Do My Ears Stick Out Too Much? Ears Too Large? What's A Normal Ear?

Ears - what is normal?

 

How big is a normal ear?

• The average adult female ear is 59mm tall and the average male ear 63mm tall. 
• In boys, the ear length is 48mm at 6 months increasing to 55mm at 5 years and 59mm at l0 years. The values are a little less for girls.
• Macrotia is the medical term given to ears which are larger than average.

 

Should I worry about my new baby's ears?

• Parents are often told not to worry about baby ear problems.  This advice is usually incorrect.  If a newborn ear does not look normal within 48 hours of birth, at the most, it is not likely to improve without some help.
• Baby ears have very soft cartilage and their shape can be quickly, cheaply and easily remoulded at birth with EarBuddies - this process is called Early Ear Correction.

 

Can my ears be made smaller?

• Ears and earlobes can be made physically smaller only by removing some of the ear tissue - this surgery is called Ear Reduction.
• If the ears or earlobes stick out, then they can be set back so that they seem smaller, especially when your face is viewed front the front - this surgery is called pinnaplasty or otoplasty.
• The ears can also be made to seem smaller making them slope further backwards - this surgery is called auropexy.

 

how much should a normal ear stick out?

The average adult normal protrusion is around 19 millimetres.  Ears that stick out from the sides of the head more than this are called Stick Out Ears.  Other names for stick out ears are Bat Ears, Jug Ears, Taxi Door Ears, Prominent Ears and Protruding Ears.If a baby's ear already protrudes this much, it is very likely that the ears will still stick out in adulthood.  The idea that a child will "grow into his or her ears" is very rarely correct.

 

 

When does the ear stop growing?

The ear is almost fully-grown at l0 years. It remains much the same size until the age of 60 when it gradually enlarges, particularly the lobe. Ear lobes can become bigger when stretched by jewellery. They may also lose volume with age and become somewhat shrivelled.