Do You Have A Small Hole Above Your Ear? This Is Why You Should Be Happy And Worried About It.


It’s likely you’ve come across someone with a tiny hole above one or both of their ears. It usually appears at the point where the ear cartilage connects to the face, and might look like a lump or a dent. About one in 100 people have them.

They’re called preauricular sinuses, and for the most part, they’re entirely normal. Interestingly, according to evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, the holes could be an evolutionary remnant of fish gills.

Their frequency actually varies in different parts of the world. In the UK, for example, just under one per cent of people are born with the tiny hole, while in Africa, it’s closer to 10 per cent.

The holes are heriditary and in some cultures have a special meaning, like in Ethiopia, where they’re said to grant wealth.

But sometimes, these sinus cavities can become infected.

Typically found on the right side, these holes appear in anywhere from 1 to 10 percent of the population, and are more common in certain areas of the world or in people with certain ethnic backgrounds.

They look like holes, but often don’t go all the way through. They can just be a dimple, a dent, or even a raised nodule, in which case it’s called a perauricular cyst.

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