Ear shaping is the process of altering the shape of the human

ear An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...

(s) as a

body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many s ...

practice, often resulting in a non-human appearance. The medical procedure via which ears are reshaped to give a normal appearance is known as

otoplasty Otoplasty ( el, οὖς, , "ear" + , , "to shape") denotes the surgical and non-surgical procedures for correcting the deformities and defects of the pinna (external ear), and for reconstructing a defective, or deformed, or absent external ear, co ...

. Ear shaping is usually performed by body modification artists. There are several ways in which human ears can be given a different appearance including cropping, pointing, and the amputation of various parts of the ear. The various methods may be combined to give specific results.

Amputation

In this form of ear shaping, the

lobe Lobe may refer to: People with the name * Lobe (surname) Science and healthcare * Lobe (anatomy) * Lobe, a large-scale structure of a radio galaxy * Glacial lobe, a lobe-shaped glacier * Lobation, a characteristic of the nucleus of certain biolo ...

or other portions of the ear are

amputated Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indivi ...

to give the desired look. This may also be undertaken to remove stretched portions that are no longer wanted. Sutures or

cauterizing Cauterization (or cauterisation, or cautery) is a medical practice or technique of burn (injury), burning a part of a body to remove or close off a part of it. It destroys some tissue in an attempt to mitigate bleeding and damage, remove an undes ...

may be required.

Cropping

Ear cropping is commonly performed on animals, for both cosmetic and other reasons, but rarely on humans. In humans, cropping usually involves the removal of part of the upper ear with a

scalpel A scalpel, lancet, or bistoury is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, podiatry and various arts and crafts (either called a hobby knife or an X-acto knife.). Scalpels may be single-use disposa ...

. Suturing or cauterizing may be required.

Pointing

Ear pointing or "elfing" by various methods is undertaken to give them an appearance similar to that of

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

Vulcans Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the ''Star Trek'' universe and media franchise. In the various ''Star Trek'' television series and films, they are noted for their attempt to l ...

. A common method is to remove a small wedge-shaped portion at the top of the ear, and then suture the two edges. The development of this procedure is generally credited to

Steve Haworth Steve Haworth is a body modification artist based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is responsible for the invention and popularization of subdermal implants, subdermal and transdermal implants, such as the "Metal Mohawk". He designed specialized medical i ...

. Originally the shape was achieved by folding and trimming the client's helix and sutured together to achieve a pointed look. But a new procedure has been developed by Samppa Von Cyborg, which gives the pointed ears a far more natural look.

References

{{reflist Body modification Ear surgery