HWN Suggests

Why do we have earlobes? They make no evolutionary sense.

These dangly bits of soft, non-cartilaginous tissue appear relatively recently in the animal record–they’re only really present in humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas, Coleman says. So far, biologists haven’t identified any clear purpose for them. “I think their function is to have a safe place to put an earring,” he jokes. Ears have lots of blood vessels in them, and so it is theoretically possible that lobes play a role in temperature regulation, similar to how elephants’ huge ears help them stay cool, he says. Though he and Le Maître both note that theory is little more than a guess. Alternately, some scientists, like zoologist Desmond Morris, have previously proposed the idea that earlobes…

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 Everything your biology teacher told you about earlobes is wrong

Are your earlobes attached, or free hanging? Many of us learned in school that this is a simple dominant vs recessive determination, but the largest genome-wide study of earlobe genetics to date says at least 49 genes play a role.

Articles of Interest

Apparently, “Ozempic Earlobes” Are a Thing Now, Too

Earlobes, apparently, are top of mind among GLP-1 patients at the moment, if the release is anything to go by. It purports that rapid weight loss is causing a growing number of patients to have sagging lobes—but thankfully, there’s an in-demand, low-downtime surgery that can restore patients’ earlobes to their original shape and size.

A Complete Guide to Your Earlobes

Earlobes vary in size, shape, and thickness due to genetics. Earlobe shapes can include arched, tongue-shaped, square, and triangular. Your earlobe may attach to the skin on your face (attached earlobe) or hang freely (free or detached earlobe). It is also possible to have a partially attached earlobe.

Association Between Earlobe Crease and the Metabolic Syndrome in a Cross-sectional Study

CVD accounts for many deaths in Korea and around the world. Prediction and prevention of CVD are therefore significant factors in the clinical setting. In this regard, the current study is of great significance in that it identifies a correlation between MS, which is a group of high risk factors for CVD, and ELC. MS can confound the association between ELC and CAD, and so future studies of the ELC and CAD association should take into account the presence of MS.

Chopped earlobes and the long history of political shock art in Russia

On October 19, Russian artist Petr Pavlensky sat on a wall outside a mental institution in Moscow and cut off his earlobe. He did so in protest of the continued use of psychiatric treatment on dissidents in Russia. One year earlier, the same artist nailed his scrotum to a cobblestone in Red Square – a call to action to his fellow citizens to not remain passive in the face of corruption and abuses of authority.

Do you have a diagonal crease in your ear lobes?

There is a strong association with heart disease. One study found that if you have the ear lobe crease, there’s a 78% chance you have heart disease. In those with no heart disease, having the ear lobe crease multiplies the risk of cardiac events and sudden cardiac death by a factor of 7 to 8x. Compared to heart patients without the crease, those heart patients with a crease have a 4x higher risk of heart events and sudden death.

Do Your Ear Lobes Look Old? Do They Bag or Sag? Here's Help

As face lifts, chemical peels and skin resurfacing surge in popularity, more patients want youthful, unlined lobes to match. Some want to erase signs of aging like wrinkles, folds and sun-spots. Others want to perk up lobes made droopy by years of wearing dangling earrings.

From health to sports – ears can say a lot about you

Earlobes feel different to the rest of the ear. They lack cartilage so feel soft and squishy, rather than firm and bendy. But the appearance of the earlobe can vary according to your genes – they’re either free (with a dangly bit) or attached (attached directly to the head).

Kris Jenner Isn't the Only One With Earlobe Issues—Here's How a Derm Can Help

“We’ve mastered the face, neck, and chest,” says New York City dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D., “so it’s only natural that the ear area would be next.” The ears, like the tops of hands, can reveal signs of age, she explains, due to elongated holes, brown spots, and sagging. “Any treatment I do to the face, I repeat on the ears,” she adds, mentioning that the surface’s tough skin can handle anything from Fraxel lasers, to retinol, to peels. And the same goes for your sunscreen and hyaluronic acid serum; Fusco recommends extending your application, morning and evening, onto the entire ear.

My Left Earlobe

''I don't mean you any disrespect,'' he said, ''and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I noticed something about you that I thought I should mention. You've got a crease in your earlobe.'' He gestured toward my left ear as I took stock. I have a discernible crease in that ear, extending from the bottom of the opening to the outer edge of the lobe, as though an earring had been ripped out.

Thanks to Linkin Park There’s an Industry of Plastic Surgeons Fixing Those Massive Earlobe Gauges

While an ancient practice, earlobe-stretching may have reached its zenith as a North American fashion trend in the early 2000s, when celebs from Lil Wayne and Adam Lambert to the dudes from Linkin Park and Incubus all sported large gauged lobes. Tens of thousands of wannabe-badasses followed suit, either stretching their ears themselves with tapering jewelry, like Sheffroth, or getting instant gratification with a large gauge dermal punch. Despite the baffled reactions and declining trendiness of the look, tons of folks are still doing it—and many, many more are living with big, floppy lobes long term. Unlike most piercings, lobe stretching is basically permanent.

Timelines Ear Stretching: A Timing Guide for Stretching Earlobe Piercings

Your earlobe stretching journey may take longer or shorter than someone else's, and that's okay. The goal is to stretch ears safely and healthily, not quickly.

Unified Anatomical Explanation of Diagonal Earlobe Creases, Preauricular Creases, and Paired Creases of the Helix

Three types of ear creases have been described in the medical literature in association with several cardiovascular and metabolic disorders: diagonal earlobe creases (DELCs) (Frank’s sign), preauricular vertical creases, and paired ear creases of the helix (PECH). The exact mechanism of development of such creases, as well as an explanation of their association with cardiometabolic disorders, remains unclear.

Van Gogh Cut Off a Lot More Than His Earlobe

Aside from his beautiful paintings, one of the longest-lasting elements of Vincent van Gogh’s legacy is the story of his left ear. Memorialized in a self-portrait that depicts him with a bandage wrapped around his head, the question of just how much of his ear remained has persisted. While many scholars thought that van Gogh chopped off just a small part of his lobe, a recently uncovered letter suggests that the wound may have been much more extensive...

What is Frank’s Sign? Diagonal Earlobe Crease (DELC)

Anecdotally, it is more often present in patients presenting to cardiology service who have had previous coronary bypass surgery. Just look at your patients ears next time you are on a cardiology ward! However, the risk of developing vascular disease if noted in an asymptomatic individual is debated.

Your Earlobes Want to Join the Party

EARS have been lonely, unadorned places of late, virtually ignored as necks were weighed down with statement necklaces, hands with chunky cocktail rings and wrists stacked to the elbow with bangles. Not for much longer. Get ready to celebrate: party earrings are preparing for their comeback.