A Complete Guide to Your Earlobes

The earlobe is the soft area of tissue at the bottom of the outer ear. The earlobe does not have cartilage but has numerous blood vessels and nerve endings. Depending on your genetics, this fleshy part of the ear can be attached to or detached from your facial skin.

The earlobes have no proven biological function. One theory is the earlobes' tissue contains blood vessels that may help keep the ears warm. Otherwise, the only known function is to serve as a place for cosmetic decorations like ear piercings. Still, allergies, infections, and injuries can cause inflamed and irritated earlobes.

Anatomy of the Earlobe

Your earlobe is the bottom tip of your outer ear. Everyone's earlobes can look slightly different. Here's what to know about the structure, location, and anatomical variations of the earlobe.

Structure

Unlike the rest of the outer ear, the earlobe doesn't contain cartilage—a firm, yet flexible connective tissue that supports body structures. Instead, fleshy tissue called areolar connective tissue makes up the earlobe. Areolar connective tissue is a loose connective tissue that helps hold various tissues in place. The type of tissue also contains a network of nerves and blood vessels. A protective skin layer, the epidermis, covers the earlobe.

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. Older research estimates the average earlobe is 1.88 centimeters (cm) high and 1.96 cm wide. Males typically have larger earlobes than females. 

Earlobes can continue growing with age. An older study from 1997 that is still cited today estimates that earlobe circumference increases by .51 millimeters (mm) every year. Researchers aren't sure why the earlobe grows, but they theorize it's actually the earlobe stretching and sagging.

An elongated earlobe over time may also be due to increased facial fat, collagen loss, or mechanical tension—like wearing heavy earrings. Collagen is a protein that helps support your tissues and cells. It is responsible for elastic, plump skin and strong bones. Your collagen levels naturally drop as you age, which may cause your earlobe tissue to sag. 

Location

As part of the outer ear, the earlobe attaches to the bottom of the helix, tragus, and antitragus. The helix is the curved outer cartilage rim of the ear that helps sound waves enter. The tragus is the small bump between your face and the ear canal. The antitragus is the small bump that sits nearly diagonal from the tragus and connects to the top of the earlobe.

Anatomical Variations 

A typical earlobe is smooth, but some people may have a horizontal crease in the earlobe. Earlobe creases found in children are often related to rare inherited conditions like Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, which causes overgrowth of body parts. 

While rare, people can also be born with a congenital cleft earlobe—a split in the earlobe. A congenital cleft earlobe happens as a baby develops in the womb, and the earlobe doesn't fuse correctly. People can also be born with duplicate earlobes. Both anatomical variations don't typically cause health issues and can be repaired with surgery.

What Does the Earlobe Do?

The earlobes don't appear to have any functional job to the auditory, or hearing, system. The earlobe is most likely just extra tissue that makes up your ear. However, the ear lobes' blood supply may help keep your ears warm. The rest of the outer ear is made of cartilage, which doesn't have blood supply to provide warmth.

The earlobe also serves as a location for cosmetic accessories. You may choose to put clip-on earrings on the earlobe or ear piercings and gauges in the earlobe.

Associated Conditions

Earlobes can be affected by numerous skin conditions, injuries, and infections. Some common conditions associated with the earlobes include: 

• Allergic contact dermatitis: An allergen touching and irritating your earlobe can cause an inflamed and itchy skin rash. Allergic reactions on the earlobe are often caused by wearing earrings made with nickel. More than 18% of people in North America have a nickel allergy. 
• Sebaceous cyst: Hard lumps of dead skin cells and oils can form on the back or front of the earlobe. Cysts often feel painful and are likely caused by overactive oil glands and skin cell production.
• Infected ear piercing: Earlobe piercings that are not properly cleaned and cared for can become infected. An infected ear piercing will often appear red and swollen. It may also feel hot to the touch and drain pus. 
• Piercing rejection: Sometimes, the inflammation associated with ear piercings can cause the piercing to start moving toward the skin's surface. This is your body's attempt to eliminate the foreign object in your earlobe, which can lead to infection and raised scarring like keloids. 
• Cellulitis: This bacterial infection affects the deeper layers of your skin, causing a red, swollen, and painful earlobe. Cuts or other injuries to the earlobe can lead to cellulitis.
• Erysipelas: This skin infection of the outer layer of skin can cause a red, swollen, and warm earlobe. You may develop fever, chills, and blisters in more severe cases. 
• Split earlobe: Earlobes can tear into two pieces due to injury or heavy piercings expanding the piercing holes over time. Partially split earlobes can also develop from large-gauge piercings or heavy earrings. 

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you injure your earlobe or have persistent redness or swelling, you can typically visit your general healthcare provider for a diagnosis. They may also refer you to a specialist like a dermatologist or ear, nose, and throat (ENT) to treat infections, cysts, and injuries. Your healthcare provider will examine your earlobe and ask about your medical history to determine if you have an infection or allergy. If you have a torn earlobe, they will physically examine it to determine how to repair it.

Earlobe infections caused by piercings, bug bites, or other injuries are treated with antibiotics. If you have an ear piercing infection and form an abscess (a painful swollen bump filled with pus), you may also need the infected area cut open and drained. Earlobe cysts will often resolve on their own. Depending on their size and type, cysts may need to drained, surgically removed, or treated with antibiotics. 

If you have a stretched-out or torn earlobe, a plastic surgeon, ENT, or dermatologist can perform an auricular lobuloplasty. An auricular lobuloplasty is a surgical procedure that repairs torn or deformed earlobes by restructuring the earlobe. 

Tips for Keeping Your Earlobes Healthy

You can help keep your earlobes healthy by caring for the skin and tissue that make up your earlobes. Lifestyle and skin care tips that can keep your earlobes healthy include: 

• Keep your ears clean: When you wash your face or body, don't forget your ears. Wash the outside of your ears with warm water and a mild cleanser or body wash to avoid drying the skin. Like the rest of your skin, avoid continuously touching your earlobes.
• Apply SPF to your ears: Remember to protect your ears when applying daily sunscreen. Look for a water-proof sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection and a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 or more. 
• Wear lighter-weight earrings: Continuously wearing heavy earrings can lead to stretched or torn earlobes. 
• Care for new ear piercings: To avoid infection and promote proper healing, gently wash piercings at least once daily with a sterile saline wound wash. Never touch your ears or rotate your piercings.
• See an experienced ear piercer: Ear piercers should use sterilized piercing equipment, sanitize the piercing room, and wear gloves. 
• Wear hypoallergenic metal earrings: Look for earrings made of surgical-grade stainless steel, gold, pure sterling silver, or platinum to avoid allergic reactions. Earrings made with nickel are more likely to cause allergic reactions. 

A Quick Review 

Your earlobe is the fleshy part at the bottom of your outer ear. While your earlobes may provide warmth to your ears because they have some blood supply, they likely don't do much of anything for your body or ears. More so, the earlobes are an aesthetic feature. Like the rest of your skin, the skin on your earlobes is susceptible to injury, cysts, and infections. Typically, earlobe infections and injuries are related to ear piercings that are not kept clean or that tear the ear. You can avoid complications by keeping your earlobe clean and caring for your piercings.