are unlikely to protrude, but have a greater incidence rate of granulomas. Overcorrection and unnatural contour: the most common, but significant, complication of otoplasty is overcorrection, which can be minimized by the surgeon's detailed attention to the functional principles of the surgical technique employed. Hence, function over form minimizes the creation of the unnatural contours characteristic of the "technically perfect ear". Non-surgical otoplasty Indications Incidence of ear deformity Approximately 20–30 per cent of newborn children are born with deformities of the external ear (pinna) that can occur either in utero (congenitally) or in the birth canal (acquired). The possible defects and deformities include protuberant ears ("bat ears"); pointed ears ("elfin ears"); helical rim deformity, wherein the superior portion of the ear lacks curvature; cauliflower ear, which appears as if crushed; lop ear, wherein the upper portion of the pinna is folded onto itself; and others. Such deformities usually are self-correcting, but, if at 1 week of age, the child's external ear deformity has not self-corrected, then either surgical correction (otoplasty 5–6 years of age) or non-surgical correction (tissue molding) is required to achieve an ear of normal proportions, contour, and appearance. Tissue molding In the early weeks of infancy, the cartilage of the infantile pinna is unusually malleable, because of the remaining maternal estrogens circulating in the organism of the child. During that biochemically privileged period, prominent ears, and related deformities, can be permanently corrected by molding the pinnae (ears) to the correct shape, either by the traditional method of taping, with tape and soft dental compound (e.g. gutta-percha latex), or solely with tape; or with non-surgical tissue-molding appliances, such as custom-made, defect-specific splints designed by the physician. Therapeutically, the splint-and-adhesive-tape treatment regimen is months-long, and continues until achieving the desired outcome, or until there is no further improvement in the contour of the pinna, likewise, with the custom and commercial tissue-molding devices. Taping The traditional, non-surgical correction of protuberant ears is taping them to the head of the child, in order to "flatten" them into the normal configuration. The physician effects this immediate correction to take advantage of the maternal estrogen-induced malleability of the infantile ear cartilages during the first 6 weeks of their life. The taping approach can involve either adhesive tape and a splinting material, or only adhesive tape; the specific deformity determines the correction method. This non-surgical correction period is limited, because the extant maternal estrogens