Fact Check: Can Coconut oil and Bandage Heal a Torn Earlobe Due To Heavy Earrings in 7 days, Eliminating The Need for Surgery?

An Instagram post claims that coconut oil and a bandage can heal a torn earlobe in 7 days, eliminating the need for surgery. The claim is False.

Claim

The Instagram user sachin2.0_ posted a reel that claims that "coconut oil and a bandage can heal a torn earlobe in 7 days". The reel states, "There’s always some woman in the house whose earlobe gets torn. This happens due to wearing heavy earrings or jhumkas, because of which she cannot wear earrings anymore, and it even reaches the point where surgery becomes necessary. But there is no need for surgery. What needs to be done? Take a bandage and apply it to the ear, then pour coconut oil over it. Within 7 days, the ear will heal completely."

The post has 316,030 likes and can be accessed here.

Fact Check

The claim is False. Coconut oil may help with minor wound care due to its antimicrobial and healing properties, but it cannot repair torn or stretched earlobes. Such injuries typically require medical intervention, and coconut oil and a bandage alone are insufficient.

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut is a vital food in many tropical and subtropical regions, with the coconut tree often called the "tree of life." Coconut oil (CO), a key product derived from coconuts, may offer several health benefits due to its medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCSFAs), which are quickly metabolized and used as an energy source rather than stored as fat. Some studies suggest CO might help reduce waist circumference and improve HDL ("good cholesterol") levels. Virgin coconut oil (VCO), rich in polyphenols, may exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, which could support cardiovascular health and neuronal health, including potential benefits for Alzheimer’s disease.

Understanding Torn earlobes

Body piercings have been practised worldwide for centuries, with ear piercing being the most popular. One of the most common complications of ear piercing is a split earlobe, torn earlobe, or stretched earlobe, which occurs due to the repetitive wearing of heavy earrings. The wearing of heavy metal earrings or "jhumkas" is a common practice in Indian tradition, and over the years, constant use of such earrings causes pierced earlobes to stretch due to the pull exerted by their weight. Additionally, a study has found that allergies to metals used in earrings can also lead to a split earlobe.

Can coconut oil and a bandage heal a torn earlobe due to heavy earrings in 7 days, eliminating the need for surgery?

Although coconut oil provides various nutritional benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties that may support cardiovascular and neuronal health, its role in wound care is limited. For large or torn areas, such as a stretched or split earlobe, coconut oil alone cannot facilitate complete healing. Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence or medical consensus to support the claim that applying coconut oil and a bandage can heal a torn earlobe within 7 days or eliminate the need for surgery.

The study published in the International Ayurvedic Medical Journal highlights "Boharin," a traditional or local practice of ear piercing. It advises the application of coconut oil and turmeric for post-piercing wound care, utilizing their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties.

Another study published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology highlights that wounds treated with virgin coconut oil heal faster. However, the study does not provide evidence or mention the closure of large wounds or the healing of a torn earlobe.

Similarly, another study published in the International Journal of Medicine and Health Profession Research, found that wounds treated with coconut oil extract facilitate faster healing. Again this study does not mention the closure or healing of torn apart earlobe.

All these studies highlight the role of coconut oil in facilitating faster wound healing; however, no research or studies support its role in achieving the complete healing of a torn earlobe without surgery. Additionally, there is no consensus within the medical fraternity that agrees with the claim that coconut oil and a bandage alone can repair a torn earlobe without surgical intervention.

Dr. Chinjitha T Davis, Associate Consultant Dermatology, Manipal Hospital, Goa, told Medical Dialogues, "Only with bandages and coconut oil, ear lobe repair cannot be done. Indian women who have the habit of wearing heavy earrings used to end up with an ear lobe tear. Ear lobe repair is usually done with daycare surgery by an ENT surgeon/plastic surgeon/ Dermato-surgeon under local anaesthesia. If a slit in the earlobe has to heal, the surface of the earlobe tear should be raw. This rawness is created with a surgical blade and sutured in Surgical ear lobe repair. This part of creating areas can be done with a chemical, which is less invasive. After that, a bandage is applied to approximate the chemically ablated raw areas of the tear to heal. Once raw areas are healed via approximation, the ear lobe repair is done."

Dr Shree Rao, MBBS, MS (ENT), Director & Head – Cochlear Implants at Dr. Rao’s ENT, added "Applying coconut oil over a bandage does not repair a torn earlobe. In fact, if the torn earlobe is infected, applying oil and a bandage can worsen the condition by causing a fungal infection. Some ear parlors use glue as a temporary fix, but this is not recommended, as they are not qualified to treat such injuries. A common cause of earlobe tears is the reduction of adipose tissue in the ear due to ageing. Surgical earlobe repair provides a safe and permanent solution. Torn earlobe repair is a cosmetic procedure and is not mandatory unless an infection develops due to the tear."

Medical Dialogues Final Take

Coconut oil is valued for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties, making it effective in promoting wound care and faster recovery from minor injuries. However, when it comes to large or torn earlobes, such as split or stretched earlobes caused by heavy earrings, coconut oil alone is insufficient for complete healing. Torn earlobes typically require surgical intervention to repair the damage. Applying coconut oil and a bandage may provide some comfort and help prevent infection, but it cannot replace medical treatment for repairing torn or stretched earlobes.

Hence the claim that coconut oil and a bandage heal a torn earlobe in 7 days, eliminating the need for surgery is False.