What are the risks of ear molding?
By Nicholas Bastidas, MD
Ear molding is a powerful, non surgical way to correct the shape and position of a newborns ears and one of my personal favorite things to do in pediatric plastic surgery. One of the more common questions patients ask me is what are the risks or downsides associated with ear molding. Any procedure that is done has inherent risks and fortunately ear molding does not have many significant ones and nothing dangerous to your child.
Risk #1: Risk of Undercorrection
For ear molding to be most successful it should be started early (ideally less then 3 weeks). I usually give at least 1 week for ear deformities to correct on their own before intervening and i prefer to start as close to it as possible. Most ear deformities can be corrected within only 4 weeks of treatment. Usually I have patients come back in 2 weeks for me to reposition the
Risk #2: Risk of Skin Irritation
I find that spit up can cause a skin irritation when left uncleaned in the areas of the tape. We always send our families home with extra tape and instructions on how to replace the tape. We purposely use a hypoallergenic tape to reduce any potential allergy to the adhesive. Sometimes also we may notice that the pressure from the mold can cause an ulceration (blister). Removing the pressure and using a topical ointment will remedy this problem without any permanent problems. If your baby is more irritable then usual this may be due to skin irritation and we can assess this in the office. Skin irritation (inflammation) may resemble an infection but we can assure you that infection is incredibly rare and almost never seen in ear molding.
Risk #3: Risk of Relapse
Relapse or return to original deformity is a risk of ear molding. I decrease this risk by starting intervention ideally at less then 3 weeks of life. In addition, we secure the ear molding using extra tape and adhesive to keep the molds in place for the entire treatment plan. Some difficult deformities may require additional time and we may elect to continue molding another 1-2 weeks. One week after completing ear molding if you haven’t seen relapse then the ear will likely permanently maintain its new shape.
Risk #4: Risk of an Ugly Haircut
Unfortunately, there is a 100% risk of this happening as we need to shave about 1” around the ears to be treated. Fortunately, the hair will grow back within a couple months and you can tell your friends and family that your baby is starting a new hair trend ;). We have to shave this area of hair or else the molding will not stay stuck to the skin.
