Some Israelis have feared the worst. Will wearing face masks with elastic bands around the ears cause their ears to protrude further than usual?

But now everyone can rest easy. After Israeli plastic surgeons apparently received many inquiries about the issue, a group of plastic surgeons kindly shared some words of wisdom to reassure anxious Israelis, stating that although the ear elastics on face masks can cause discomfort for some, it will definitely not cause anyone’s ears to protrude any more than they already do, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Since the ear canal stops developing at age six, there is no reason for “its structure to change following the pressure of a rubber band or lanyard,” the surgeons said.

The surgeons continued by noting that in any case, anyone who is still worried about ear protrusions or experiences discomfort from the elastic bands can make use of a bandana or a scarf for a face mask instead.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)