African American otoplasty is where the ears are reshaped to make the ears look less prominent. There are several key anatomic differences with African American ears. First of all, most African Americans have smaller ears. In several studies measuring size of ears, African Americans had the smallest ears, followed by Caucasians, and with Asian patients having the largest size ears.
In addition, a significant concern is the possibility of keloid or hypetrophic scar formation. Many male African Americans may wear shorter hairstyles or shave their head, which can also place more emphasis on the prominence of the ears.Treating the ears must be tailored to the patient. First of all, scars are placed in the postauricular crease to minimize visbility of a scar, even with a shorter hairstyle.
For patients who are more likely to keloid, post procedure a specialized silicone based scar gel can be applied as well as injections to decrease the likelihood of keloid formation. Dr. Shah has expertise in treating patients with keloid formation. African American otoplasty can be a very gratifying procedure for surgeon and patient alike, allowing for patients to become more confident in their appearance and wear a variety of hairstyles.
For more on Otoplasty, please visit the Otoplasty Homepage.
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