The Reconstructive Surgery of “tribal” lobe piercings, on the rise.
Many tribes such as the Mursi of Ethiopia and the Botocudo of Amazonia insert plates into their earlobes and lips, and stick animal bones into various parts of their bodies as a canon of beauty.
When they reach puberty, the 4 lower incisors are pulled out to constantly salivate the deformed lip so that it does not break due to dryness.
Fashion
Trends in body piercing and body modification tend to come in waves. In the United States, ear expansion has been in vogue for several years. According to Elayne Angel’s 2009 book “The Piercing Bible,” ear piercing is receiving greater visibility and acceptance from more people in society as many people choose this form of body modification. Ear piercing is also associated with certain social groups. Punk and emo musicians for example, expand their ears mostly, as this body modification is associated with contemporary punk fashion and lifestyle choices.
When it becomes a problem
In the USA and England, many candidates have been forced to have their earlobes reconstructed when applying for a position in the army, as candidates with ear holes larger than 1.6 millimeters are not allowed to apply.
This situation is repeated when trying to access jobs in bank offices, schools, institutes, universities and hospitals.
By means of plastic surgery, the earlobe damaged by a piercing can be reconstructed in an operating room under local anesthesia. With this procedure, which usually lasts about 40 minutes, the plastic surgeon can restore the earlobe to its original appearance.
