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Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in Earwell ear reshaping. I have a two month old son who has prominent cup like ears. I am emailing you to ask if it is too late to possibly use the Earwell product to prevent possible cosmetic surgery in the future. His ears are still pretty soft and fold over on themselves very easily. Please let me know if this is still an option for him or would even still be successful in treating his prominent ears! 

A: Technically, Earwell ear reshaping works best when initiated within two to three weeks after birth. The ear cartilages do not yet have any memory so they will stiffen up around the molded plastic Earwell framework over the next month or so of use. While this is the ideal time to start Earwell, the reality is that many parents only start to think about therapy for their infant’s misshapen ear(s) weeks to months later. So your request at two months of age is not rare. Having initiated ear reshaping therapy in some cases at 6 to 8 weeks, there usually is some improvement in ear shape but not to the extent of that is seen when the external reshaping framework is applied within a few weeks after birth. The ear may seem floppy and without much cartilage stiffness at two months of age but the cartilage has already started to develop some stiffness (memory and thus is more resistant to cartilage molding forces.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a grandson who is only 3 months. He was born with a mishappen ear and I do not want him to go through surgery and I read online that there is  a way to fix his ear with some sort of mold. Can you please help me and tell me where I can find this mold? Thank you for your time to read this and I hope to hear from you soon.

A: Neonatal ear molding can reshape an ear but it must be done within the first two months of life to be effective. There is a very narrow time window after birth when the cartilage remains ‘unstiffened’ and can be molded into a new shape. This is done using ear molds known as the Earwell System. It must be done by a plastic surgeon to apply the mold and change it as needed over a two to three treatment period. I am afraid at three months old your grandson has already passed the time when such non-surgical ear shaping is possible.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana