamol and ibuprofen (2p and 1i with each meal) so I had some then and tried to have dinner. Eating was quite difficult cause you have to find things that aren’t too difficult to chew, it’s not so much painful to chew just really uncomfortable.

Then I basically slept for the rest of the day and all night, waking up every five hours but being able to go back to sleep.

Day 1:

I woke up early and the pain wasn’t too bad, I still had my painkillers though, it still felt achy but more like I’d been punched in the ear. The painkillers didn’t get rid of the pain but they helped a little. I managed to stay awake all day eating soft things like soup. Itchiness became an annoyance, but where I thought it would be my ears it was actually just in my hair or on my neck just out of reach under the bandages. It wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be.

Day 2:

I woke up feeling sick and panicky because the bandages felt really tight and hot and I just wanted so badly to take them off. I felt like I was wearing three wooly hats in summer. But after a while I calmed down and I was fine. I think the nausea was just because I was struggling to have my normal amount of food.

The bandages really were my main issue, I felt like they were wonky and every now and then it felt like something was moving. It just generally made me feel claustrophobic and really hindered my hearing. My throat hurt a little bit too just because I wasn’t speaking much to avoid moving my jaw. I got a nose bleed but I don’t know if this was related or not.

I just felt kinda fed up with the bandages, and the fact that it was only the second day.

Day 3:

Struggled to get much sleep during the night so slept in that morning. It was quite painful when I woke up but after lunch almost became very bearable. Then the pain started up again after dinner, it felt like a headache. Eating was much easier though. I took less of the painkillers because they were making me feel nauseous and weren’t helping with the pain.

Day 4:

There was barely any pain. My ears were really itchy though, all over, it was a struggle. But I only had one lot of painkillers. I also managed to start singing again.

Day 5:

There was actually more pain on this day, but I figured it was because I’d been itching my ears the day before, then it was just itchy.

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