NEW TREND IN CHINA: PROTRUDING ELF EARS

There’s an awful new trend in China – many women are having plastic surgery to get “elf ears.” The theory is that by enlarging their ears and making them stick out, their faces look slimmer and thus more attractive. One Chinese plastic surgeon, Dr. Yu Wenlin in Guangzhou, says she performs up to six of the surgeries daily. The procedure involves injecting hyaluronic acid, which is often used in dermal fillers, into the ears so that they become plump. Or, a piece of cartilage is inserted behind the ear to prop it forward so that they are visible from a frontal face view. Protruding ears are traditionally considered a symbol of good luck in China. The procedure comes with substantial risk factors. If there is infection around the ear after surgery, it’s very tricky to treat; another risk is a possible embolism caused by injecting hyaluronic acid into blood vessels, which may be fatal.
* Another problem is, your earbuds keep falling out.
* One benefit of the procedure is a new ability to echo-locate, like a bat.
* And radio reception is better.
* They call them “elf ears” ’cause it sounds better than “Alfred E. Newman ears.”