title: Which type of earring and which piercing point is safest with regard to tearing through the ear by an external force?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discover the relationship between earring types, piercing points, and the mechanical force needed for earrings to tear through the earlobe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5-mm-thick silicon paddle was used as an earlobe model. Five types of earrings were used: hoop, stud, buckle, hook, and screw. Tension was measured 4, 8, and 12 mm from the lowest border. The force and degree of pull needed for the earrings to tear through the tissue or fall out were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The force required to pull the earlobe from 6 mm was 4.88 ± 1.74 N in a cadaver, 0.58 ± 0.18 N in the model, and 0.55 ± 0.19 N in a living earlobe. The hoop fell out with the least force applied (3.31 ± 0.90 N), followed by the stud (5.77 ± 1.81 N) and the buckle (7.78 ± 1.58 N). For the hook (8.98 ± 1.02 N) and screw (9.98 ± 2.01 N), all the models tore through. The 12-mm point required the greatest force to tear through (17.31 ± 2.33 N), followed by the 8- (13.64 ± 2.42 N) and 4-mm points (9.98 ± 2.01 N).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 4-mm point is recommended for hoops, buckles, and studs, and the 8-mm point or higher is recommended for screws and hooks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, BK21 Project, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea. jokerhg@inha.ac.kr
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Pil Joong
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D004431:Ear, External / Q000293:injuries*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D055498:Jewelry; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011677:Punctures; D013314:Stress, Mechanical