Ear & Earlobe Keloid Treatment · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Ear Keloid Treatment in Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Dermatologist-led treatment for keloids on the earlobe and upper ear, including the "dumbbell" keloids that grow after a piercing. We match the treatment to the size of your keloid and plan from day one to lower the chance of it coming back.
Specialist consultations from $395 · In-clinic injections from $249 per session · Surgery from $2,495 · Total cost confirmed in writing before you start · No referral needed to book · See fees
A dermatologist-led clinic, founded by Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD, who has fellowship training in complex scarring and treats ear keloids in Mount Gravatt.
Meet Dr MitchEar Keloid Treatment at a Glance
Ear Keloid Before and After Photos
Patients of DERM Skin Specialists with earlobe keloids after a piercing, photographed before and after surgical revision.
BeforeAfter 4 weeks
BeforeAfter 3 monthsBefore photo on the left in each pair. Tap a photo to see it larger. Individual results vary. Images show outcomes for one patient each and may not reflect typical results. Ear keloids can come back after treatment, and all procedures carry risks; see the risks section below.
Send Us Photos of Your Keloid
Want to know which treatment suits your keloid and roughly what it costs? Fill in a short form, then reply to our text with a few photos. We'll be in touch ASAP about the right consult and a price guide.
Photo tips: a close-up of the front and back of your ear, plus one from further back. Normal room light is fine, no filters.
Photos help us guide you but don't replace a consultation. Price guides are estimates; your exact costs are confirmed at your consult. For adults 18 and over. Photos are stored securely by our messaging provider, Podium, which may store data outside Australia.
Can an Ear Keloid Be Removed?
The short answer: yes, most ear keloids can be made much smaller and flatter, and many larger earlobe keloids can be cut out. But no treatment can promise a keloid will never come back. The earlobe is one of the more forgiving places for a keloid, and surgery followed by a pressure earring, with follow-up, gives a good chance of a lasting result.
An ear keloid is a firm, raised scar that keeps growing past the edges of the original wound. Most start at a piercing hole on the earlobe or the upper ear (helix), sometimes months after the piercing. Some form on both the front and back of the lobe, joined through the piercing track, like a dumbbell. Others follow ear surgery, a cut or a burn.
At DERM Skin Specialists in Mount Gravatt, ear keloids are assessed and treated by our specialist dermatologists. We see patients from across Brisbane's southside, including Holland Park, Carindale and Sunnybank. For keloids on other parts of the body, see our keloid scar treatment page.
Worth booking if your ear
- Has a lump at a piercing that keeps growing
- Has a bump on the front and back of the lobe
- Itches, aches or catches on hair and clothing
- Had a keloid cut out that came back
A lump on the ear that had no injury, or one that is changing quickly, should be checked. Some skin cancers and cysts can look like keloids.
Smaller. Flatter. Watched.
What Results Can You Expect After Ear Keloid Treatment?
With injections, most people can expect a keloid that is flatter, softer and less itchy over a few months, though a small lump may remain. With surgery, the keloid is replaced with a fine scar, as in the photos above. A large keloid can leave the lobe slightly smaller or uneven.
Dr Mitch describes about an 80% clearance rate for larger ear keloids treated with surgery and a compression earring. That means some keloids come back, even with careful technique, which is why we keep reviewing you after surgery.
What the research says. A 2020 review of 60 studies covering 5,547 keloids found recurrence of about 19% when surgery was followed by one added treatment, and about 11% when it was followed by two or more (Dermatologic Surgery, 2020). A 2026 review found keloids in low-tension areas such as the earlobe were about 70% less likely to return after surgery and radiotherapy than those on the chest and shoulders (Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, 2026).
A small wound, a big reaction
Why Do Ear Piercings Cause Keloids, and Who Gets Them?
A piercing is a small wound. In people prone to keloids, the cells that make collagen don't switch off when the wound closes, so the scar keeps thickening and spreading into normal skin. Irritation, infection and repeated re-piercing add fuel.
Keloids are more common in darker skin, run in families and peak from the teenage years to about 30. One keloid makes another more likely, including on the other ear.
Is it a keloid or a piercing bump?
Not every lump at a piercing is a keloid. A red, tender bump in the first weeks is often irritation or infection. A raised scar that stays within the piercing site may be hypertrophic and can flatten over time. A keloid is firmer, grows beyond the piercing and rarely shrinks by itself. Occasionally a small sample is taken to confirm it.
Children and teenagers
Ear keloids often start in the teenage years, and are easier to treat while small. We use numbing cream and go at your child's pace. Surgery under local anaesthetic suits teenagers who can keep still; for younger children we'll talk through the options with you.
You're more likely to form ear keloids if you
- Have had a keloid before
- Have a parent or sibling with keloids
- Have darker or olive skin
- Are in your teens or twenties
Size decides the plan
How Are Ear Keloids Treated in Brisbane?
Dr Mitch's approach is to sort ear keloids by size, then choose the treatment that fits. Either way, the plan includes steps to stop it coming back.
Keloids under 1 cm
Usually: in-clinic injections.
Medicine is injected directly into the keloid to flatten it and calm the itch. We start at a lower dose and adjust it to how your keloid responds. The procedure is quick and you can go back to normal activities the same day. Sessions are usually about monthly, over 3 to 6 months. Side effects can include temporary redness, thinning of the skin, lighter patches and small visible blood vessels.
Injections from $249 per session.
Keloids over 1 cm
Usually: surgery, then a pressure earring.
The keloid is cut out under local anaesthetic and the earlobe is repaired. After a couple of weeks of healing, we fit a compression earring to reduce the chance of it coming back. Larger keloids, keloids on both sides of the lobe and keloids that haven't responded to injections usually do better with surgery.
Surgery from $2,495.
Other treatments we may add
- Injections after surgery. Can be given into the healing scar to lower the chance of regrowth.
- Cryotherapy. Freezing can shrink smaller keloids, sometimes with injections. It can leave a lighter patch, so it's used with care in olive and darker skin.
- Vascular laser. For red, active scars. More on DermaV.
- Radiotherapy after surgery. For ear keloids that have come back more than once, we may refer you to a radiation oncologist for a short course soon after surgery. It's reserved for selected adults.
What Happens at an Ear Keloid Consultation?
From your first visit to your last review, here's what to expect.
Your Ear Keloid Assessment
Your dermatologist takes a history, examines and measures the keloid, and checks for anything that needs a biopsy. Photos are taken so changes can be tracked.
A Written Ear Keloid Plan
Depending on the size, we choose injections or surgery. You get the plan and total cost in writing, and a patient coordinator guides you through your injection sessions or your surgery.
Ear Keloid Treatment and Follow-Up
After treatment, follow-up visits check that you're healing well and that the pressure earring is working, so any regrowth is caught early.
One procedure, then follow-up
What Happens During Ear Keloid Surgery?
Ear keloid surgery is done in our procedure room in Mount Gravatt, under local anaesthetic, so you're awake but the ear is numb, and you go home the same day.
- Numbing. A local anaesthetic is injected around the keloid. It stings for a few seconds.
- Removal. The keloid is cut out, planned to keep the lobe's shape as close to normal as possible.
- Repair. The lobe is closed with fine stitches, taking care to keep tension off the wound.
Stitches usually come out after about 5 to 14 days. Once the wound has healed, usually at about 2 weeks, the pressure earring starts. A patient coordinator books your reviews.
If you've had a keloid cut out before and it came back, tell us what was done and when. It changes what we recommend. More on scar revision.
The step people skip
Why Do You Need a Pressure Earring After Keloid Removal?
Surgery is itself an injury, and a keloid is an over-reaction to injury. Steady pressure on the healing earlobe helps stop the new scar thickening. As Dr Mitch puts it:
"The key is a tailored treatment plan and good compliance with compression therapy to minimise recurrence."
Pressure earrings are usually small clip-on or magnetic discs that press on the front and back of the lobe. They're fitted once the wound has healed and worn for many hours a day, for several months. We check the fit at your reviews and tell you when you can stop.
What the research says. In a study of 88 people who wore custom ear clips for 12 hours a day after ear keloid surgery, 70.5% had no recurrence after an average of 6.5 years (JPRAS, 2016).
Getting the most from your pressure earring
- Wear it as many hours a day as advised
- Take it off to clean the lobe, then put it back
- Don't stop early because the ear looks good
Honest about recurrence
Will My Ear Keloid Come Back?
It can, and you should know that before you start. Ear keloids can regrow months or a year or more after treatment. The risk depends on the size, whether it has come back before, your skin and how closely the after-care is followed.
Cutting a keloid out with nothing else done carries a high chance of it returning. A 2023 review found recurrence after excision alone was reported in almost all cases, and recommended that another treatment always follow surgery (J Plast Surg Hand Surg, 2023). A 2026 review of radiotherapy after ear keloid surgery included one series of 239 earlobe keloids in which 3 came back (Plastic and Aesthetic Research, 2026).
What we do about it. We combine treatments and keep reviewing you after surgery, so regrowth is caught while it's small and can often be treated with injections.
Does Ear Keloid Removal Hurt, and What Is the Recovery?
- Injections: a sharp sting for a few seconds, with numbing cream if needed. Back to normal the same day.
- Surgery: the local anaesthetic stings briefly, then you feel pressure, not sharp pain. The ear may ache for a day or two; simple pain relief is usually enough.
- Recovery after surgery: typically 5 to 7 days. Sleep on the other side and avoid swimming until healed.
- Earrings: no earrings in the treated ear, other than your pressure earring.
Before an event. Allow about 2 weeks after injections and about 4 weeks after surgery. Wedding or formal photos? Book early, as the pressure earring is worn for months.
When to Call Us After Ear Keloid Treatment
- Increasing pain, heat, redness or swelling after the first 2 days
- Pus, yellow crusting, a fever or the wound opening
- Bleeding that doesn't stop after 15 minutes of firm pressure
- A new lump, or the scar thickening between visits
Call 07 3487 1414. Outside hours, see your GP or go to an emergency department.
Lobe or cartilage
Earlobe or Upper Ear Keloid: Is Treatment Different?
Yes. Where the keloid sits on the ear changes the surgery and the after-care.
Earlobe keloids
- The most common. Usually at a standard lobe piercing.
- Soft tissue, low tension. Easier to repair after removal.
- Pressure earrings fit well. They sit neatly on the front and back of the lobe.
Upper ear (helix and cartilage) keloids
- Follow cartilage piercings. Such as helix and other upper ear piercings.
- Thin skin over cartilage. Closing the wound takes more care, and there's less spare skin.
- Pressure is harder. Pressure devices are harder to fit on the upper ear, so injections may play a bigger part.
Ear Keloids in Darker and Olive Skin: What's Different?
Ear keloids are more common in darker skin, including people of African, Asian, Pacific Islander, Indian and Middle Eastern background. They are also more likely to return.
Treatment works in every skin type, but injections and cryotherapy can leave lighter patches, and surgery can leave a darker scar that takes months to fade. We start injections at a lower dose, use cryotherapy with care and protect the area from sun.
Because recurrence is more likely, we put extra weight on the pressure earring, injections after surgery and follow-up.
Tell Us Before Ear Keloid Treatment If You
- Have had keloids before, or family members have
- Get brown or pale marks after cuts or spots
- Are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy
Ear Keloid Treatment Risks, and How We Reduce Them
All procedures carry risks. Here are the main ones and what we do about each.
Common Side Effects of Ear Keloid Treatment
- The keloid comes back. The main risk. We combine treatments, use a pressure earring and keep reviewing you.
- A dent or pale patch after injections. We start at a lower dose and adjust to how your keloid responds.
Less Common Ear Keloid Treatment Risks
- Infection or the wound opening. Careful technique, wound care advice and review reduce the risk.
- A change in ear shape. More likely with large keloids. We plan the repair to keep the lobe's shape where possible.
- Pressure sores from the earring. We check the fit and adjust it.
- A larger keloid after surgery. The reason we never cut a keloid out without a plan to stop it returning.
If something doesn't look right, you come back to us. Call the clinic and we'll see you here.
Plan before you pierce
Can I Re-Pierce My Ear After a Keloid?
If you've had an ear keloid, any new piercing carries a real chance of forming another, in the same ear or the other one. Our advice is to avoid re-piercing an ear that has had a keloid.
If you still want to, talk to us first. Waiting until the scar has fully settled, choosing a different spot and acting early on any thickening help, but can't rule out another keloid. Clip-on earrings are a lower-risk option.
- New piercings elsewhere. Upper ear and cartilage piercings carry a higher risk.
A new lump at a piercing?
If a piercing is getting firmer, bigger or itchier, take the earring out and book in. Small keloids are easier to treat.
How Much Does Ear Keloid Removal Cost in Brisbane?
A specialist consultation starts from $395. In-clinic injections start from $249 per session, and ear keloid surgery starts from $2,495. The final cost depends on the size and number of keloids and whether both ears are treated.
At your consultation you get a written plan with the total cost of the course, not just one session. For injections, that usually means several sessions over 3 to 6 months. For surgery, ask what the quote includes, such as stitch removal, the pressure earring and reviews. If treatment is unlikely to be worth it, we'll tell you.
Medicare and private health. Keloids are a medical condition, and a Medicare rebate may apply to some treatments; we confirm at your consultation. A GP referral isn't needed to book, but a valid referral is needed for a Medicare rebate on the consultation. See our fees.
Your dermatologists
Who Treats Ear Keloids at DERM Skin Specialists?
Specialist Dermatologists · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Ear keloids are treated by our specialist dermatologists: Dr Mitch Robinson, Dr Emily Shao and Dr Benny Yau, all Fellows of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD). Dr Mitch takes on complex and recurrent keloids. In his words, ear keloids "are relatively common and can be tricky to treat", and his approach is "to categorise them by size: keloids under 1 cm and those over 1 cm."
- Fellowship training in complex scarringPlus cutaneous oncology and laser surgery
- Three specialist dermatologistsMedical, surgical and laser treatment in one clinic
- Teaches dermatologists and registrarsLectures on laser protocols and safety in Australia and Asia
Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Ear Keloid Treatment in Mount Gravatt
DERM Skin Specialists is at 2/1437 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt, about 15 minutes' drive from the Brisbane CBD, with free parking onsite. Patients come from Upper Mount Gravatt, Mansfield, Wishart, Eight Mile Plains and beyond.
Common Questions
Ear Keloids: Common Questions
Do ear keloids go away on their own?
Rarely. Most stay the same or slowly grow. A bump that stays within the piercing site may be a hypertrophic scar, which can flatten over 12 to 18 months.
How do I get rid of a keloid on my earlobe?
Smaller earlobe keloids are usually treated with in-clinic injections. Larger ones are cut out, then a pressure earring is worn once the wound has healed. Home remedies don't remove keloids.
Should I take my earring out if a keloid is forming?
Yes, usually. Take the earring out, keep the area clean and book in. Leaving a tight or heavy earring in can irritate the scar.
Can I cut, tie off or pop an ear keloid at home?
No. A keloid is solid scar tissue, not a pimple. Cutting, tying or burning it is an injury that can make it bigger and risks infection.
Is a keloid on the ear dangerous?
Keloids are benign and don't turn into cancer. A lump on the ear that wasn't at a piercing or injury, or one that changes quickly, should be checked.
Is ear keloid surgery done under general anaesthetic?
No. It's done in the clinic under local anaesthetic, so you're awake but the ear is numb, and you go home the same day.
When can I go back to work after ear keloid surgery?
Downtime after surgery is typically 5 to 7 days. Allow longer before swimming or contact sport, and ask us what suits your job.
How long do I wear a pressure earring?
For several months, for many hours a day. We'll tell you how long in your case and check it at your reviews.
Can both ears be treated at the same time?
Often, yes. Some people prefer to do one ear at a time so they can sleep on the other side. We'll plan it with you.
What is a dumbbell keloid?
A keloid on both the front and back of the earlobe, joined through the piercing track. Larger dumbbell keloids often need surgery rather than injections alone.
Can laser remove an ear keloid?
No laser removes a keloid on its own. Vascular laser can reduce redness and itch in an active scar, as part of a combined plan.
What happens if my ear keloid comes back after surgery?
We see you promptly. Early regrowth can often be treated with injections. Keloids that come back more than once may need a different combination, sometimes including a radiotherapy referral.
Can a teenager have an ear keloid removed?
Yes. Teenagers who can keep still for a local anaesthetic can usually have surgery in the clinic. Small keloids may be treated with injections first.
Does Medicare cover ear keloid removal?
A Medicare rebate may apply to some treatments; we confirm at your consultation. A valid GP referral is needed for a rebate on the consultation.
Do I need a referral to see a dermatologist about an ear keloid?
No referral is needed to book. A valid referral, usually from your GP, is needed if you want a Medicare rebate on your consultation.
Can I see a nurse first?
A nurse-led assessment may be an option for initial guidance, depending on your needs. Ear keloid treatment itself is planned by a specialist dermatologist, so a dermatology consultation is usually the right place to start.
Get a Plan for Your Ear Keloid
Book a consultation with one of our specialist dermatologists. We'll measure your keloid, explain what injections or surgery can and can't do, and give you a written plan with the total cost before you decide.
Not ready to book? Send us photos first for a consult and price guide.
Clinical content overseen by Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD (AHPRA MED0001946771). Updated October 2026. General information only, not medical advice. All procedures carry risks; suitability, recovery and results vary between individuals.