When Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak-Biermann said she got earlobe fillers to support her massive diamond earrings, we rolled our eyes at the humblebrag. But, whether you have a 10 karats or just heavy plastic dangling from your ears, stretched piercings can happen to anyone. And earlobe fillers — a procedure that takes 15 minutes on your lunch break — is becoming the most popular solution.
Dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD, says she's seen a huge spike in patients, both young and old, requesting the procedure. "These are really young, fashionable women who are wearing large statement earrings that can be quite heavy. With time, that starts to pull on the piercing site [which then] starts to stretch and stretch and stretch, and become elongated. Eventually, it might even tear through the ear."
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But even if you just wear studs, sagging can still happen as part of the natural ageing process: "As we get older, our collagen starts to deteriorate," Dr. Henry explains. "When that happens, the ears start to deflate, sag, and become floppy."
The good news is that a few injections of hyaluronic-acid filler like Juvederm or Restylane Silk can help rebuild the ear's structure and plump up the lobe area. The results can last anywhere from six months to two years and, if you ask your derm to apply a little numbing cream before the procedure, you'll only feel a pinch. Check out our unfiltered opinion on the treatment — plus our own final results — in the video above.